Double swingout continued. Thoughts? (1 Viewer)

[archie73]

I built a bumper last year that has a spare tire swing out. Super happy with it. Next step is to add a cooler basket on a separate arm. I'm debating on how to secure the free end. Cutrently, I have a destaco latch coming off the diagonal. I’m thinking of taking it off and using it to tie the two arms together. For those using one clamp to tie the arms together in a horizontal orientation: any tips?

Currently I don’t need to open the tire side to often, as I don’t have much storage behind the seat. My thought here is to have the free end of the tire arm secured with a “T” bolt. This would give the cooler arm a solid place to latch on to when closed. Is this necessary? Or will the two arms secure each other?

 

[DSRTRDR]

what speaks against using another latch handle parallel on the right swingout ?

 

[archie73]

what speaks against using another latch handle parallel on the right swingout ?

1. Being cheap I suppose. I’m currently holding off on the RuffStuff pivot til after Xmas.
2. As I said I don’t have a ton of need to open the tire arm, so having unscrew a T bolt occasionally doesn’t seem to bad.
3. It also seems like it would be a cleaner look. Looking at the rest of my truck this might seem odd, but I’m trying...

 

[pigmony]

If you use one latch in the center there will be more likelihood of movement and rattling. You're doubling up the tolerances that the latch has to accommodate for, so there's likely to be some play. Rubber stoppers can help some, but there will still be some movement.

If it were my project, I would use 2 latches. That way it's easy to open either side, neither side will be swinging when you don't want it to, and both sides should be slightly less likely to move/rattle.

 

[archie73]

@Lil'John you're satisfied with one center latch and the two spring pins at the pivot? It seems like if the the center latch failed, that’d be a lot of stress at the spring pin? Not saying it doesn’t work, just what my thought would be. This does make me think about simply putting a spring pin at the free end of the tire swing out to hold it in place.

If you use one latch in the center there will be more likelihood of movement and rattling. You're doubling up the tolerances that the latch has to accommodate for, so there's likely to be some play. Rubber stoppers can help some, but there will still be some movement.

I guess I was ripping off 4x4labs and others when I came up with this thought. Are people happy with these style latches?

If it were my project, I would use 2 latches. That way it's easy to open either side, neither side will be swinging when you don't want it to, and both sides should be slightly less likely to move/rattle.

This is why I was thinking of the TBolt, it would provide a positive attachment point for both arms. In the year I’ve been driving and wheeling the current bumper, I can’t say I’ve needed the spare to swing out that often. So if one side was not “easily”opened, I could live with that.

If my math is right, the cooler/jerry can side is holding more weight, so that should be the side that is bolted down. I could easily rearrange the storage, so the less needed items are in that side. The other bonus to “bolting” the right side would be that I was planning on making the basket removable. The obvious advantage there is less weight on the bumper when I don’t need it.

On a semi related note, I’ve been quite happy with the gas strut on the swing arm. It holds it open or closed quite nicely. Super easy mod and super cheap-I got mine from a hood assembly at the pick-n-pull. I have another for the other side as well.

 

[archie73]

Here is the section behind where the latch is:

So is this a nesting block? I hadn’t thought about this, but it makes some sense. How does it help secure it?

 

[DSRTRDR]

considering that the latch handle costs just about $35, you really are arguing about price here ? I guess I don't get it

 

[LSUfj]

I had a 4x4labs on an 80 and it was really solid. The arms were welded slightly offset from center on the hinge. This way, when latched, they wanted to pull in towards the tailgate. They also included a stop on the bottom of the arms that prevented them from going further towards the truck. On top of the geometry, they also used some of those lift hatch cylinders to assist in opening and holding open.

probably a horrible description, but it worked great. If this doesn’t make sense, I’ll try to sketch it up. Only downside is, you’d have to modify the tire carrier arm where it mounts to the hinge, since it’s probably already welded with the arm center at the hinge center.

 

[reddingcruiser]

I used a single latch on my original design, but have since gone to two latches on my later builds. I opened my carrier on an off-camber portion on the trail and a runaway ice chest put a crease in my right rear quarter so I decided to add stops using spring loaded push-pull pins. Once pulled up (or closed) they drop in automatically whether opening or closing the carrier, which also provides some additional security in case a latch comes loose.

 

[fjl40]

I'm in the middle of my build, and I'm doing two latches also. @archie73 you could also use a double cam clamp like @lcwizard uses on his carriers, but they are slightly more expensive.

 

[archie73]

Yeah I’m second guessing my plans now I’m still leaning toward locking the right arm down and latching the left to the locked arm. The idea of offsetting the arms is interesting, I’ll need to look into this. The right arm would have to re welded, but it’s possible.

 

[archie73]

So the project continues...
Another RuffStuff spindle came in my stocking at Christmas. These things are beefy and I have one on the other side of the bumper. I had some 2” square tube leftover from the receiver hitch, so I made an inner mount to the spindle. This slid into the bumper quite nicely and made a tight little nest.

