Scrip99

I have been doing my homework on rear tire swings for about a month or so now. To buy is way to expensive and to build apparently you need to be a welder(which I am not).
I have plans and today started building a bolt on hinge using a piece of angle iron attached to the frame coming out under the bumper. I am planning on bending this up and then back over the top of the bumper to a 1/4 inch steel bar passing under the lift gate and bolting into what is a solid piece( think its a frame piece not sure though).
Then drilling a hole from top to bottom through the steel where it sticks past the bumper and dropping a bolt through it for my hinge.

what do yal think? This is all bolted on with locking nuts and bolts( so i dont have the obvious issues of the nut rattling loose.

Scrip99

I finished the tire carrier last week and no complaints!! heres some pics of the final outcome! Like i said before 100% bolt on!

C H E R O K E E 98XJ

Any close ups of the hinge?

Scrip99

I used a 5/8 bolt which if i did again i would make a little bigger! I also dont have a close up of this hinge finished but all i added from pic #1 is an additional brace from the bottom towards the center of the bumper. similar to how the 1 on top in this pic braces towards the end of the bumper

Rogue4x4

That looks totally sketch. My advice to to you is to remove it before it falls off, hurts or kills someone, or does some major damage to someone's property. You'll wish you'd just spent the money on one if you get sued, or worse...that is a lot of weight to be bouncing around back there, and your supports look to be flat stock bolted to the stock stamped steel bumper. Those things crumple like tin foil. There's a reason tire carriers are so expensive, a lot of planning and design goes into them to make them safe. Yours looks like an erector set. I like that you want to be creative, but I would like to see you do so safely. Don't take this as a rip on your work, but as a fellow jeeper looking out for another. I apologize if this offends you.

Demonoid369

X2 if you want to make one, just make a box tubing bumper and make a tire carrier for it, at least then you have a more solid stronger bumper to mount, plus it allows you to build a more robust mounting bracket to connect the bumper to the body

Scrip99

my pics wont load but most of the weight is put on my aftermarket hitch under the bumper where it is connected to the frame. the only part I really need to figure out is how to take the pressure off the bumper where it latches. Right now with the stock tire it dosent even budge a bit and ive taken it offroad trying to put pressure on it slamming it around and nothing happened. i have also double checked everything since then and everything is the same as it was before nothing loose or warped.

I understand your concern for it ripping off but having tested it before i drove it down busy roads I feel safe about it but am monitering it with caution

Rogue4x4

Dude, it's not "it holds up right now", it's "does it hold up over time". If you are driving it, you won't see it if it starts to fail or falls off. You asked for opinions. You got 'em. But I guess you got it all under control, and none of the members here know WTF they're talking about. I'm just glad I don't have to drive behind you. Hope it works out for you.

Dumajones

eeeewww!! please listen to the other guys is all I have to say.

Lyanheart

Ditch the erector set parts and get one of these:
http://www.detoursusa.com/knucklebone.php
Cheap, simple, quality built.

DirtRoadXJ

I think as long as you think its solid run it. My first tire carrier was bolted to the stock bumper. Ran it for a year with ZERO problems. Your pictures don't show all the bracing you say you have. People get scared about creative DIY projects that are out of the norm.

Lyanheart

I'm in the insurance business... it is in my nature to be weary of "creative DIY projects"

DirtRoadXJ

And that's a good thing. There can also be good things that are different.

Scrip99

Im going to run it. If it breaks there is no way it break away from my jeep totally with as many bolts hold it to the frame of the jeep it may bend but there is no way it will break free.

no rdplz

Whatever you say. Remind me not to drive behind you. I'm all for DIY projects, but they need to be done right, not like this.