side mount spare tire ...how does it work

[philin mt]

I am at the point were I need to mount a spare tire, I have a radio slid in that will go in the box so the box mounted spare is out, My truck is a resto rod (sri but i have been beat by the stock rigs over the years and want a driver that will get some gas milage and speed) There are very few m37 left here in montana and I have never seen one with the door mount spare... Does the spare rack open with the door or do you have to open the spare first and then open the drivers door or just slid in from the pass side? Thanks....Phil in Mt

[Rick C]

Phil, just slide in from the passenger side. Stock set up requires you to unlatch the spare and swing it out then open the door. It's really a pain if the window is up, you have to roll down the window to get out. I heard that the marines made up a bracket that married the carrier to the door....
I have one for my M43 but don't have it on the truck anymore.
Rick

[philin mt]

That is the way it looked , dont really like it but there is no place else to mount the spare unless I put it under the bed like a ford or chevy but it would not be the "army way" Thanks Phil in Mt

[CGarbee]

You don't have to roll the window down to get out. Just unlatch the spare (there is a handle for it on the inside of the cab), then unlatch the door (you have a handle for it on the inside of the door), then push the door (and the tire) open.

You do have to roll the window down to close the combination when you get in as you have to reach out and grab the tire to swing it (and the arm) back into position over the latch.

I've got multiple USMC trucks, and although they have a piece of chanel on the door in a locatin that looks like it would assists in keeping the swing arm and door together for closing without rolling the window down, they don't work that way, they are just spacers. Not to say that some folks don't have trucks with the arm riged to work with the door, just haven't seen any myself. Also, keep in mind that you'd have to have a truck with the hinges on the door and the spare mount arm in alignment, most of mine are slightly off...

[knattrass]

Isn't there also a triangular support bracket installed between the dash and hinge pillar to support the added load?

[CGarbee]

Yes. And it in turn connects to a plate that runs vertically down the inside of the body right in front of the door (it's welded at the bottom to the floor in most trucks) to act as extra reinforcement around the bolt holes (which, in turn, have crush tubes placed over the bolts inside the body cavity) and to transfer load down...

There are a lot of pieces in the assembly (some not obvious, like the blocks between spring and axles on the driver's side). If you are purchasing a takeoff unit, make sure that that seller has removed them all...



I've got more than one in hand (one assembly is mounted to my Cummins powered truck, the other is dissasembled and will go back on the XM708 as it's restoration progresses). A couple other trucks in the yard have them, but they are remaining with the trucks (as they have been sold...).

[Carter]

Some pix of the M37B1 door type spare tire mounting on my Webshots site:

http://news.webshots.com/album/13317777 ... ws&start=0

[SOTVEN]

Hello friend, I have the side mounted spare, and have attached the rig to the door, dissabled the door handle return spring, and now the spare rig handle closes and opens the door, without rolloing the window. Search the archives in the past to see details on the issue and pictures if they are still there. good luck.

[Nickathome]

Anyone have the swing arm assembly that they want to get rid of? My truck has all the hardware, inside bracket, arm mounting bolts etc, spring spacers, behind the seat latch). All I need is the swing arm and the big threaded piece that looks like a kids jack which holds the tire onto the swing arm.