design help for lifting tire carrier

I've been mulling over design possibilities for a swing-out tire carrier that will permit me to get a big, heavy tire on and off the carrier. Lifting a tire from the ground up into the cargo area is just barely doable for me. I use a wheelchair and trying to pick up something that heavy tends to pull me out of the chair before the tire clears the ground. Picking one up high enough to carefully align it and mount it on a tire carrier is a no go already with my 33s, and I'm dying to go taller.
So here's the question. I need some help in designing a mechanism that will give me a mechanical advantage. I want to be able to roll the tire up to the carrier, which will be extended down to a height where the tire can be mounted by just leaning it onto the carrier lugs. Then via some sort of mechanism, I want to be able to lift that already-mounted-on-the-carrier tire up into its normal, upright carrying position. I've considered a jacking mechanism, a crank and worm gear, a simple pivot around a center joint, hydraulic hatch cylinders, etc. I could use some help in figuring out what sort of device will let me move the tire from ground height to rear window height, safely and securely with less effort than is required to do it manually, and then lock into rattle-free position at the top. It also needs to be reversible, to get the tire back down onto the ground without having to resort to the "pull it off and let it bounce and hope" technique.
A carrier like this would be a big benefit not only to someone in my particular situation, but also to anyone who finds hoisting a tall heavy tire up onto a carrier to be a problem. Picture tens of thousands of soccer moms . . . .
SO, let me hear it. What would work?

I´ve got a 88 K1500 Chev. P.U., the spare is held up with a cable and crank type setup. It´s designed to lift straight up from the ground. But with a couple of rollers it could probably be made to work well on the vertical or near vertical. Actaully a good design. I´ve bounced a 32" tire around in the spare carrier for years and not had it loosen up on me (more than just a little).
Been a while, but I remember dropping the whole unit out once, many years ago, for paint a rust prevention.
Probably worth a look.

Whoa. That would work. I hadn't considered going out in that plane. I don't like the idea of hanging that much weiight that far out perpindicular to the bumper, but it should work well and I could always brace the bumper via running its ends under the rear quarters and tieing into the frame behind the rear tires.

Anyone know where I can get a ratchet-type mechanism like that pictured?

What Rd said:

Anyone know where I can get a ratchet-type mechanism like that pictured?

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tractor supply co should have them, they're used on the 3 point hitch arms.

I've also seen them used for heavy equipment tiedown in place of a chain-binder on trailers, so a equipment or trucking supplier might work as well.
Like the one pictured here; http://agrisupplyco.com/page53

Hey! Cool!

That is exactly what I want to build to stick on my C-Rok bumper!

Thanks for the link.

ECU88XJ said:

tractor supply co should have them, they're used on the 3 point hitch arms.

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They call it a toplink
This is similar: http://www.agrisupplyco.com/cgi-bin/cgiitmls?m=ThisP&p=38124.000000&l=1

This may not be worth a crap but what if you thought semi backwards.

Imagine a more of a clam shell design that pivots normally but can also be released to rotate downward. It could be rotated down and the tire set on the rack then pushed back up into position. The other part of the clamshell would just be to hold it up in place so the carrier could be pivoted to the side like a normal carrier. OK, that is a crappy description.

Here is a picture of kind of what I'm trying to explain. Only the bottom mounts where this one pivots down would be mounted to an arm so it could also swing out to the side when in the up position. Instead of having the supports latch to the body they would connect to something extending off that same arm. This way it would swing up and down or out to the side for access into the back.

From Spyder Customs:


The only reason I tried was because you compared yourself to a soccer mom.

I was thinking along the same lines as Lincoln...

A beefy swing-away arm & latch (picturing the big oiled-bronze swingarm pivot bushings OneTon Sean fabbed onto his Tomken bumper that I bought & sold w/o using) but an upright that lets the tire carrier swing down towards the ground (torsion springs?) and lock into a few safe positions...

Jeff needs to safely incorporate mechanical advantages...

Lincoln said:

The only reason I tried was because you compared yourself to a soccer mom.

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Ouch! Did I really? I need to be more careful.

I follow you. Woody's right that I'd need to have a means of lifting and controlling that much weight swinging up on a lever, but it's an interesting thought. I could probably use a cylinder or two, like the ones that support the hatch, to assist with getting the weight moving. Mechanically, I think the design of that unit on the Humvee would be simpler to build, but this clamshell design looks like it would be very solid.

