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View Full Version : Rear tire carrier for my LR3


perkj
27th April 2012, 05:41 AM
I completed a rear tire carrier for my LR3. The carrier started as a partially finished unit from a guy on lrrforums (who was attempting to produce 20 of these). I was lucky enough to pick up the 'test fit' unit the fabrication shop shipped to him for test fitment before they started welding/completing up the other 19. Unfortunately the test unit they sent wasn't a perfect fit and needed quite a bit more work, which led the fabrication shop and the guy to part ways. Since the guy on lrrforums still had the prototype he built for himself, he offered up the "test fit" unit to me since I was willing to take on the task, with my buddy's help, to complete it. The carrier needed roughly 12 hours of additional work to it for fitment...drilling, welding, grinding, cutting, etc, etc, etc. The end result is a beautiful tire carrier! We ended up shortening the arm that extends out the back to tuck the tire up closer to the body from the length the guy on lrrforums had it in his original design. We also put a slight tilt to it to follow the line of the rear hatch to give it a more OEM look to it. We ended up welding the bracket into place, instead of just bolting it, since we saw a hint of flex in the bracket when the tire swung open since there wasn't a good place to bolt it from the bottom to tie together the far right side of the bracket. The slight flex also produced a hint of creaking too. Welding the bracket into place completely eliminated the flex and creaking and now its solid as heck! See the pics below.


Carrier when I received it:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/212.jpg

Cut to the bumper:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/213.jpg


Face of bracket pre-weld:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/214.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/215.jpg

Top pre-weld showing top plate welded on:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/216.jpg

Bottom showing top plate welded on & angle cut and welded cap:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/217.jpg

Bottom angle cut and welded cap:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/218.jpg

Left top weld to bumper:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/219.jpg

Left side weld to bumper:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/220.jpg

Right top welds to bumper:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/221.jpg

Weld to the right end bottom of the bumper (this was the key weld to make it solid):
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/222.jpg

Swing Arm out of powder coat:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/223.jpg


Arm without tire:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/224.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/225.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/226.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/227.jpg



Arm with tire:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/228.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/229.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/230.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/231.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/232.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/233.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/234.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/235.jpg



Arm Detail:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/236.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/237.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/238.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/239.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/240.jpg



Hinge with Zerk fitting:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/241.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/242.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/243.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/244.jpg



Latch:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/245.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/246.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/247.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/248.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/249.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/250.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/251.jpg


with fuel can holder added

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/252.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/253.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/254.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/255.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/256.jpg

Here is a comparison of the Rasta unit vs mine from a profile view:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/257.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/232.jpg
~Rich~
27th April 2012, 06:35 AM
Nice work, very neat.

I like the way the catch works both the hold open and the locking one, up out of the road and hidden.
You also get away without an issues with the rear park sensors. ;)

I would only use the jerry can holder on the back for water only, not too good having fuel especially petrol virtually unprotected in an accident.
Redback
27th April 2012, 06:39 AM
Mate that's brilliant, great work indeed.

Baz.
rufusking
27th April 2012, 06:44 AM
Neat looking job. Some goood design ideas like following the line of the tailgate and the jerry can holder.

Two things I've wondered with most designs:

1) Why is the tyre so much higher than the rear bumper? Lowering it an inch or two would improve rear view.

2) To make it easier to get to the top tailgate could the vertical arm section drop rear ward on a catch say 25-30 degrees so the tailgate could swing up?
perkj
27th April 2012, 09:13 AM
Nice work, very neat.

I like the way the catch works both the hold open and the locking one, up out of the road and hidden.
You also get away without an issues with the rear park sensors. ;)

I would only use the jerry can holder on the back for water only, not too good having fuel especially petrol virtually unprotected in an accident.

Had an issue with the center right sensor. Ended up using the cut in half adhesive clear vinyl furniture protector trick....thanks for aulro for pointing this out!

I agree about the fuel can, plan to only utilizing fuel when on an off road excursion...or for water as you suggested
perkj
27th April 2012, 09:22 AM
Neat looking job. Some goood design ideas like following the line of the tailgate and the jerry can holder.

Two things I've wondered with most designs:

1) Why is the tyre so much higher than the rear bumper? Lowering it an inch or two would improve rear view.

2) To make it easier to get to the top tailgate could the vertical arm section drop rear ward on a catch say 25-30 degrees so the tailgate could swing up?

(1) Suppose I could have lowered it a bit more, but it doesn't block the window that much with looking back. Plus I have a rear camera.

(2) This would be possible but it would introduce a rattle point and could become very annoying. Also I think it would take equal or more effort to swing the tire fwd vs swing it outward.
Tombie
27th April 2012, 01:06 PM
Looks great.. Nicely done...

I'd be bracing up that wheel arm though...

Vibration and corrugations will break it. Especially with 25kg of Water/Can hanging there.

Just some gussets etc....

Skuilnaam
perkj
27th April 2012, 02:53 PM
Looks great.. Nicely done...

I'd be bracing up that wheel arm though...

Vibration and corrugations will break it. Especially with 25kg of Water/Can hanging there.

Just some gussets etc....

Skuilnaam

The arm is really stout and made from some fairly thick quality steel. The weak point of any carrier is the weld at the hinge. Additional bracing of the arm does nothing to help this point and would actually put more stress on it due to the added weight. We' ve had two guys hanging from the arm supporting over 400 lbs Plus the weight of the tire without a hint of stress flex.
Tombie
27th April 2012, 03:19 PM
The arm is really stout and made from some fairly thick quality steel. The weak point of any carrier is the weld at the hinge. Additional bracing of the arm does nothing to help this point and would actually put more stress on it due to the added weight. We' ve had two guys hanging from the arm supporting over 400 lbs Plus the weight of the tire without a hint of stress flex.

OK....

A lot of them in Oz have a support at the locking mechanism to stop them vibrating against the hinge.

They are also braced quite often.

I've seen several - heavy material - similar designed wheel carriers fracture on outback roads...

But like I said - if you're happy then that is all that matters - and I still really like your work. :cool:
perkj
28th April 2012, 02:10 AM
OK....

A lot of them in Oz have a support at the locking mechanism to stop them vibrating against the hinge.

They are also braced quite often.

I've seen several - heavy material - similar designed wheel carriers fracture on outback roads...

But like I said - if you're happy then that is all that matters - and I still really like your work. :cool:

Yeah, I've been contemplating some type of support at the locking mechanism. Here is an example of a jeep bumper (jeeperman) with a very similar locking mechanism as mine and you can see they have that small support cylander thing just to the right of the latch:
http://www.jeeperman.com/images/lrg/JSPLG.jpg


For the arm, the design of mine looked to the Kaymar design for pointers. They don't brace theirs (see below) and I've always assumed Kaymar was the best of the best. Are any of the fractured arms you've seen been any of the Kaymar arms?

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/7264/kaymar013ahy2.jpg
cristalfb
1st May 2012, 06:53 AM
Thats a great looking tyre carrier you've made there. I hope to be getting my Disco 3 shortly and thats given me ideas for the spare wheel and possibly room for the extra fuel tank underneath.:)