Spare wheel/tire combination for M35A3 with 365s or 395s without getting another M35A3 rim?

[HDN]

As I'm driving my truck more I've been more conscious about carrying a usable spare tire on board. I have the original still mounted on its holder - an old Michelin 14.5R20 XL that still holds air, but it's smaller than the 395s I currently have mounted. I don't really want to use that for a 395 spare as I like keeping it on for car shows, and a 395 won't fit in that spot.

I think the easiest thing for me to do is probably get another M35A3 rim and put a 395 on it and put it in the back. What sucks about that is that it's a 400-lb wheel that I'd have to pull out of the back in case I have a flat.

Then I got to wondering: Is there a possible combination that exists with a standard 6-lug wheel that will fit on the truck and a 46" road tire? My hope is that this would be lighter than another full-size wheel and thus easier and safer to unload from the bed. I just need something I can throw on the truck to get it home so I can work on it, ideally without removing any drive shafts - just swap wheels and go.

I'd also appreciate any tips for unloading spare tires from the back of a deuce no matter the weight. I was thinking of something involving a come-a-long between the wheel and one of the pallet tie-offs on my bed, but I'm not sure that would cut it.

 

[Mullaney]

As I'm driving my truck more I've been more conscious about carrying a usable spare tire on board. I have the original still mounted on its holder - an old Michelin 14.5R20 XL that still holds air, but it's smaller than the 395s I currently have mounted. I don't really want to use that for a 395 spare as I like keeping it on for car shows, and a 395 won't fit in that spot.

I think the easiest thing for me to do is probably get another M35A3 rim and put a 395 on it and put it in the back. What sucks about that is that it's a 400-lb wheel that I'd have to pull out of the back in case I have a flat.

Then I got to wondering: Is there a possible combination that exists with a standard 6-lug wheel that will fit on the truck and a 46" road tire? My hope is that this would be lighter than another full-size wheel and thus easier and safer to unload from the bed. I just need something I can throw on the truck to get it home so I can work on it, ideally without removing any drive shafts - just swap wheels and go.

I'd also appreciate any tips for unloading spare tires from the back of a deuce no matter the weight. I was thinking of something involving a come-a-long between the wheel and one of the pallet tie-offs on my bed, but I'm not sure that would cut it.

.
Wow. Yeah, I guess your truck has the spare under the bed - Right?

You definitely don't want to just roll the spare out of the back of the truck. I mean it might work, but if it bounces "wonky" you might be in for a run chasing down your spare... If it lands flat, it might bounce around but it might not bounce too far? Maybe.

Almost wonder of you should get one of those winch gizmos and mount it to your bed. Like the sample below. This one is from Northern Tool. AND you would have complete control of the tire going down to the ground.

 

[VPed]

I have an m35a2 with 395s on MRAP wheels with adapters on my truck. The spare is a 395 on a stock a2 wheel, in the stock spare location. They do fit with slight trimming of the tool box support arm and some elongation of the holes in the spare tire support.

 

[HDN]

I have an m35a2 with 395s on MRAP wheels with adapters on my truck. The spare is a 395 on a stock a2 wheel, in the stock spare location. They do fit with slight trimming of the tool box support arm and some elongation of the holes in the spare tire support.

I'm hesitant to do this for a couple reasons:

1) I'm trying to keep the truck as original as possible. I treat my truck like an antique sports car I'd restore It just wins slow races instead

2) Most of the posts I've read on here indicated that it's not safe to mount a 395 on an A2 rim. I think they mentioned something about the bead contact surface being too deformed on the rim for the tire to safely stay on the rim when driving on it.

Is there no 46" road tire that will safely fit on an A2 rim? I think that would be my ideal solution.

 

[gringeltaube]

Is there no 46" road tire that will safely fit on an A2 rim?

I'd shop for a 12.00R20 tire - which can be mounted on a 7.5 inch rim, no problem.
Their overall diameter is somewhere between 44.5" and 45" and as a spare that would work good enough.

A2 rims are TT, so just make sure you get the right tube and flap, too.

