Spare Tire Holder Design Concept

[JakeMate]

I'm looking for some feedback on a Spare Tire Holder concept. This design attaches to the 2" receiver hitch. My intention is to use it on my 2000 WJ Grand Cherokee. It uses the Heim Joint pivot concept shown by member Casper in this thread: http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36482&highlight=spare+tire+carrier+hinge

There are existing spare tire holders that plug into the receiver hitch but I haven't found one that swings out of the way for gate access. I also want an additional receiver hitch so I can use my cargo tray to carry a deer during hunting season.

I threw this together quickly last night and I need some more eyes looking at it particularly from others who have made spare tire holders. I haven't done any stress analysis on it yet but any feedback on wall thickness would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[BIGdaddy]

that seems like a good idea, and yeah, I've seen the other ones, too. I like how you can still use your hitch for cargo, etc.

I think you'd have to somehow figure out how to keep it from rattling. I guess they have anti-rattle pins, but it'd be nice to have it built into the design somehow. Just having my ball mount rattle and clank around town is enough to drive me crazy, let alone a tire carrier.

 

[JakeMate]

I was thinking about the rattle issue too. Maybe just weld a few spots onto the portion that slides into the receiver and file them down until it creates just the right fit? Pretty caveman, but simple? I'm sure there's a more elegant solution.

 

[Lynn]

Wouldn't it be better to have it swing to the non-traffic side?

If you put some locating tabs on the tire end of the swinging arm, wouldn't that help take pressure off of the hinge (more so than just your blue plates)?

For the rattle problem, does your existing receiver have safety chain holes or loops? Could you run a removable brace (something like a turnbuckle maybe) down from the tire carrier to the safety chain loop, that could be tightened to take the 'slop' out of the receiver connection?

 

[JakeMate]

Wouldn't it be better to have it swing to the non-traffic side?

If you put some locating tabs on the tire end of the swinging arm, wouldn't that help take pressure off of the hinge (more so than just your blue plates)?

For the rattle problem, does your existing receiver have safety chain holes or loops? Could you run a removable brace (something like a turnbuckle maybe) down from the tire carrier to the safety chain loop, that could be tightened to take the 'slop' out of the receiver connection?

I guess it would be safer to have it swing to the non traffic side but I really want it biased to the driver side and that will keep all the members shorter. I'll just have to be careful.

I like the support tab idea to take stress off the blue plates.

I'll have to check on the safety chain loops. I don't remember what it has. Good idea using them if they're there.

 

[GroupSe7en]

Wouldn't it be better to mount the blue plates vertically on the 2x2 (with triangular braces across the top of the 2x2) and have the heims attached to the blue plates above and below the 2x2. The bolt could then go through the upper heim then through the 1.5x2 and then through the lower heim. It would spread the load out a lot.

 

[Metcalf]

Have the swing out horizontal tube extend over the receiver extension and rest on a small derlin or hdpe pad. This will take a GREAT deal of weight off the hinges system and make it last a lot longer.

You would probably be better off using something like a simple bronze bushing instead of the two heim joints for the pivot. Getting those aligned is going to be pretty hard since the tapped hole isn't going to start in the same location as the other....you will get some thread misalignment between the two joints. You fudge a little bit, but you can only adjust the joints in half revolutions. This means they can be off up to 1/2 the thread pitch. That might make it a bear to get it all lined up and tight. I'm not saying it won't work...but it might be hard to get everything tight.

 

[Casper]

The Heim joint hinge is actually very strong and very easy to adjust. Plus, with the adjustment ability in the Heims, you can "missalign" them ever so slightly to help with holding the swing in the open possition, yet still be able to swing it open almost effortlessly.

Cheers,
Josh
&
Porthos
:smiley_drive:

 

[GroupSe7en]

Tough to argue with success! ;o)

 

[Casper]

Tough to argue with success! ;o)

Haha, yea I guess so. I have had it a tad over a year now with absolutly no problems what-so-ever. It has even taken some hard hits in Moab this year with no problems. I say go for it.

Cheers,
Josh
&
Porthos
:smiley_drive:

 

[GroupSe7en]

Nice X. We had one of the first yellow ones - we pit fluorescent blue zebra stripes on it. There was NO aftermarket support for it and we got a Frontier Crew Cab instead.

Sorry for the hijack - back to your regularly scheduled thread...

 

[78Bronco]

I would want more vertical seperation between the heims if it was me but ****** do I know.

 

[winkosmosis]

The hitch on the WJ is only rated for 600lb tongue weight IIRC. Factor in the leverage of a cargo tray and your capacity is way below that. Put a spare tire holder in, spacing that tray out further and adding its own leveraged weight, and I don't know if you have any capacity left for a deer.

 

[JakeMate]

A lot of good comments and ideas.

Keep them coming. Thanks.

 

[Ghost65]

Haha, yea I guess so. I have had it a tad over a year now with absolutly no problems what-so-ever. It has even taken some hard hits in Moab this year with no problems. I say go for it.

Cheers,
Josh
&
Porthos
:smiley_drive:

Nice rig Josh...sorry, but I think I drooled on it while you were at the Condos selling tix to the raffle.