Adding a swing out tire carrier to factory Sport Trac bumper. | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Adding a swing out tire carrier to factory Sport Trac bumper.

MidnightRebel07

Explorer Addict
Joined
March 6, 2010
Messages
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City, State
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Year, Model & Trim Level
2003 Explorer Sport Trac
Hey ya'll, I'm needing to add a swing out tire carrier to my '03 Sport Trac.

I would like to build a complete steel rear bumper with hitch, d-rings and swing out tire carrier but not sure I have the time to build one. I have the funds just not the time.

I'm wondering if I can just fabricate a bracket and mount it to the factory rear bumper? If anyone has any info, pictures or suggestions on which route to take.
 



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Bueller, Bueller, anyone?
 






My opinion is the bumper material is not strong enough in itself. By that I mean if you merely tried to bolt a hinge to the bumper it would not work well. You would put too much stress on it when off-roading. If you somewhow tie in the hinge so that it is held to a frame point or perhaps to the inner steel frame which suppots the bumper it would work better but that would mean drilling a hole in the bumper and figuring all that out. Search the net to find different methods people have used. I just found this one where the guy sort of tied into a hidden hitch.

When I designed mine I built it off my home made hidden hitch and made it swing down. I don't need to open the back except when I go camping so it works well for me. Don`t see many like that though...
 






Thanks, I'll be talking to the guys in my custom truck club to see if I can get my truck in the garage to fab up a rear bumper sometime this summer then. I wasn't sure if the factory bumper would support the tire carrier until I looked at the blow up diagram in the factory workshop manual.
 






Do a search for user Jefe. He had a swing out tire carrier with his stock rear bumper. I cant remember how he did it though.
 












Thanks Froader, I didn't go back for enough when I did the tire carrier search to see his. I'm gonna have to see if that idea would work on my ST bumper because it's a plastic cover over some steel inserts.

Thanks again guys for the replies.
 






Since BLEE1099 deleted my post, in my own forum, I'll reply here!:mad::mad:

After living with swing out tire carriers on a dozen or so Bronco II's I am not a fan of them. But I support your right to discover that for yourself!!









Just messin' with you Ben!!:D:D
 






It's kinda my last option. I'm not putting the Yakima MegaWarrior back on the roof (gas mileage sucked and clearance issues getting in anywhere with it on) and the dual exhaust is in the way under the bed.

I like Jefe's design but not sure what I'm working with inside the stock bumper since it's plastic covered.

I'd be putting the tire in the center so it doesn't block the tailights from an angle. i held the tire up in place where I want it and it would sit to where the top of the tire is just above the tonneau cover and the bottom is sitting just above the bumper so it doesn't catch alot of air going down the highway.

I'll hold it up in place and have my wife take a picture of it so you can see what I'm trying to describe.
 






Since I'm not building the complete steel bumper I'm gonna take Jefe's idea and build a reinforcement inside the bumper cover. Nice clean looking like it should've been from the factory.
 






cant wait to see this
 






Ok so I don't have the time or the funds to build the steel rear bumper but here's the thread I made for the custom one off swing out tire carrier I'm building...

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=338445[/URL]

This thread has the link to photobucket where I have 500 pictures so far.
 






Long time coming, can't wait to get it done and see people's faces when they see it. The way I'm building it and notching the rear bumper/ bumper cover and step pads it's going to look factory. Oh ya.
 






All welded up, just need to smooth out the rough spots, paint and fabricate some step pads for the rear bumper out of stainless steel diamond plate using the stock step pads as templates. check out the link to PhotoBucket for all the build pictures.

Here's a sneek peek at the almost finished first in the world one off custom swing out tire carrier on a 1st Gen Sport Trac.

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I added more pictures to the PhotoBucket album. Letting the paint dry tonight in the house so it should be mounted tomorrow.
 






Did you put a way to lock it open? That way if you have to open when not parked level it wont swing around on you. That is the one thing I hate on wife's cj7. Otherwise looks good. Looks like there is room for a hi lift jack or gas/water tank as well.
 






Yep, rolling a couple ideas around in my head still for the "lock open" pin/ cable/ rod/ strut. I used the factory plastic bumper/cover so I need to decide on that tomorrow. I'll know which direction I'm going tomorrow when I mount it. Leaning towards a strut like used on the Explorer rear hatch but the winters here are gonna play havoc on the cylinder piston with the road salt. I'll post pictures in the PB album whenever I fabricate something for that major issue (there's No flat level ground here in Pittsburgh).
 






Come springtime or summer I may just build my Steel bumper with a new carrier and sell this one. If I do that I'd sell the complete rear bumper so the buyer could just bolt everything right onto their Trac. I made the welds onto the bodylift bumper brackets and not the frame just for that reason, always plan ahead!! Now off to get some bearing grease and mount this as long as the paint is dry.
 






Finally installed, just need to fabricate a "lock open" latch for it so it will stay in one position when open.

Here's a couple pictures and there's more in the album...

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