roof rack OR rear swingout tire carrier...??

[2TimingTom]

Midnight- do you have anything to keep the swing out from opening all the way and contacting the side of the truck?

 

[MidnightRebel07]

I haven't welded the latch I made for it to keep it locked it the straight back position but will be welding it on this spring along with offroad light brackets, etc... Currently when I open the carrier it will open all the way around and the tires sits against the bedside if I need it to when I'm using the tailgate as a workstation. With the lambo style you wanna go with just remember he has a tailgate on that Yota, you have a hatch that raps around the side of the truck so you'll need to open it passed straight up to clear the hatch. Things that look cool aren't always practical in real world situations, you're gonna have to open it on hills, etc... And with cars, buildings, etc... beside you. Keep these things in mind when designing it. Mock up a carrier out of wood first and see how far it'll open and stick out, remember you'll have a tire, etc... sticking out further and if you want to have a JerryCan on it I wouldn't have it flip up.

 

[KJL]

Yeah I dont know that ill go with the swing up. Started thinking about it being on the high side of a hill and putting in a latch to hold it vertical but then again what if the welds on the latch plate break and that thing comes flying down on your head that gets smashed against some 3/16 or 1/4 inch steel... no fun.

 

[01STrunner]

Not to mention a horizontal swingout will ba a ton easier to design and build.

BTW, I talked to my offroad buddies and they all confirmed the terrible coating on smittybilt. Nothing really about structure though. I know you'd said you'd probably go full custom but just figured I'd pass on the knowledge.

 

[KJL]

yeah i think i may just build up the SB cause i like the way it looks and i dont have a tube bender (yet!)

so we will start out with how to strengthen the smittybilt tube bumper with a horizontal swingout... ill see if i can find a picture real fast of what i have

this is pretty much it... i know this is a front bumper but all the rear SB bumpers i find have the top tube cut for a sort of step. what you cant see is how its mounted, but all it is, is a piece of 1/4 steel plate welded to the little vertical supports you see in the picture, with two hole drilled into them for the stock hardware...

http://www.jeep4x4center.com/smitty...-without-hoop-textured-black-sb-jb44-fnt.html

and it does wrap around the body just a little more then the above bumper just up to the lower part of the rear fenders where the "chrome like" covers are

 

[Turdle]

That was a 35" tire

Page 51 in the vitamin d link in my signature.

 

[KJL]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drRxJHHZVjg
That was a 35" tire

Page 51 in the vitamin d link in my signature.

good lord...

thats a slick bumper my friend.

my pops has an extra set of 33" super swampers (for CO mud during hunting season) im sure i could convince him to let me use one while i mock up the carrier so thats not a problem but for now i think im going to shoot for using 31s

 

[KJL]

turdle now your going to make me read through an a$$ ton of pages to checkout your bumper...

 

[OffTrac]

What I've been trying to figure out for many moons is how to have a rear tire carrier that would also allow me to drive with the tailgate down. I have a hard time letting go of one functionality for another; I want them all.

To complicate it further and just tick me off because it should be a minor consideration with a simple solution...how would I mount a license plate on such a bumper/tire mount? Aggravating.

I have an idea but I'm keeping it to myself for now. Not sure if it's out of embarrassment or protection of my genius. I certainly won't have the skill necessary to build what I have in mind though.

Hijack over. I really enjoy the bumper threads. I'll most likely end up doing something that would work on any other SUV, not necessarily my truck. Going to watch this through.

 

[KJL]

its all good.. you could always throw the plate in the rear window

 

[KJL]

I haven't welded the latch I made for it to keep it locked it the straight back position but will be welding it on this spring along with offroad light brackets, etc... Currently when I open the carrier it will open all the way around and the tires sits against the bedside if I need it to when I'm using the tailgate as a workstation. With the lambo style you wanna go with just remember he has a tailgate on that Yota, you have a hatch that raps around the side of the truck so you'll need to open it passed straight up to clear the hatch. Things that look cool aren't always practical in real world situations, you're gonna have to open it on hills, etc... And with cars, buildings, etc... beside you. Keep these things in mind when designing it. Mock up a carrier out of wood first and see how far it'll open and stick out, remember you'll have a tire, etc... sticking out further and if you want to have a JerryCan on it I wouldn't have it flip up.

i had some c channel type stuff laying around and cut it up as a rough mock up to make sure of the angles i will need and it looks pretty good to me.

 

[OffTrac]

its all good.. you could always throw the plate in the rear window

Then it wouldn't roll down. A function I definitely won't give up. I can't win.

