New tire carrier

[Mirror]

So i got a custom built tire carrier built that goes into my hidden hitch. It has a license plate mount that sits bumper height and since we incorporated the extended conversion hitch i had for my bike rack, i can still use my bike rack with the tire carrier. Pics will come tomorrow since i have to paint it still.

But good news is, i went to the wrecker today i found stock roof rack cross bars and new glass for the hatch with working pistons. (Mine is scratched to hell from last owner) all for $35.

 

[The_Roadie]

Pics? [tap....tap....tappity tap...]

 

[Sparky]

That's cheap for rear glass. Best I could ever find was $300+ to replace mine (bad defogger).

 

[Mirror]

Ya the girl said all glass was 50% off. I asked her what the glass would cost before i took it off, she said $50 and the entire roof rack was $40. So i don't know where her math went.

 

[Mirror]

The bed liner paint is drying. So this is all you get right now. I will be wiring up the license plate light and mounting the tire and plate on tomorrow. My bike rack is holding it up so it can dry.

 

[SnowBlazer]

I would like to see this all mounted up. Looks as if it would be a pretty interesting replacement for the OEM carrier that always gets stuck.

 

[djthumper]

There are several version posted up on ORTB.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

Looks pretty well built. Congrats on the mod!

How are you running lights for the plate? I kept mine on the hatch so I could just jump the light wires over.

 

[Mirror]

Gonna tap into the trailer lights wiring harness. I cant use the hatch wiring. You'll see when i have it installed as to why that wont work for me.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

I know why. I had one or two like that in my day and never put the plate on it for that reason. I did not want to use the trailer harness since I have it hidden up the frame most times so i dont rip it off when offroad. I just used a trailer bracket inside the rear glass and ran the lights over.

 

[Mirror]

Well the light they gave me only has a power wire on it and i cant get it to ground properly. So i need to get a better light and maybe just use a trailer harness since i never pull a trailer

 

[Mirror]

still has room to open

 

[Mounce]

Run a ground wire from the mounting bolt or whatever the ground is on the light and ground it to the negative pin for the trailer connector?

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

The back glass opening was one of my things to keep with the rear bumper. Definitely a plus!

I think the wire from the mounting bolt may be the ticket as well.

 

[Mirror]

It's a bracket. I dont like the light that much anyhow. Its bulky.

 

[The_Roadie]

Good to place the tire so you can open the rear glass. I put mine to the driver's side to maximize my rearward visibility, but mine swings away. Assuming you're going to have the same receiver-based wiggle-rattle - let us know if you have an innovative way to quiet that interface down.

 

[Mirror]

I think i may just put some black foamy in the hitch to reduce wiggle.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

I used thin plastic as a wedge

 

[BlazingTrails]

I've heard of guys using steel cable, loop bolts, and inline tensioners. They drill and tap the loop bolts midway up the carrier and use jam nuts on them, then using cable clamps and hooks run a piece of cable to the chain loops on the receiver. Once you put it on just hook the cables to the receiver and you just spin the tensioner in to tighten it up on both sides so it won't move. Looked like a good idea to me?

 

[Mirror]

Thats hard to picture.

Actually i dont even notice any noise on city or hwy. But once my bikes are on then it will move more.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

I've heard of guys using steel cable, loop bolts, and inline tensioners. They drill and tap the loop bolts midway up the carrier and use jam nuts on them, then using cable clamps and hooks run a piece of cable to the chain loops on the receiver. Once you put it on just hook the cables to the receiver and you just spin the tensioner in to tighten it up on both sides so it won't move. Looked like a good idea to me?

Kills the folding aspect of the carrier. Plus if you look how close it is to the bumper, you could not do that anyway.

On my Burban I just drilled n tapped a 3/8 bolt hole in the bottom of the reciever and used a bolt to stop movement. I never bothered on the TB cause a couple thin plastic wedges took out almost all movement and noise.

 

[BlazingTrails]

When I said midway up I meant on the piece that slides into the receiver. The cables would only be about 18 long if that....

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

What?

EDIT:

So you mean from the horizontal part that slides in the receiver, back to the chain loops, with a turnbuckle.

Kinda triangulating and pulling the horizontal down which should take out most up/down and side to side movement. I can dig it.

 

[SnowBlazer]

My bike rack has a 1/4" ratchet bolt instead of a pin goring through the hitch and that thing is silent with 3 downhill mountain bikes

 

[BlazingTrails]

What?

EDIT:

So you mean from the horizontal part that slides in the receiver, back to the chain loops, with a turnbuckle.

Kinda triangulating and pulling the horizontal down which should take out most up/down and side to side movement. I can dig it.

Yes that's what I meant. Sorry I have been busy at work today lol