Lincoln said:

Imagine a more of a clam shell design that pivots normally but can also be released to rotate downward. It could be rotated down and the tire set on the rack then pushed back up into position. The other part of the clamshell would just be to hold it up in place so the carrier could be pivoted to the side like a normal carrier. OK, that is a crappy description.

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I'm not sure what kind of mobility the original poster has but if he combined this with the Chev pick-up cable operated spare tire mechanism it would be pretty slick. Position the tire under the winch, attach, winch up, rotate the carrier vertical, swing into location across the tailgate if not already there.

JAT

Root Moose said:

I'm not sure what kind of mobility the original poster has but if he combined this with the Chev pick-up cable operated spare tire mechanism it would be pretty slick. Position the tire under the winch, attach, winch up, rotate the carrier vertical, swing into location across the tailgate if not already there.

JAT

Click to expand...

I even saw this last night:
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...parentType=index&parentId=cat20159&id=0006250




It could be permately mounted and maybe looped over another tube as a pulley. Same effect.

If I was What Rd I would just play the chair card and make someone else change the tire.

Lincoln said:

If I was What Rd I would just play the chair card and make someone else change the tire.

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Or send the spousal unit to the gym.

Since we know you'll need a stout pivot I'll throw this out there.



1. Straight 1" trailer spindle.
2. Piece of 2.25" X .120 DOM
3. Piece of 2"X.120 DOM
4. 2 1" bore 2" OD sealed roller bearings
5. 1 dust cap for a trailer hub.

I can't remember the exact deminsions and I don't have it here to measure right now. But this is what I did.

1. Cut the 2.25" to length. I'll assume it was 3". Then drill 4 1/2" holes around the mid section.
2. Cut a piece of 2" that is 1.25" shorter (1.75"). That leaves 1/2" for the bottom bearing and 3/4" for the top. The bearings are 1/2" thick so the bottom will be flush and the top will be recessed 1/4" to make room for the dust cap to press on.
3. Slip the 2" tube through the 2.25" tube leaving the 1/2" recess for the bottom bearing. Then plug weld it through the four holes.

I just used a hole saw for the spindle and dropped it down into the bumper. I made sure I could weld it around the top where it went in and from the bottom side also.

You could then use a piece of box for the cross piece. I used 1.75" round and it wants to twist. I added a few gussets and haven't had any problems but the box tube should be slightly more ridged. You could then hinge off the box for the drop down, add a couple of verticles to clamp and hoist to. ???????

Just random thoughts.

Root Moose said:

Or send the spousal unit to the gym.

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Hmmm, I wonder if that would work for me.

"Honey, my fat gut is in the way. Would you mind getting the spare?"

Kristen, "Sure I woundn't mind at all. I wouldn't want you to strain yourself".

I'll try that and let you know how it goes.

Lincoln said:

If I was What Rd I would just play the chair card and make someone else change the tire.

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I've played that hand before, but there's a lot to be said for self-reliance. I don't wheel solo any more . . . since the time I managed to get hopelessly mired in the middle of a large national forest late on a Sunday and got lucky enough to attract the attention of some passing wheelers . . . but flat tires happen when they feel like it rather than when it's convenient for me.

Root Moose said:

Or send the spousal unit to the gym.

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She's pretty tough. But a big spare on a steel rim is a lot for any 5'3" woman to sling up onto a carrier. The East German weight-lifter look doesn't really do it for me anyway. :laugh3:

I'm loving these ideas. I think I like the lever-off-the-end approach better than the clamshell, but I'm still mulling the possibilities. I love that ratcheting ATV winch. I'm going to rig one of those to lift the ramp/gates on my trailer.
Thanx for the input. I know now this will get done. A project is born!
:cheers:

Do you have OBA? I've been pondering a 4-bar linkage tire lift powered by a pneumatic cylinder.

Lawn Cher' said:

Do you have OBA? I've been pondering a 4-bar linkage tire lift powered by a pneumatic cylinder.

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Now that's a fun idea! Yes, I have OBA, but it's just a QuickAir II. I'm not sure it'd be powerful enough to do something like that.

Lawn Cher' said:

Do you have OBA? I've been pondering a 4-bar linkage tire lift powered by a pneumatic cylinder.

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I'm thinking a decent sized tank and then forget about a flow or pressure regulator. That would be cool in the campground. Anyone want a ride?

I don't think the Hummer style is that bad of a way to go. Clam shell style would be cool though.