I think I'm finally adding a swingout to my rear bumper. Kind of irronic since my truck is still for sale -
https://forum.ih8mud.com/vehicles-t...8-1997-lexus-lx450-tulsa-ok-locked-built.html
but since it hasn't sold I want to do some more longer trips with it, where I'll want a spare and stome storage space. What's concerning me is I've got 4-5" of suspension lift, 1" body lift, and 37" tires. My tailgate is above hip height. I just can't see myself being able to lift one of these freak'n heavy tires up that high. It's a pain enough to get one into the cargo area, let alone up high enough to be on a normal swingout and get it to drop on come studs.
Now, I know this isn't something I'll be doing on a daily basis, and hopefully more often than not if I do have a flat I'll have help there, but having a full cargo area (so that putting the flat there isn't an option), a flat, and being alone, or worse with my 3 and 5 year olds, is a distinct possibility.
I did some searching and didn't really find much.
I have come up with 3 possibilities - each of them seems to have some drawbacks.
#3 is putting a swing down tire carrier onto a swing out. The reason for the swing down - like the stinger ones you see is that it'd be alot easier to attach the tire to the carrier then swing the whole thing into place than to lift the tire freely. The reason to still have it on a swing out arm is that swing down isn't exactly convient for loading and unloading stuff in the truck. The dificulty here seems to be holding the swing down in the up possition. Most of them are designed to go to the body to get some triangulation. Might be able to just have it slide over a post coming through the center hub and hitch pin it there. Obviously I"m just sketching stuff, it'd only work well if it could rotate all the way down to the ground ect. The added cost over traditional would be the bushings for the swing down part, about $20 a set I think with the weld on tabs ect.
#2 is Essentially taking the arm of the swing out and making it into a sort of box that the tire could sit in. This would be simple enough to do. This way I could either lift it up into the cradle or come at it from the side of the truck and roll it up the side of the bumper. Simple to build, but I still see the 100+lb tire flopping onto a child or me (more likely me, the kids are smart enough to stay away when I tell them to). And that first bit to get the tire started will still be a challange. Could add on a second box section - smaller sized tube - that would swing down to the side to create a ramp and then swing it up and it would chinch down on top of the tire - Yes, it would have to be wider than the tire, so the tire wouldn't roll up it unless I put a ratchet strap down the center of the frame - then the frame would support it on either side, and I could roll it up the ratchet strap, once up, undo the strap, flip the ramp up, and run the strap around the tire.
#1 is the winch option. Probably the most expensive complicated. Could put an $80 electric winch up top, though would hate the weight up high, could put an electric winch or a $20 hand crank boat trailer style winch at the bottom somewhere and run a couple pulleys up to it. Then have to do something with it being so tall, make it swing or be adjustable or something....
#1.2 - thunk this up while looking up winch prices for #1. Put a verticle tube up the swingout - put the horizontal coming out with the rim plate just like every other one, but then continue the tube up to the top of the tire. Put a second tube inside this tube that could be raised. Have a horizontal off that one that would come down and rest on top of the tire. Throw a hole in it or an eye bolt that the hook from a come-a-long snatch block, then one end to the tire, and the other end to the other side of the bumper. Guess you could do just a rope pulley hoist out the front too, but already have a come-a-long that is always in the truck. More I look at it maybe that's the best option....
Anyway - was looking for any thoughts ya'all might have, or any experience on how you've done it.
https://forum.ih8mud.com/vehicles-t...8-1997-lexus-lx450-tulsa-ok-locked-built.html
but since it hasn't sold I want to do some more longer trips with it, where I'll want a spare and stome storage space. What's concerning me is I've got 4-5" of suspension lift, 1" body lift, and 37" tires. My tailgate is above hip height. I just can't see myself being able to lift one of these freak'n heavy tires up that high. It's a pain enough to get one into the cargo area, let alone up high enough to be on a normal swingout and get it to drop on come studs.
Now, I know this isn't something I'll be doing on a daily basis, and hopefully more often than not if I do have a flat I'll have help there, but having a full cargo area (so that putting the flat there isn't an option), a flat, and being alone, or worse with my 3 and 5 year olds, is a distinct possibility.
I did some searching and didn't really find much.
I have come up with 3 possibilities - each of them seems to have some drawbacks.
#3 is putting a swing down tire carrier onto a swing out. The reason for the swing down - like the stinger ones you see is that it'd be alot easier to attach the tire to the carrier then swing the whole thing into place than to lift the tire freely. The reason to still have it on a swing out arm is that swing down isn't exactly convient for loading and unloading stuff in the truck. The dificulty here seems to be holding the swing down in the up possition. Most of them are designed to go to the body to get some triangulation. Might be able to just have it slide over a post coming through the center hub and hitch pin it there. Obviously I"m just sketching stuff, it'd only work well if it could rotate all the way down to the ground ect. The added cost over traditional would be the bushings for the swing down part, about $20 a set I think with the weld on tabs ect.
#2 is Essentially taking the arm of the swing out and making it into a sort of box that the tire could sit in. This would be simple enough to do. This way I could either lift it up into the cradle or come at it from the side of the truck and roll it up the side of the bumper. Simple to build, but I still see the 100+lb tire flopping onto a child or me (more likely me, the kids are smart enough to stay away when I tell them to). And that first bit to get the tire started will still be a challange. Could add on a second box section - smaller sized tube - that would swing down to the side to create a ramp and then swing it up and it would chinch down on top of the tire - Yes, it would have to be wider than the tire, so the tire wouldn't roll up it unless I put a ratchet strap down the center of the frame - then the frame would support it on either side, and I could roll it up the ratchet strap, once up, undo the strap, flip the ramp up, and run the strap around the tire.
#1 is the winch option. Probably the most expensive complicated. Could put an $80 electric winch up top, though would hate the weight up high, could put an electric winch or a $20 hand crank boat trailer style winch at the bottom somewhere and run a couple pulleys up to it. Then have to do something with it being so tall, make it swing or be adjustable or something....
#1.2 - thunk this up while looking up winch prices for #1. Put a verticle tube up the swingout - put the horizontal coming out with the rim plate just like every other one, but then continue the tube up to the top of the tire. Put a second tube inside this tube that could be raised. Have a horizontal off that one that would come down and rest on top of the tire. Throw a hole in it or an eye bolt that the hook from a come-a-long snatch block, then one end to the tire, and the other end to the other side of the bumper. Guess you could do just a rope pulley hoist out the front too, but already have a come-a-long that is always in the truck. More I look at it maybe that's the best option....
Anyway - was looking for any thoughts ya'all might have, or any experience on how you've done it.
