Tire Carrier Latch

This is one of those little projects that illustrates the downside to the "design as you go" principle. It started off as a simple latch to take some of the considerable weight of my spare off of the bumper bolts. On rough trails I was snapping grade 8 bumper bolts, so I thought I'd try to control the movement of the carrier by hooking it to the tailgate area. Here's what I wound up with. It works well, but I really didn't want to have to use the wingnut setup to keep it latched. There was just no other way.

http://rides.webshots.com/album/559423268DKOmGx

 

Very clean looking.
I have similar concern havnt made up my mined yet but have been woundering about the samething.

My tub has holes on the top on each side of the tail gate where they attached it and a bar went accross. but would be a hassle for opening tailgate but easier on gate.

 

nice work. I may copy your design as I have the same issue with my rear tire carrier. I only have a 31 on there but the weight is still in issue due to adds like jerry cans, shov, hi-jack, etc. I did do some work to tie the tire carrier into the rear cross member of the frame (that little V part in the back). Did quite a bit to firm things up.

 

I filled in my tailgate area to get rid of the rattles and rust, so opening it wasn't an issue. My spare weighs in at over 100 lbs so it had way too much leverage on the bumper bolts. It's really solid now. Next winter's build I'll probably change the latch so the wingnut assmbly is on the outside of the body. Sixtyfive5, is that your Wagon in your avatar? I had a '54 for quite a few years. Wish I had never sold it!

 

It is... it's stock, solid, no rust. I have this guy that keeps asking to buy it, I keep saying no. There's just too much sentamental value in it for me.

 

Hey Posimoto i see in your signature that you did a PS conversion. did you use the stock steering column? :?

 

I bought a rebuilt GM tilt column from Centech.