I'll just follow this for more ideas and maybe learn some more.

 

[KJL]

ooooh ya you dont have an X lol

got one more idea for you..

:bdrunk:

 

[KJL]

ok ive already started to "sketchup" a new rear bumper... im going to model it after the Hanson early bronco bumpers, (a little story)...

i grew up with my dads 76 bronco. it has grown over the years into a badass go anywhere, do anything rig. but back in the day when Hanson bumpers were being built out of Waynes personal shop my dad took our orange 76 to them and had them one-off some front and rear bumpers using my ol mans BKO. long story, a little shorter, they started building the EB bumpers, to this day i have never seen a set of Hanson bumpers like the ones that are on our 76... next time im over there ill take some pictures of it and post them on my photobucket and link them here for you guys.

so my question to the All Knowing, All Seeing, All Braking is, 3/16" steel or 1/4" steel?

i want them to be able to take some abuse but also be "kinda" light if that makes sense. im not going to be bouncing off boulders or anything.

 

[colintrax]

What I've been trying to figure out for many moons is how to have a rear tire carrier that would also allow me to drive with the tailgate down. I have a hard time letting go of one functionality for another; I want them all.

To complicate it further and just tick me off because it should be a minor consideration with a simple solution...how would I mount a license plate on such a bumper/tire mount? Aggravating.

I have an idea but I'm keeping it to myself for now. Not sure if it's out of embarrassment or protection of my genius. I certainly won't have the skill necessary to build what I have in mind though.

Hijack over. I really enjoy the bumper threads. I'll most likely end up doing something that would work on any other SUV, not necessarily my truck. Going to watch this through.

Push the swing out part far enough out that the tail gate can lay down? Maybe angle the whole thing?
For the license plate, look at hummers. They have a license plate holder that fits into the rim.

 

[MidnightRebel07]

For strength on the supports I'd use 3/8", just me but the weight of everything (atleast on mine) does lean down the carrier, simply because the frame of the truck is thin 1/4" C Channel (I need to beef that area of the frame up). Everything on my carrier is made with 3/8" thick steel as far as brackets, etc.... The carrier itself is 3/16" 2x2 iirc.

 

[Kevlar7R]

I built mine to hold a 33" tire and 3 5 gallon Jerry cans. So far it's doing really well! I have more work to do, but it's on and functional.

I'm on my phone so I can't add pictures, but there are a couple in my elite registry.

Some build notes.
I used the stock bumper brackets, and welded the face of them to the back of the c channel. Only problem I am having is the bumper rotating away from the truck a bit due to the moment arm of the swing out, and the extra room in the bolt holes. I am still thinking on an anti- rotation fix. As far as strength, my neighbor and I (480 lbs combined) climbed up on the swing out. I sat on the gas cans, he sat on the top of the tire, and we jumped up and down. I think we may have picked the front tires off the ground, but nothing broke, nothing bent. The channel I used had a tendency to flex/twist with the swing out open, but I fixed that by adding 4 vertical straps along the back, from the top to bottom lips.

As far as finishing the ends and sides, I am considering sectioning 6"diameter pipe to make a curved corner, then plate for the side extensions up towards the wheels.

 

[KJL]

I built mine to hold a 33" tire and 3 5 gallon Jerry cans. So far it's doing really well! I have more work to do, but it's on and functional.

I'm on my phone so I can't add pictures, but there are a couple in my elite registry.

Some build notes.
I used the stock bumper brackets, and welded the face of them to the back of the c channel. Only problem I am having is the bumper rotating away from the truck a bit due to the moment arm of the swing out, and the extra room in the bolt holes. I am still thinking on an anti- rotation fix. As far as strength, my neighbor and I (480 lbs combined) climbed up on the swing out. I sat on the gas cans, he sat on the top of the tire, and we jumped up and down. I think we may have picked the front tires off the ground, but nothing broke, nothing bent. The channel I used had a tendency to flex/twist with the swing out open, but I fixed that by adding 4 vertical straps along the back, from the top to bottom lips.

As far as finishing the ends and sides, I am considering sectioning 6"diameter pipe to make a curved corner, then plate for the side extensions up towards the wheels.

If you could at some point post some pictures that would be great.

 

[MidnightRebel07]

If you go into the elite member forum his registry is on the 2nd page.

 

[Kevlar7R]

Here is a link to my registry. I'll add some new pics now that it's cleaned up and painted.

I used the same ems kit that midnight did.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=377728