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Spare Tire Carrier Hinge

zhanx

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Year, Model & Trim Level
2000 xls
Ok i dont know if anyone else posted it. Looked and couldn't find it. (but maybe i cant spell.. just maybe) I found this:http://www.rockstomper.com/catalog/pieces/hinge.htm its a grease-able spare tire holder hinge designed for that rear tire carrier in mind. As i am planning to make something along those lines apon return. i thought i would be a good idea... now just need to find a good lock/ closing mechicanism. If someone know of something or has one of those "AWWWWWWWW" ideas let me know.

By posted this cuase i noticed lots of people doin bumpers around here. 4 months and i'll be home!
 



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Nice, that will help me out a lot as I am planning to make some custom bumpers this summer. :thumbsup:
 












This is a common latch used for tire carriers:



They have three holding sizes:
360lbs - $11.49
700lbs - $14.54
2000lbs - $20.16
 






I have a hinge much like the rockstomper one.... but its off of a trailer.... its fully greasable and stronger.... and I've also got a very cool latching mechanism too, I"ll try and take some pictures tonight and post them.

--Ryan
 






ok so thats the locking device, been racking my mine trying to figure out something thats easy and doesn't require tools, and is able to be locked.. the best i came up with is a stud with a hole that matches the bumper and uses a reese's hitch lock to secure it.. anyone else have any idea's. *** well cr@p *** the wife just had someone run a red lightand smash up the heep. everything will be on hold for like two months now to get the money to fix it..
 






The H2 has a BEEFY tire carrier.....
 






Good info!
 






zhanx said:
ok so thats the locking device, been racking my mine trying to figure out something thats easy and doesn't require tools, and is able to be locked.. the best i came up with is a stud with a hole that matches the bumper and uses a reese's hitch lock to secure it.. anyone else have any idea's. *** well cr@p *** the wife just had someone run a red lightand smash up the heep. everything will be on hold for like two months now to get the money to fix it..

The hitch lock idea is what i was thinking of using on my truck, drill the hitch lock pin for a large "hair pin" clip and use the key lock as a backup (for everyday use)
 






If your wanting to be able to lock the carrier into a closed position. I've seen people use the latch I posted earlier and weld a small tab to the carrier's frame close to the handle in its closed position. Then drill a hole through the tab and the handle. From there you could use a pad lock, hitch pin, t-handle, what ever you want.

When you’re ready to open the carrier, just pull the pin or lock off and lift the handle up.
 






cool.. its the little things like this that makes something go together so much better. when i get back statside in june i am taking 45 days leave and will be doing all tube work then.. front / rear bumpers/ sliders/ interior roll cage(cause i know how i have been drivin over here). was gonna post another thin but i figured it sure go over in the offroad accesories forum. Any else have any more idea's for hinging and locking the rear bumper so it is secure and easy to open but rattle free? thinking of use rubber gasket material in the latch area
 






BIG TIG EXPLORER- Where does that latch come from? You said they have it in three holding sizes, who does?
 






Click on the picture in my previous post, its a link to the Grainger site.

www.destaco.com also has some of these clamp with more sizes and options like this one for example:

0.7C
0.7C


Use the link above and click "Pull Action Clamps" underneath "Industrial Products" heading.

The latch above with double handles has a built in lock to prevent un-intended opening.
 






They can also be sourced from Mcmaster carr company for a little bit cheaper
 






The only problem with the trailer spindle style hinges like the Rockstomper one is that they have to be welded to the bumper. When welding the spindle to the bumper, the spindle becomes brittle around the heat effected zone from the weld. After a while they may break especially if used offroad. I have seen/read about several cases where they have broken, some on the freeway.

I have looked at several hinges from durango4x4 and bulletproof bumpers and I am combining their hinges into a design that I like and will use on my own bumper. They use a bolt that goes through a bronze or nylatron bushing and is supported on thrust bearings. I have a thread in this forum that shows my bumper design with the hinge I will be using. I am also putting the hinge in double shear to make it more rigid/stronger.

The H2 hinge is nice as well but it is made to bolt to the side of the bumper and not to the top. I prefer to keep my bumper the bumper and not a hinge that would take an impact. For a nice setup using the H2 hinge look at Ricks rear bumper.

Lastly, the latches are also avaliable at reidtool.com and they have online CAD files of them for those of you who use CAD to design your bumpers.
 






Here is a tire carrier writeup for a Toyota 4Runner where a RockStomper hinge was used and failed. http://www.fastq.com/~sschaefer/rearbumper.html


Some pictures from the writeup:
rear_032.jpg
Snapped spindle
rear_033.jpg
Cracked bearing races
rear_034.jpg
Close up of broken spindle
 






Here is a pretty good drawing I found of the internals of a spindle based hinge
spindle.gif
 






bigtigexplorer said:
Here is a pretty good drawing I found of the internals of a spindle based hinge

Ok call me crazy but... this hinge will have the same problem as the one from rockerstomper.. its built on the same principle as that one.. so when you weld it on it will be brittle..(if i am the master of the obvious let me know). Its a mute point now for me.. While i am not home i ordered the bumper.. the man screwed it up completely.. looks like he used three 1" tubes for the bumper instead of 2 or 1.5.. minus that the spare tire carrier pissed the wife off when she opened it at wally world and it was out in the middle of the road.. so she wants it on top. So now i need to switch to a roof rack design.. ughh.. (and now that i am coming home on R&R leave anyone in the ft bragg area wanna let me borrow a saw-alll to cut the old one off.. which would look good maybe on a 1st gen
 






if anyone bothered to read the link in the 3rd post covers the hinges failing and spindle vs double shear hinge :banghead:
 



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I've had that same style hinge on my rear bumper that Cory made over 2 years ago and I've had no problem with it. It's been supporting a 35 for almost 2 years now and it's take some abuse since i've got a high lift mounted on there too.
 






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