Another brilliant DIY mod...

[Rescue Ninja]

Brilliance, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. One of my other "brilliant" ideas was a HOR (Hinged Overhead Rack), much like the Lobo rack; however, since I had no idea the Lobo rack existed at the time I built my HOR, I'm still quite proud of that build. Anyway, onto my new project. It will be a very long time (if ever) before I am going to talk the wife into a custom rear bumper for our "spare vehicle." As such, I need an inexpensive alternative to accomplish much the same thing.

I started thinking...

This is my execution and what I have come up with. (The first frame is just a mock-up using tie straps. The last several frames are pictures of the finished product.)

My departure angle is only compromised in that I am actually using my trailer hitch, and I plan to get a hitch doubler so I can still have a viable rear recovery point. All told, it cost $5 for the hardware I bought for mounting the spare. Everything else was already on hand: a 4 bike hitch mounted drop down rack, some scrap metal, and some misc hardware.

 

[Morticon]

Sorry how is the tire attached to the bike rack?

 

[Rescue Ninja]

It's just the metal bracket off the end of an OEM under vehicle (cable mounted) spare tire system, which I ran a giant carriage bolt through.

 

[IdaSHO]

Im pretty sure that in your brilliance, you have succeeded to overload that rack.

From here it looks like you have more than 120 lbs hanging on it.

 

[Rescue Ninja]

I'm betting that 120ish is a pretty fair guess as to the weight when fully loaded. The product description of the Thule 4 bike rack I used states it can carry 140, and in my experience they error on the side of caution. I plan to be very suspicious of it until it is trail/time tested and proven, but at this point I am pleased with the outcome and cautiously optimistic.

 

[Wise Old Jason]

Genius.

Let us know how it does.

Sent from my Casio G'zOne Commando 4G, it's the John Connor of Smartphones. You cannot kill it...

Using Tapatalk.

 

[Rescue Ninja]

Thanks. Any help with a clever name (like the HOR) would be much appreciated.

 

[stolz]

Ah, I've wanted to do the same thing.

 

[Rescue Ninja]

I have impulse issues. I started building as soon as I had mentally trouble shot all the obvious hassles I could dream up.

 

[DetroitDarin]

I like it! The closest solidly-built store product I've found cost $350

http://www.cbioffroadfab.com/products/trail-accessories/fold-down-tire-carrier-premium-model

 

[Allof75]

Dangit now you've added yet another project to my ever-expanding list. Great work. :sombrero:

 

[UK4X4]

So you have a hitch rack designed to carry 4 bikes

4 x roughly 30lbs is 120lbs....working design weight

You have now added 2 5gal jerry cans at 3lbs each

add the racking to hold the gas tanks 10lbs

then you fill them and you have another 62lbs

Then you add spare tire and rim 60lbs

and then as you have space you put two bikes back on it another 60lbs

Now you have that sheet steel and 6mm pinned rack holding ....198lbs

Please remind your friends to leave some space behind you when you trail ride

 

[Rescue Ninja]

With the spare mounted I don't really intend to carry bikes, which brings the total weight back down to the manufacturer's weight limit. (The fact that I even knew the weight limit should be an indicator that I was trying to keep that in mind.) The one advantage of using nuts and bolts is that it's super easy to convert back to a bike rack, which is the primary reason I left the bike carrying portion intact. However, I spend more time driving the trails than I do riding them. After tearing out the side wall on one of my primary tires and having to call the weekend adventures short before getting stranded due to the risk of a (unlikely but) possible repeat, I feel strongly about being well equipped/prepared. That said, I will indeed stay on top of observing the safety and durability of the rack until I feel it has proven itself.

 

[southpier]

Thanks. Any help with a clever name (like the HOR) would be much appreciated.

"accident waiting to happen" or AWH for short.

really; don't do it. think of the children.

 

[Wise Old Jason]

"accident waiting to happen" or AWH for short.

really; don't do it. think of the children.

They said the same thing to Henry Ford.