St.Louis installs spare tire w/valve up ?

[Wayne M.]

What promps this question is a thread a few days ago about what to do when the spare gets stuck in the upper tub (probably a tire of too large diameter, IMO). Someone offered a logical reply to let enough air out to permit removal, but that won't work if the valve is facing up.

Perusing the '65 TIM&JG, I can see where both sides of the spare wheel have to be examined during flight judging (wheel gloss [in vs. out], DOT marking [yes/no], valve stem length, OEM brand, size, white or gold wall width, wheel weights, etc.).

So what did the factory do ... always valve stem up, or random up/down ?
My curiosity extends to all C2 / C3 years.

[Bill I.]

Re: St.Louis installs spare tire w/valve up ?

Wayne, it is my understanding they were put that way so the customer could drop the tray and check tire pressure without completly removing the tire. Bill.

[Wayne M.]

Re: St.Louis installs spare tire w/valve up ?

Wayne, it is my understanding they were put that way so the customer could drop the tray and check tire pressure without completly removing the tire. Bill.

Makes sense, Bill --- but then they'd have to orient the valve to the (say) rear 30 degree segment of the rim for proper access. I can't imagine UAW farmboys being this particular.

[Oliver B.]

Re: St.Louis installs spare tire w/valve up ?

My (original) Firestone SR500 shows "indentations" from the tub it lies in on the OUTER face (after all those years) - so valve stem DOWN. (And that's the way I always left it / put it back after taking the spare out...)

But who knows: maybe someone checked it when prepping the new car and returned the spare "wrongly".....

[Jack H.]

Re: St.Louis installs spare tire w/valve up ?

Interesting question, one I've not heard of being debated...

Typically, when there's a factory requirement for geometry/orientation of a given part, it's called out in the AIM with a note. I just checked a '67 and '71 AIM (UPC 10 section) and while there are notes regarding tire matching, balancing, Etc., there's NO mention of actually installing the spare wheel into the rear storage compartment!

So, if there was a preferred orientation, it was an issue the designers ignored when they release the AIM...

[Clark K.]

Re: St.Louis installs spare tire w/valve up ?

I was the original poster inquiring about how to get a "stuck" tire/wheel out of the carrier once the lid is lowered. Last weekend, at the Lone Star Regional, I discovered that I could not use the valuable advice about letting pressure out of the tire. The tire valve was on the top, therefore inaccessible. What I did was take a long screwdriver, placed the screwdriver's end into the tire grooves, and pried the tire/wheel out. Out it popped, with no damage to anything. BTW, this tire is a an original size repro of the BF Goodrich bias-ply tire mounted on a Western KO wheel.
-Clark