 

[sue]

Yea, not as tough as use to be. slid the bed back mounted at hand pump
crane between the bed and cab. With the tire inside the crane footprint.
with the “53 tires there about 390lbs each,

 

[HDN]

I'd shop for a 12.00R20 tire - which can be mounted on a 7.5 inch rim, no problem.
Their overall diameter is somewhere between 44.5" and 45" and as a spare that would work good enough.

A2 rims are TT, so just make sure you get the right tube and flap, too.

Is that the tire diameter tolerance for the driveline, 1.5"? That sounds great - I should be able to get that rim-tire combination for under $500. From my research, I think this assembly should weigh under 250 lbs, which is something I can handle getting out of the truck bed, even better with a little bit of help

 

[gringeltaube]

Is that the tire diameter tolerance for the driveline, 1.5"?

No, for long trips or everyday usage I would not want more than 1/2" difference. But for temporary use I see no problem at all - unless you had detroit lockers installed.

 

[HDN]

No, for long trips or everyday usage I would not want more than 1/2" difference. But for temporary use I see no problem at all - unless you had detroit lockers installed.

Good to know, thanks! No lockers on this truck. I'll plan on this and hope that I never have to use it!

 

[VPed]

The truck could tolerate the 1.5 inch difference well if the spare is mounted on the front. Keeping the four tires on the drive axles the same size if needing to drive distance on road is the goal. The size difference would not matter much off road.

 

[VPed]

My choice of spare wheel was driven by the fact that I did not want to purchase 7 adapter plates. If you have an a3 wheel for your spare, it should work and the modifications are very hard to spot, though I admit may keep you from best of show at Pebble Beach.

 

[VPed]

By the way, I get your antique auto mentality. I have owned a 70 GTO (among other classic autos) for over 40 years and have attended many car shows with it. At the big shows, there are usually many cars there closer to stock than mine. I have made modifications to mine that are hard to spot yet make the car better to drive. I drive 250 miles round trip to a big annual car show. The vast majority of the really nice cars at that show are trailered, not driven. I not only show my car, I drive it rain or shine. I drag race it and once raced it in Phoenix, driving back to El Paso without issue.

My deuce has super singles to make it interstate Highway capable. I added a racing muffler hidden behind the heat shield to lower the cab noise slightly to make it more travel friendly. I changed out the stock seated for some out of an MRAP for comfort. I run LED lights for better visibility on the highway. The truck still appears stock to most people at car shows yet I would drive it to work regularly.

I drove the truck on 395s on stock wheels for many years before changing over to the MRAP wheels.

The point is, if not a 100% original, any change to make it more enjoyable is something I would consider.

 

[HDN]

@VPed I grew up helping ny dad restore a few WW2 and Korean War vehicles, so that's where I get it from I couldn't care less about improving comfort or drivability since I want that experience and to share it with others. Though it is nice to be fortunate enough to get the deuce with air-assisted steering and super singles stock

One thing I would add to vehicles is seat belts. Another thing I'd add, where possible, is dual-circuit hydraulic brakes. The rest of the vehicle can stay the same. Though one thing my dad did to his 1953 M37 is swap the old composite marker and tail lamps for the more modern ones with bigger lenses that many of us here are used to.

Off-topic: Have any pictures of that 1970 GTO you can share?

 

[VPed]

Here is a pic of me against my son in his 75 Formula in the finals at the Pontiac Heaven drags in Phoenix, and one of my goat with my 74 Ventura and my uncle's 46 P/U. The 46 was purchased new in 46 by my Grandfather.

 

[WillWagner]

.
Wow. Yeah, I guess your truck has the spare under the bed - Right?

You definitely don't want to just roll the spare out of the back of the truck. I mean it might work, but if it bounces "wonky" you might be in for a run chasing down your spare... If it lands flat, it might bounce around but it might not bounce too far? Maybe.

Almost wonder of you should get one of those winch gizmos and mount it to your bed. Like the sample below. This one is from Northern Tool. AND you would have complete control of the tire going down to the ground.

View attachment 923545

That is the crane I had mounted in the bed of my deuce. I needed to have a chain fall mounted to the hook because with the boom all the way down, the tire was still only 1/2 way to the bed. The chain fall brought the spare to the ht of the bed thenI was able to swing the tire into the truck.