Here's another thread for the 80 guys and girls to chuckle over.
I just had all five OEM 18" alloys refinished [powder coated] and new 275/70-18 BFG AT KO's mounted up. I am on the fence about which way to orientate the spare which will be rotated in every 5,000 miles. When I removed the spare to have it refinished, it was face [outside] down. There was dirt and even water trapped behind the spokes. The Owner's Manual states that the spare should be orientated face [outside] up. This would be my preferred orientation—the refinished surface of the wheel in the spare location would be less likely to be scratched from debris either on or off road, and dirt and water would not be trapped behind the spokes. The problem is that the spare is pressed against two bars, one near the axle and another near the trailer hitch. Though these help prevent the spare from moving [significantly], looking at the Bridgestone Dueler that had been sitting under the truck for at least the last 18 months, there are two abrasions on the tire where it was pressed against these bars.
For the foreseeable future, this 100's main duty is hauling kids to practice and driving up an down the East coast to Ironman triathlons. Any suggestions about what to put around the bars and/or between the bars and spare to prevent these abrasions? My first idea was two short lengths of black rubber hose, or a bicycle tube.
As always, your experience and advice is appreciated.
I just had all five OEM 18" alloys refinished [powder coated] and new 275/70-18 BFG AT KO's mounted up. I am on the fence about which way to orientate the spare which will be rotated in every 5,000 miles. When I removed the spare to have it refinished, it was face [outside] down. There was dirt and even water trapped behind the spokes. The Owner's Manual states that the spare should be orientated face [outside] up. This would be my preferred orientation—the refinished surface of the wheel in the spare location would be less likely to be scratched from debris either on or off road, and dirt and water would not be trapped behind the spokes. The problem is that the spare is pressed against two bars, one near the axle and another near the trailer hitch. Though these help prevent the spare from moving [significantly], looking at the Bridgestone Dueler that had been sitting under the truck for at least the last 18 months, there are two abrasions on the tire where it was pressed against these bars.
For the foreseeable future, this 100's main duty is hauling kids to practice and driving up an down the East coast to Ironman triathlons. Any suggestions about what to put around the bars and/or between the bars and spare to prevent these abrasions? My first idea was two short lengths of black rubber hose, or a bicycle tube.
As always, your experience and advice is appreciated.
