1937 Ford Spare Tire Lock

TonyM

TonyM

Well-known member
My 1937 Ford came equipped with a spare tire lock. I discovered that it was held to the trunk floor with a fine thread bolt. There was no lock portion. I looked in the Ford book but could not find a good photo of the locking mechanism.

Can some one post a photo of the correct pieces?
 

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Thanks Alan. I PM that nos guy. I hope he has one for me. Again, no illustration in the Early Ford V-8 1937 Ford Book.
 
If NOSpartsman can't help you out, I can supply what you need. See my personal page for contact info.
Regards,
FlatHeadCoupe
 
I just purchased a spare tire lock and it fits in the bracket nicely but there's one problem: the special nut that came with the lock is approx. 1/2" ID and the stud mounted in my trunk is 5/16". Are the special nuts available in the 5/16" size and would it fit my lock that has 40011 engraved on the bottom?
Thanks in advance.
 
smross, The locking nut is the same size and thread as a Ford lug nut. There is no other size that I know of.
 
You will need to get the correct combination which matches your car. Do you have a "J" hook which is attached to the floorpan in the trunk or (if it is a coupe with the tire behind the seat), it will be on the vertical support...there are different variations of this...or do you have a threaded nut on your brace between the trunk pan and outer pan where the trunk latch is attached? In this scenario, there is a special double nut with a threaded shank made as part of the assembly.

None of these threaded "J" hooks nor the brace nut has the same size thread as a lug nut which is what you have run into. There is a version of the double nut which is the same size as the lug nut, (I believe this is what you pictured) but most likely this will not be used on your '37. If you find out how your spare wheel was attached, I think I can send you pictures of most every combination. Let me know at v8fordman@hotmail.com Also, there are different versions of the anti-theft device you pictured. Yours may take the one with an angled cut at the area under where the double nut goes. Shoot me an email if you can't find the right combination.
 
Some 1937-38 body styles require a "L" shaped 5/16 bolt the goes into a loop on the island between the trunk boards which receives the special spare locking nut and sometimes there is a blind "D" nut that will receive the special locking nut with its own stud. Some body styles require a 5/16 "J" bolt also held to the floor with a loop in the floor pan. All styles are shown in the photos. The "J" bolt is also used on 1940 Ford convertible.
 

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nospartsman hit it perfectly; I have the 5/16" "J" bolt that is held to the trunk floor with the loop in the trunk floor pan. I think that all I need is the special double nut in the 5/16" threaded ID size as opposed to the 1/2" special nut that I currently have.
Does anyone have that special nut that they would sell?
 
Sorry to hijack your thread, but...

The spare for my '38' Dlx sits on the floor, I have the lock but none of the steel securing straps.

Does anyone have the steel straps or repro's for sale.
Thanks.
 
Here are four styles of spare tire locking straps. The one with the "T" notch is possibly used on commercial vehicles, interlocks with the spare tire hoop. Maybe Oldandtired could chime in with his opinion. The other three are for 1937-38 passenger cars. The strap with the extra piece on the cup is used with the "L" bolt so no one can get at the cotter pin to remove the strap. The straps with flat bottom cup would be used with the blind nut in the floor pan or island between the trunk boards. The channel type in addition to 1937 car is one of two types used for 1940 convertible but cut shorter. There are three styles of locking nuts shown. The nut with its own 5/16ths stud is used with the "D" nut in the floor, the locking nut with 5/16ths thread is for the "L" bolt type. and the other nut is used on a wheel stud.
 

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Snouts out said:
Does any one have a photo of one installed? I have a 38 standard & would like to see the installation.
Click to expand...
I don't have a 1937-38 car to show the application of the locking strap, but you can figure this out by placing your spare tire about where you think it belongs in the trunk floor. For coupe I think there is a round hole in the wood platform above the spare tire for access. If it's a coupe there should be a loop or evidence of where one was in the center of where the wheel rests. This loop would hold a "J" bolt and the bar type hold down would be used (see previous photos). For sedans there would be either a loop or a blind nut in the metal island between the trunk boards. One of the curved spare tire straps with the cup would be used. The end opposite of the cup has a sharp curl, this curled part hooks into the scalloped part of the wheel and curves over the tire and there is either loop for a "L" bolt in the floor or a blind "D" nut that attaches to the special locking nut. The wood platform above the spare tire prevents the wheel from being raised and removed when locked down. If all of the wood platform is removed, then the locking strap doesn't do much good.
 
Thank you nospartsman, I now have a clearer understanding of how this should work.
All I need now are the parts.
 
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