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So, this morning I set out on a first date/shooting trip. Thought we'd head up to my spot I shoot at, outside of Scappoose, shoot a few rounds and go for a nice long drive through the woods and out the long way. All was going great, she even shot my 1100 and 870P with slugs and buckshot in them (she's like 90lbs). Meet a couple nice guys up there that are members on here. Decided we'd shot enough and headed up the hill farther. Stopped at the top and checked out the view, you can see all the way from Scappoose to past the Portland Airport, and Mt.Hood looks awesome. Next idea was to show her how badass my truck was. Locked 'er into 4x4, went through a real deep ditch/mud pit and smacked my axe (mounted on my front bumper) into a tree root, no big deal, get out to pick up the axe, and what do I hear? AIR LEAKING! WTF???

My left rear tire is about half way under water and its making bubble and leaking air, quick! I hurried up and got out of the ditch and onto the main logging road again, and made it to a big clear spot, so I wasn't blocking the single lane road. I thought no big deal, I have a full size spare (my truck has 35" Good Year MTRs), I even joked about it, twice.... something like "See, now what if you were with some clown who doesn't even know how to change a tire?" and "Glad I have this full size spare, we'd be screwed if I didn't"... Pull out my bottle jack (who uses that factory junk?), jack it up, pull flat off, throw spare on the wheel studs...

DAMN! PROBLEM! So, the stock spare wheel that I had my 35" spare mounted on, has too small of inside diameter and wont fit over the brake drum! WTF is Dodge thinking??

So, I tell her, no worries, I'll pull a front tire off, throw it on the back and put the spare on the front! I'm so smart! Get that factory jack out (that I almost threw in the scrap bin), get the front tire off...

SAME PROBLEM!!! Wheel hits the brake caliper!

Now I'm kinda worried. We are like 10-15 miles from the highway, then like 15 miles from town, no phone service, and the sun is going down.

Only thing I could do is put the front back how it was, and put the spare on the back, and use the lug nuts to "press" the wheel onto the drum. It's gunna be a bubblegum to get apart tomorrow...I had to stop about every 5 miles and re tighten the lugs, but I'm home, and she thinks I'm the ultimate man or something like that. Took about a half hour to go around all the lugs about 40 times to get it tight.

MORAL OF THIS POST! - Check to make sure your spare fits you vehicle. This is the wheel that came with a stock spare, mounted up under my bumper. It is a 16" wheel, the same as I have on the truck normally. I don't know what the deal is, or why it didn't work, but I could have really had a worse time on the side of the freeway or something. Take a half hour and check it front and rear!
 
Camo - Mine is a 2500, 8 lug. All the 8 lug 2500/3500 wheels should be the same.

Filson - We are going to the Blazer game tomorrow. She thought it was fun and said at least she gets some entertainment watching me mess around with 3 35" tires trying to make something work lol She was a good sport.
 
1994-2002 2500 2WD/4WD Steel Wheels:
Lug Pattern - 8 on 6.5", 9/16" bolt
Rim Size - 16x6.5"
Offset - 4.75"
Max Tire Size - 245/75R16, 255/85R16

2000-2002 2500 2WD/4WD Forged Aluminum Wheels:
Lug Pattern - 8 on 6.5", 9/16" bolt
Rim Size - 16x8"
Offset - 6.25"
Max Tire Size - ??
o Rear: Have a machine shop turn the widest part of the brake drum down by about 1/8.
o Front: If clearance is a problem, grind the steering components just enough to clear the wheel rim. The tie rod ends may need to be lightly touched with a peanut grinder. Make sure the front wheels are pushed all the way back to the rotor, or you could cinch up the lugs and bind the wheel in a bind/angle= wobbly wheel. It is a very close tolerance at the center circle in the wheel in front, but the wheels will fit.

from
Ram Wheel and Tire FAQ - DodgeForum.com

seems there ARE differences between the steelies of the older ones and the later aluminum ones....might be that the steel spare was meant for an older 8 lug Dodge truck?

(I've run into similar problems with a 5x100 bolt pattern wheel set on an Olds I had)
 
Ah man I had that happen up in the Eagle Caps a few years back. It was a very bad day, I ended up drivng on the flat tire until the bead started off the rim and got all bound up inside the wheel well. Had my battery powered sawzall and got the tire out of the well and cut thru the beads. Then had to put it in 4 low and drive on a rim and limp it down to Lick Creek campground. Pays to make sure your spares actually fit!
 
from
Ram Wheel and Tire FAQ - DodgeForum.com

seems there ARE differences between the steelies of the older ones and the later aluminum ones....might be that the steel spare was meant for an older 8 lug Dodge truck?

(I've run into similar problems with a 5x100 bolt pattern wheel set on an Olds I had)

That probably explains it...I have a few wheels laying around, and a couple are from a 2001...mine is a 1998...probably got mixed up at the tire shop getting the 35s mounted. Thanks!

I love the truck it's self! It goes anywhere (a 20' long truck might be able to) and gets 24MPG, but this isnt a thread to compare brands. I have plenty of bad things to say about the others haha
 

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