New rear wheel carrier

[Perspicacious]

Attached are a few photos of the wheel carrier rijidij fitted for me yesterday.

First impression is this thing is solid as a rock. It's made out of powder-coated steel. It's bolted to the rear cross member, with two additional brackets that bolt to chassis. If I grab the wheel and give it a good hard tug, nothing moves.

One thing I like is a spring-loaded pin that automatically holds the door in the open position. The door does not swing shut unexpectedly any more. There is a handle behind the wheel that pulls the pin out easily.


This is the business end. The black cylinder has a stub axle with 2 bearings inside. You can see the hole were the spring-loaded pin fits and the 2 black lugs which limit the door opening.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2010/11/123.jpg


This is the door open. You can see the spring-loaded pin in its hole and the 2 lugs against each other. The door opens to just past 90degrees, so it will not interfere with a drawer system in the back. The big silver thing in the foreground is a Mulgo Bumperette (http://shop.mulgo.com.au/mulgo-equipment/11-mulgo-bumperette.html).
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2010/11/124.jpg


This is the plate on the back door which replaces the OEM wheel carrier. It uses the same holes. The opening mechanism, which opens with the door and slides down because the door does not open strictly on the horizontal plane, is an elegant piece of engineering.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2010/11/125.jpg


This is the carrier open. The big silver nut on the right allows adjustment for different size wheels. The idea is to adjust so the rubber of the tyre sits up hard against the carrier and nothing rattles. Excuse the dirty alloy wheel. https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2010/11/126.jpg


Wheel carrier closed. Fits perfectly with the Mulgo bumperettes, although you will need the additional bracket they come with.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2010/11/127.jpg


Another photo of the carrier closed. This one shows you how it all fits together. Note the additional bracket at the 6 o'clock position of the wheel. This bracket holds the horizontal arm of the wheel quite firmly and stops vibration. As you can see, it fits with the OEM towbar.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2010/11/128.jpg

[Scooter]

Nice engineering.

How much and do they make a left side wheel carrier.

[dullbird]

do you have a rear door that opens in the opposite direction? otherwise it wont work as its attached to the door

[miky]

Looks like a nice bit of kit that.
Good addition to your rig.


.

[frantic]

Very nice set up:D, where from and how much?

[RVR110]

I remember this carrier from this (http://www.aulro.com/afvb/projects-tutorials/72442-rear-wheel-carrier-defender-county.html#post907025) thread. I'd be interested in current price and availability.

Also, there was some mention in that other thread about adding a hi-lift jack mount. Is that an option these days?

[zuno555]

Excellent write up and pics, much much appreciated. :)

[Perspicacious]

The wheel carrier was manufactured by rijidij, who can be found on this forum. An earlier post about the carrier can be found here (http://www.aulro.com/afvb/projects-tutorials/72442-rear-wheel-carrier-defender-county.html).

If you have any questions about price and availability they are probably best answered by rijidij himself. I know he has plans to manufacture a few more for sale. I hope he does make some more because this wheel carrier is awesome.

rijidij showed me the identical carrier he has had on his Tdi for a few years, which has a 20l water jerry hanging off the back of it. Doing something like that without a proper rear wheel carrier that would kill the oem carrier or rip off the back door. But rijidij's carrier is up to the task. I am planning on putting a shovel and axe carrier on mine.

I had been looking at the Dolium and Kaymar products, as well as some available in the UK. Whilst there is nothing wrong with any of the others, rijidij's is the best on the market as far as I am concerned. It is super strong (rijidij should change his name to Over-Engineer), well thought out and easy to use. Everything has been done to remove vibration on corrugated roads and make the thing easy to use. Stuff like having brackets that reach over and under the rear cross member and bolt directly on to the chassis puts rijidij's carrier in a class of its own.

I have paired the wheel carrier up with a Mulgo gas strut (http://www.mulgo.com.au/p21_Mulgo-Gas-Strut-for-rear-Defender-door.html). If you do this, fit the wheel carrier before the gas strut. If you fit the gas strut first you might find that the gas strut fully extends (and stops) before the door is open far enough to engage the auto locking pin on the wheel carrier. Through sheer good luck (and not good management) I did not have this problem.

[Scouse]

do you have a rear door that opens in the opposite direction? otherwise it wont work as its attached to the doorI gather it opens with the door, negating the need to move the wheel out of the way before opening the door.

[rijidij]

David,
Thanks heaps for the pics and your positive comments on the carrier. I'm glad you're so happy with it.
You have inspired me to write up a proper build thread on the project, so you can see it here >>>> Puma Rear Wheel Carrier (http://www.aulro.com/afvb/projects-tutorials/117999-puma-rear-wheel-carrier.html#post1378815) <<<<
And thanks again for making the two trips down the freeway. It helped me out heaps to have your Puma in the workshop.

Cheers, Murray

[rijidij]

I gather it opens with the door, negating the need to move the wheel out of the way before opening the door.

Yeah, it opens automatically with the door.



Also, there was some mention in that other thread about adding a hi-lift jack mount. Is that an option these days?

I haven't added a hi-lift mount as yet, but it would probably be doable.



............... do they make a left side wheel carrier.

As mentioned above, this setup is attached to the door, but my chassis mount is reversible (pre-bending/welding) so most of the carrier could be used on the left, but it would have to be with a latch type setup.


I'd be interested in current price and availability.



where from and how much?



How much and do they make a left side wheel carrier.

See other thread >>>> Puma Rear Wheel Carrier (http://www.aulro.com/afvb/projects-tutorials/117999-puma-rear-wheel-carrier.html#post1378815) <<<<

Cheers, Murray

[rijidij]

(rijidij should change his name to Over-Engineer).

I think it's better to over-engineer (to a point) than under-engineer.
There are some great products on the market, but in my opinion, some of them just aren't made to withstand Australian conditions, and that's understandable..... who remembers their first time on outback corrugations ??
Overseas companies wouldn't know just how harsh it can be out there.

Murray