Barn Doors and Bike Racks (1 Viewer)

[davegonz]

You guys are the closest source for info on barn doors. I have a poverty pack HZJ80 with barn doors and have issues with my barn doors and my Thule platform style bike rack. What have you guys done regarding racks/bikes and barn doors? I was thinking of doing a single swing-arm bumper (on the big door side) and have the rack attached to the swing-arm. I did this on my old 60. I kind of wanted to keep things simple and clean and not do a swing out, but if I can have easy access to the small door or both doors with the swing out then it would be OK I think.

 

[coldtaco]

did you try the 80 section?

 

[davegonz]

Not many barn doors over there. All US ones were tailgate/hatch.

 

[clintnz]

I have a multifunction swingout tyre carrier spade holder light pole reversing camera mount with removable bike rack. Works great but it was a lot of custom engineering.

Fork mount keeps the bikes narrower than the truck for stress free offroading.

It's all to the right of the small door so that can still be opened. Can't get in there with the bike rack on unless it is swung out though.

Using a car door latch has worked well.

Cheers
Clint

 

[davegonz]

Nice Clint!

 

[jblueridge]

Clint, do you mind posting some more pics of the door latch assembly you made?
it is a cool setup!

 

[i4c4lo]

Maybe something like this?

Hitchswing™

Slide into the Hitchswing your favorite bike rack, cargo rack, or whatever-rack, pull the pin, and swing that entire load away from your vehicle.

wilcooffroad.com

 

[davegonz]

Dang, $680!! I can build a full bumper for about that much. Might have to keep a look out on Craigslist/FB Marketplace for one.

 

[WarDamnEagle]

Have you considered foregoing the rack and just dropping the front wheel and putting it inside......through those big barn doors?

 

[davegonz]

Yes, but I have crap in the back. Maybe I should look at removing the second row?

 

[WarDamnEagle]

Flip the short side up.

 

[davegonz]

2nd row is a bench.

 

[WarDamnEagle]

2nd row is a bench.

I thought it might be right after I made my post. That's a bitch.

 

[clintnz]

Clint, do you mind posting some more pics of the door latch assembly you made?
it is a cool setup!

Thanks! The Cruiser often gets used for touring+camping+MTB trips so being able to get in the back without taking the rack or bikes off has been great.

There are a few more pics in my build thread - the latch was scavenged out of a wrecked car, some grinding & drilling got it fitted up inside a housing made from a piece of RHS. The loop it engages on was just welded on. The little white piece to the right of the latch is some HDPE cutting board that slides up on to a steel ramp on the rear bar - it's hard not to have a little change in the level from unloaded - loaded so there needs to be some way of guiding the swingout into the right place as it closes. Make sure you take this loaded sag into account as you build it to get the latch located right. There is also a rubber bumper that the swingout sits against with just a little tension so the latch doesn't rattle.

I have seen weld-on stub shaft/bearing housing units for sale for DIY swingout manufacture if you don't have a lathe to make one. You need to have the bumper well braced out to that corner as there is a lot of leverage.

In the long term projects list is another swingout for the other side, to take either 20L water when camping, or chainsaw+fuel when firewooding & trail clearing. That side I would just link to the small door so it opens with the door rather than having a latch.

Cheers
Clint

 

[PDXadvokat]

I've put one of those Sarris tension-style racks, normally used on trunks and liftgates, just on the larger barn door with the front bike tire removed. I could open the smaller door enough to access the other release then the whole thing swung out of the way. Not sure it would work without the rear mounted spare, since the inner middle clip would have blocked the latch, but it was sturdy on highways and forest service roads.

And yes, I fully acknowledge that this looked like a Beverly Hillbillies situation. Kids, amiright?