Very interesting. My 1987 has the spare tire under the truck but it
is held up with a very heavy steel crossbar that you place into the
center hole of the tire rim and is held tight by a very heavy duty
chain. I worried about that big tire coming loose until I saw how
robust the tire holding mechanism is. Wonder where Toyota went wrong
between 1987 and 2000.
Well, you could buy a GM or Chrysler and find out .