$63 Spare Tire Carrier Sling DIY – 15 min install, full 6 ft bed length + vault closes perfectly

bkellisimo said:

I was so done with this: Every time I needed the full 6 ft bed (skis, lumber, anything long), I had to unclip the full size spare from the bed floor, wrestle the 35” tire out, find somewhere to store it, then clip it back in later. Total pain.

Fixed it permanently in 15 minutes for ~$63.

Parts:

1. L-Track Double Stud Tie-Down Fittings with O-Ring (creates the four anchor points): https://a.co/d/8q9cRXi

2. 4-pack heavy-duty 20 ft ratchet straps: https://a.co/d/aA2qUNu

Install (15 min):
• Slide the double-stud fittings into the factory L-Track at the four corners
• Drop the spare onto 2 lower straps
• Hook the four ratchet straps to the O-rings and ratchet tight
• Spare is now suspended just below the closed tonneau, completely off the floor

Result:
• Full 6 ft bed length is 100% usable
• ~12” of clear height from floor to tonneau across the entire bed
• Vault closes perfectly (sail pillars up, no gap, no interference)
• No drilling, fully reversible, rock-solid

Pics show the spare hanging neatly under the closed cover and the bed totally clear.

Best $63 I’ve spent on the truck. Never unclipping that spare again.

Links:
L-Track fittings → https://a.co/d/8q9cRXi
Ratchet straps → https://a.co/d/aA2qUNu

Who else wants their full bed back?

View attachment 110990

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kpanda17 said:

Brilliant
Do we know the max pull on the L track in lbs is?
1/2 the tire weight until off road aggressive driving, jumps
then max the weight of the tire, 100lbs

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mongo said:

I didn't find an L track pull spec, but it is held on by three or four M6 bolts. The lower bed wall D-ring limit is 707 pounds between any two points, those use a single M8 bolt each.

The force exerted can be arbitrarily high since the bottom ratchet strap can be arbitrarily tightened.
Although, knowing we are reasonable truck owners, the more likely cause for concern is the angle the strap is at (bed to tire). If we say 53" rail to rail, 35" tire, and that it's centered, then each side is 9 inches horizontally (ignoring roundness) and a vertical drop of V inches.
Say tire is 100 pounds, vertical load per strap section is 25 pounds (plus load from the top strap).
Forces are proportional to the dimensions,
tire weight : drop
Side load : horizontal gap
If the drop is 4 inches: Pull force (horizontally) per strap section is 25*9/4=56 pounds
Total pull per side is double that, so 112 pounds
At 3 inches of sag, it's 150 pounds
2: 225 pounds
1: 450 pounds

Main takeaway: be careful if you tension the straps, then put the tire on them.

If one is wanting the highest position possible, it might be a good idea to use a couple boards or a small sheet of plywood to span most of the gap and place the tire on that.

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kpanda17 said:

what is the ltrack shelf weight rating?

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