Does anybody know if Full size spare tires were ever mounted "under" 81-87 Chevy short boxes? My 83 short box has nothing anywhere for the spare tire. I was in a Junk yard the other day and found an 87 with short box with the spare tire strap under the box, but there was no tire mounted and a dounut size spare laying in the back of the box. Also, Does anybody know here I can get a picture of the original jack and how it mounts in an 83'? Any help would be appreciated/Thanks
All most all mount on the right side inner fender unless you have a deisl. you need the two long stud smaal u shape brace . this the best pic I have 73 -87 all most all the same. For none A/c set up for sure.
For '81-87s they moved the jack to the driver's side inner fender, the handle folds and goes along the passenger side fender. Here's a pic from my '85, you can see the jack next to the brake booster and part of the handle sticking out from behind the coolant reservoir. The other end of the handle is behind the battery. I'm pretty sure most if not all pickups had full size spare under the bed. Check to see if the upper crossmember that the tire is held against is still there, the other parts are easily removed. You can kinda see it behind the exhaust bracket in my second pic.
What motor set up is the 85 up in Canada all most all seem to have it on the right three 84 one was a straight 6, two where 305's none had A/c But I have seen them on the other side. But it seem to be all the ones that have the over flow bottle, that sit up high on the right side inner fender have it on the left side.
73-84: all jack pieces located behind battery on inner fender, coolant overflow under battery 85-91: per nerfherder78, coolant reservoir now on top of pass. inner fender Spare tire was extra cost option on every truck. If you didn't order it, you didn't get spare tire or rim, spare specific crossmember or carrier. My 73 C-30 Cheyenne Super 30 did not have one neither did friends 84 K3500 Sierra Classic. I can supply images of complete 83 jack assembly in engine bay or tire carrier assembly under truck. Although, I have a longbed and a class III hitch is installed. Fleetsides also had an optional in bed tire carrier that located the spare in the drivers side front corner in front of the wheelhouse. Be aware that the truck market was very price competitive in the day. On base trucks, you got very little over necessary street equipment to make the vehicle street legal, DOT and EPA compliant. Unless you ordered it, you did not typically get a spare tire, rear bumper or even a dome lamp!
There was also a glide-out tire carrier option that had a slide that telescoped such that the spare tire actually slid out behind the rear tire past the bedside. It somewhat resembled a telescoping crutch.