On the tire carrier side, I used a plasma cutter for the hole. This was less than a desirable outcome- I’m a fledgling fabricator. It worked, but it was not worth a picture. So for the cooler basket spindle, I went to the good old fashioned hole saw- much prettier.

It all lined up well. The latch is going to move up on the arm and I’ll get a longer bail for it.

So progress

 

[archie73]

So here’s the basket mounted on the arm. I wanted the basket to be easily removable, so I did a riff on the 4x4Labs system. The basket is welded to a piece of angle iron and Its mounted with (3) 3/8 bolts on the top of the arm, threads tapped into the arm itself. (I was looking at this placement of the latch, but I think I’ll be going back to the other location).

I got the cooler when I cleaned out my parents house last year. I like the way it looks on basket and it’ll swap out for 3 jerry cans. I liked the way @Elfman put a Rotopax behind the cooler on his bumper, but that would interfere with my bike rack. Instead I’d like to find a cooler that would fit with one jerry can.

While I wait to get a longer bail for the latch, I finally capped the ends of the bumper. It had been open since I built it last year, waiting until I finished this side. The welds aren’t my prettiest, but a grinder will smooth them out.

 

[franklin40]

i used a single latch on my 4plus bumper. it’s a locking stainless steel destaco. i’ve had no problems with rattles. it works great. this bumper has two overlapping plates though that hold the swing arms to the main bumper. this allows it to work. if your swing arms are “butted” together when closed then latching them together won’t work. the hook side swing out will still be able to move backwards say in the event of being rear ended and this will take all the cam tension off the latch and allow it to fail. does that make sense? if this is how you’ve designed it then double latches or the t pin locking will be superior. because mine overlaps the handle side swing out blocks the hook side swing out from opening so it maintains the cam tension. it also has the extra locking spring to give it a back up so bumps to cause it to spring open either

it’s on my 62

 

[Elfman]

Nice build here. Curious what bike rack you are using. Make sure you take a pic of the whole system with bike rack when you're done.

 

[archie73]

Nice build here. Curious what bike rack you are using. Make sure you take a pic of the whole system with bike rack when you're done.

I’m using a Yakima hold up(?) 2 place rack. I got it used with a 1 1/4” tongue. I cut the tongue off and replaced it with a longer 2” so it would clear the tire and cooler. Works well, but showing some age. Here’s a pic from before the cooler rack and tongue redo. Not the best, but all I could find on my phone.

I’ll take some pics once it’s all together. Mine won’t be as fast a build as yours was.

 

[Elfman]

I’m using a Yakima hold up(?) 2 place rack. I got it used with a 1 1/4” tongue. I cut the tongue off and replaced it with a longer 2” so it would clear the tire and cooler. Works well, but showing some age. Here’s a pic from before the cooler rack and tongue redo. Not the best, but all I could find on my phone.

I’ll take some pics once it’s all together. Mine won’t be as fast a build as yours was.

View attachment 2173021

That looks like a great time! And the bike rack seems effective. I think the way I posted my bumper build was a little misleading, it took me 3 months from the time I tore the old stuff off to the time I had the new one on and functioning. Keep up the good work!

 

[69LC]

A while back I bought some cam lock components meant for the back doors of a semi trailer with the idea of building it into double swing outs-like the pic I attached.

my idea was to French the catch/socket into the top of the bumper and have a folding handle that would latch somewhere on the top of the first swingput arm.

I worked at ‘labs for the summer of ‘05 and developed the modular accessory idea. It’s cool to see it still being used and copied.

 

[archie73]

That looks like a great time! And the bike rack seems effective. I think the way I posted my bumper build was a little misleading, it took me 3 months from the time I tore the old stuff off to the time I had the new one on and functioning. Keep up the good work!

Sorry I don’t have a more accurate picture of the setup, that was the only one I could find with the bike rack. My only concern with that is the frame bolts shearing. It has grade 8 hardware, but I still wonder.
You still have me beat time wise. This is a year and half in the making. My project ADD is proportionate to my love if this truck. One day it’ll be a master piece.

 

[archie73]

A while back I bought some cam lock components meant for the back doors of a semi trailer with the idea of building it into double swing outs-like the pic I attached.

my idea was to French the catch/socket into the top of the bumper and have a folding handle that would latch somewhere on the top of the first swingput arm.

I worked at ‘labs for the summer of ‘05 and developed the modular accessory idea. It’s cool to see it

Interesting idea. Not sure I see the whole vision, but what I do imagine would be possible. My only comment would be I like the one handed action of the De Sta Co latches.

Speaking of the latch- I struck out on a longer bail(aka square u bolt). The local ace didn’t have any U bolts the right dimensions. Instead I picked up a couple clothesline hanger bolts( that was there word for them). My idea is to weld them together at hook end and have a self centering u bolt. I’ll post pictures when it’s done.