‘76 spare tire latch adjustment or modification

[firefighterjed]

My early ‘76 has a stock spare tire carrier. All it’s parts are in place as far as I can tell. The latch bar doesn’t nest into the deepest part of the hook, so the thing has 1/2 inch of play and rattles terribly when the top is off. When I have the top on there a bumper that presses against the ambulance door and keeps things tight, although it’s started to dimple the ambulance door.

I can’t see any adjustment in any of the components of the carrier or latch mechanism. Is it there & I'm blind? My current plan is to build up he mouth of the hook with weld bead until the latch has something secure to grab.

In the pics below the screwdriver shaft represents where the latch currently rides in the hook.

 

[BeerM3]

What does the lower rubber cushion on the tire carrier look like? Did a PO add to or replace it with something thicker? I have the same earlier '76 year and it seats fully into the hook. Even so I put a trailer safety pin between the latch and it's bar so it can't jiggle open.

 

[firefighterjed]

Lower rubber cushion is still in place and appears complete. It got painted by the POs repaint. With the doors off there’s nothing for it to bump against tho.

 

[firefighterjed]

Lower rubber cushion is still in place and appears complete. It got painted by the POs repaint. With the doors off there’s nothing for it to bump against tho.

 

[4x4veteran]

My spare tire latch was worn more than what you show.
Got tired of having to stop and re-latch it so about six years ago built the hook up with the wire feed and then had to do some grinding to get it to fit.
It is nice and tight now. It opens easy enough but I have to kick the heck out of it to get it closed.
As an added caution I took a piece of throttle spring and attached it to the receiver part and made a loop on the end to slip around the handle.

 

[65swb45]

I welded the hooks on both my 40s.

You can also fab up an L bracket that bolts to the bottom of the carrier where you can attach a cushion that will rest on the sill. Then it won’t matter if the doors are on or not.

FWIW, I ran a ‘76 tire carrier on my ‘68 for a decade or so. I found it to be the weakest of all the carriers Toyota ever made.

 

[firefighterjed]

I welded the hooks on both my 40s.

You can also fab up an L bracket that bolts to the bottom of the carrier where you can attach a cushion that will rest on the sill. Then it won’t matter if the doors are on or not.

FWIW, I ran a ‘76 tire carrier on my ‘68 for a decade or so. I found it to be the weakest of all the carriers Toyota ever made.

Mark, what points of the rack or weak? Can I reinforce something and make it stronger so it will last longer?

 

[65swb45]

The plate itself is weak because they lightened the guage of the metal too much simply for weight savings. The inside corner diagonally opposite the lower hinge just slowly sags away from the back door.

If it were feasible, I would cut through the factory braces diagonally and insert a 1/4” steel plate on end and weld in place. But you’d really have to be wedded to that carrier to put in that work.

 

[firefighterjed]

The improved hook. I welded bead onto the contact surface to replace the worn material, plus a little. Ground it smooth and primed. Then snapped a bolt on the install.

 

[cruiserkev]

Nice work. I need to do this on my early 76 too. That rattle sure gets annoying.

 

[65swb45]

Almost two years later! Sounds like my timeframe for working on one of my own rigs!

 

[firefighterjed]

Almost two years later! Sounds like my timeframe for working on one of my own rigs!

Right!?! It often feels that way. This one was just a lack of follow through with documentation. So the fix was done two years ago, I just hadn’t posted a pic, but that broken bolt is still broken two years later

 

[zerotreedelta]

Good timing at least...reworking my '76 carrier, and I'd wondered what that thin metal plate was for on the lower part. Now I know...the rubber bumper is just long gone. Easy enough to replace at least.

 

[SWCruiser]

I couldn’t find the catch for my 1976 so I got an earlier hook for the passenger side and cut and flipped. This allowed me to slide the hook as far up as needed for a tight fit. Just another option.

 

[65swb45]

I couldn’t find the catch for my 1976 so I got an earlier hook for the passenger side and cut and flipped. This allowed me to slide the hook as far up as needed for a tight fit. Just another option.

That is actually an excellent point!

 

[firefighterjed]

I couldn’t find the catch for my 1976 so I got an earlier hook for the passenger side and cut and flipped. This allowed me to slide the hook as far up as needed for a tight fit. Just another option.

Can you post a pic?