Hey guys

I'm starting work in the oil patch up in Canada and when I bought the truck
It had no spare tire, I had to wheel and deal the dealership who sold it to give me rubber.

I just recently ordered a rim and had it balanced/mounted but the retarded parts sales guy didn't tell me the hook on the spare tire harness wouldn't fit through the damn rim, only the 16' steel rim works. 17' aluminum rim has a cap over the center that shrinks it. Can't be removed and I can't do anything to the harness

I'd rather have this mounted under the truck than having it sit in the box or chain it up.
Anyone ran into this problem and figured out how to solve it or am I SOL??

I've been staring at the setup for a while and I'm not sure how to go about this, I can cut the hook as it will wreck the structure of the steel. There are no other winch/hook parts I can order. So I'm a bit lost

Any ideas are much appreciated. Thanks guys

 

The spare tires are all steel.. Whether the 16 inch kind or 17inch... They arent the same as the ones that come on the truck.. So I doubt you will get it to work without cutting up the hook to make it fit through the rim.

 

I tried getting rims for this truck and couldn't
Tried multiple places, pick and pull etc

Only thing available was a 16' steel rim and 17' aluminum
I wanted a rim the same size so I could 4x4 and not worry about damaging the diffs due to the work I do.
Will cutting the hook down wreck its strength?? I'd guess yes. Don't want a rim falling off my truck down the highway

 

Cut it narrower so it will fit. Then weld a brace on each side to mimic the factory set-up for the strength.

Basically so it will look like this. l_l Just upside down.

 

Yea I was debating that idea with my dad.
Might be the only thing to do so it works cause I can't put a different winch setup on there.

 

 

17" steel wheels are common for 3rd Gen (2002-06) Rams. Stinks that you already have a wheel for a spare. But you can pick up a wheel cheap and have the tire transferred over. Sell the rim you have to offset cost, and no modifications needed.

 

I tried to get a 17' steel rim for my truck
Nobody had them for my year

I went to the dealership and they didn't make one
It was either a 16' steel or a 17' aluminum
I wanted matching rim size that came with the truck so I could 4x4 if I needed to and not worry about damaging my diff.

I'm still hunting for a 17' steel rim and no luck. I just wish all trucks had a universal rim. No instead they all have to have their own special rim for each brand

What are the compatible rims on a 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 Off Road Edition 4x4?? Think I saw a thread on it somewhere

 

The rim doesnt matter much, its the size of the tire. If you had for example 275/70/17, a 265/75/16 should be close enough to use 4wd.

 

There is plenty of meat on the existing carrier "hook" to allow you to cut some off of the sides. The spare isn't so heavy that what's left won't support it. Just use some common sense when cutting it. A grinder with a 4" wheel and a file or sanding wheel will do you good.
I had an issue with my carrier tube being rusted and full of 12 years of crud. I ended up cutting the "hook" partially off to get the spare off. I then pulled the assembly apart and rebuilt it with a new piece of HD galvanized conduit. Works like a charm now. I even use the original star shaped socket on the end of the jacking bar. Took a couple of hours and some patience.