I
removed the spare from under the rear so that I could mount the Rock lights
and pick up some extra clearance. I want to put on a roof
rack over the cab later and put a spare up there but I would also like
to have two spares some day, so I decided to make a mount in the bed.
First
I drilled a hole in the bed where the spare would mount.
I
got a "heavy" nut. These are just bigger and thicker than
the standard nuts. Once in position I welded it to the underside
of the bed. It does not have to be a super strong weld, just
enough to keep the nut from spinning.
I
measured and cut a piece of flat stock. I then drilled a hole for
the bolt in the center.
I
then bent the flat stock to act as a large wing nut.
I
welded the bolt to the flat bar to complete the wing nut.
I
may cut the parts of the bar that stick up off a little shorter in the
future if it becomes a problem. Right now, they stick up slightly
higher than the sides of the spare. I also ground the edges
and corners of the bar so there are no sharp edges or points.