Swing-out tire carrier design tips?

a_kelley

a_kelley

mechanical fixer
Joined
Jan 26, 2010
Location
Rutherfordton
I am thinking seriously on making a swing-out tire carrier with a 2" receiver for a hitch-haul or my shop press. It needs to swing both ways. I've already got a stout bumper to play with. My thought is to take 2x2 x 3/16 and make it as wide as the bumper, receiver in the middle, tire above. Each end has a hinge 2.5x2.5 x 1/4 with a 5/8 pin. Boxed rounded ends on the 2x2.

My question for someone with some mechanical engineering experience is: Will the 2x2 x 3/16 twist enough to make the pin difficult to insert/remove with say 250 lbs levered 20" off the 2x2? And also how much will the 2x2 sag when its on the one pin? is a 5/8 pin big enough? (I think so.. its being held in shear)

With only a tire, my gut tells me it would be easy to stick the pin in because there won't be much torquing of the 2x2 going on, but the weight on the rack is where I'm not certain. I think probably 50-70 lbs on the rack would be manageable (compressor or generator) but sometimes I haul a engine hoist or transmission. (Of course, most likely I would be able to not need to swing it with the heavy stuff on there)

Thanks! I hate loading and unloading stuff just to get to my tools. (Yes I do have a couple trailers, but then I have to deal with turning it around and so on)
 
I think I am following you. I would step up to rectangular tube 2x3 or 2x4 if you are really going to load it that much. The only tire carriers I have seen that have pins to pull on both sides to swing "ambidextrously" have two pivots on either side (seen on Jeeps mostly, GenRight being one of them). I think you will have a lot of issues with rattling and eventually metal fatigue from the load twisting on the pivots over time.

Is there not a way to modify the bumper to add a receiver mount? That would shed a lot of stress from the tire carrier.
 
Why does it need to swing both ways? If it didn't I would say to use a dana 44 or 60 spindle and locking hub for the pivot. A 5/8 bolt seems kinda small for the amount of weight and the leverage that will be applied to it.
 
On my phone but this is the kinda thread @jeepinmatt lives for...
 
Highly recommend having a 3rd connection point! Also like the idea of using a spindle/hub off whatever front axle you're using to have a spare.
I use to have a swing out tire carrier with a rubber bumpstop/latch on the opposite end. When climbing rocks or doing anything bumpy, you could see the tire bouncing back and forth. There's a picture of it in my build thread linked in my signature...if you want more, let me know & I'll try to dig them up.
 
its mostly a 'service' jeep. i want it to swing both ways/ because sometimes its inconvenient to walk around the swing out (used to have one on my old jeep, that only swung one way, wound up removing it for that reason).. regarding a flip down, that definitely is a no go because i hate lifting weight i don't need to (I've thought about roof mounting the tire). i had thought of using a 3/4" pin but thought 5/8 would suffice since thats all that holds your hitch in your receiver and could always drill it up.
 
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