One problem related to spare tire has been reported for the 1997 Dodge Ram 2500. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
The spare tire on my 97 Dodge pickup truck fell off the truck from its storage holder causing damage to the horse trailer I was towing, resulting in a flat tire on the trailer. Fortunately no other vehicles were involved. The cause was the spare tire holder rusting to the point where it just let the tire loose.