Examples of Front Spare Tire Mount with Winch Bumper
- Thread starter deminimis
- Start date
deminimis
Explorer
I knew I had seen something that truly fit the bill, but just couldn't place it. I have not heard back from Aluminess (and they are pretty quick to reply), so they may no longer make them. Frankly, as it's alumn, it could have had failure issues. I know when it came to my Aluminess swingouts on our former Sportsmobile, I was spending a lot of time with the alumn spool gun fixing them after a trip to Baja (much lighter wheels). Anyway, it looks like a great design, so in steel, I think it would be perfect. Good thing I have several hundred feet of 1.5" mild steel tubing in my shop (and a 1.5" die).
Another option might be a center mount HitchGate. For the front, it would require the removal of the receiver and some mods to support the structure do to the loss of the receiver. I think the winch cable would pass through the modified opening. Swing it out to access the winch, close it back up and tada. However, the $780 price is a bit steep for me should it not work. Then again, it would probably work well on the rear of our camper (just plug into the SuperTruss extension, but it would really be in the way when getitng in/out of the camper). This is an image of the offset version:
Another option might be a center mount HitchGate. For the front, it would require the removal of the receiver and some mods to support the structure do to the loss of the receiver. I think the winch cable would pass through the modified opening. Swing it out to access the winch, close it back up and tada. However, the $780 price is a bit steep for me should it not work. Then again, it would probably work well on the rear of our camper (just plug into the SuperTruss extension, but it would really be in the way when getitng in/out of the camper). This is an image of the offset version:
I Leak Oil
Expedition Leader
.....and visibility. Yikes! Certainly there must be a better place for it.
deminimis
Explorer
My guess is no noticeable effect. In my case, as well as Carl's rig pictured above, the tire is pretty far out there. Hell, people have been hanging spares on the front of pickups for decades right up near the grill, so, seriously, I doubt it would make the slightest difference.
deminimis
Explorer
That's pimpin', yo!!
When getting some new sneakers on front this AM (I think I'm going to like these XDS-2 tires), I spent more time checking out the rear (clearances,etc). Since we don't currently haul a trailer when we travel Baja (that will change later), I could make a dual mount out back pretty easily (using the hitch extension). Once we start hauling our buggy to Baja once again, then I could just toss a couple of spares in the trailer. I don't need the bevy of spares when in the States (when I'm often hauling our boat or whatever around), so no worries about having access to my hitch. I may give the rear dual mount a try before I attempt to engineer something fancy for the front. That would be a quick and easy project. I was going to fashion an open stair tread mounted in the hitch extension anyway (it's a big, slippery step as it sits now), so think I'll just change things up a bit (enter between the two tires via my soon to be awesome, grippy step).
When getting some new sneakers on front this AM (I think I'm going to like these XDS-2 tires), I spent more time checking out the rear (clearances,etc). Since we don't currently haul a trailer when we travel Baja (that will change later), I could make a dual mount out back pretty easily (using the hitch extension). Once we start hauling our buggy to Baja once again, then I could just toss a couple of spares in the trailer. I don't need the bevy of spares when in the States (when I'm often hauling our boat or whatever around), so no worries about having access to my hitch. I may give the rear dual mount a try before I attempt to engineer something fancy for the front. That would be a quick and easy project. I was going to fashion an open stair tread mounted in the hitch extension anyway (it's a big, slippery step as it sits now), so think I'll just change things up a bit (enter between the two tires via my soon to be awesome, grippy step).
rayra
Expedition Leader
would be easy enough to design one using some cardboard-aided design and have a local fabricator weld it up.
were it me I'd use a front receiver hitch and mount it down low in front, damn blocking the winch. If you are stuck that bad, pulling the spare off isn't too much trouble. hell get fancy and you can route the winch out the middle hole in the mounted spare, for a straight pull anyway. Design the spare mounting ring to be a winch fair lead
can't imagine that front mount will fly in any heavily-policed zone. Visual obstruction and the mount is a 'spear'.
and you can't keep piling weight on the nose like that, without causing some sort of trouble.
were it me I'd use a front receiver hitch and mount it down low in front, damn blocking the winch. If you are stuck that bad, pulling the spare off isn't too much trouble. hell get fancy and you can route the winch out the middle hole in the mounted spare, for a straight pull anyway. Design the spare mounting ring to be a winch fair lead
can't imagine that front mount will fly in any heavily-policed zone. Visual obstruction and the mount is a 'spear'.
and you can't keep piling weight on the nose like that, without causing some sort of trouble.
deminimis
Explorer
Thanks. I do my own fabin' (with the exception of some 4130 trailing arm mods on another project that need to be pre and post heated and because I still suck at tig welding tubing). There isn't a statue on the books that prohibits a front mounted spare. If they were prohibited, there would be a lot of bummed out hippies running around in their '69 Bays. I wouldn't call it a spear either (perhaps a mega-size hemorrhoid cushion). Now bicycles mounted on the front of a city bus, that's a spear. If I do one, I'd fab the mount as low as possible to get the the top of the tire close to the top of the grill guard, so to avoid visibility issues. Having the winch cable go through the center hole would set the spare much too low. I use the winch at least once a month (I winch out out huge dumpster every month and with 19.5 wheels, well, I've even used the winch for self recovery because 19.5s suck), so accessibility is a concern for me (I might have to give it up though given other factors). Carl had both visibility issues and cooling issues with his Alumines setup. My rig has improved cooling over his model year (or I could actually be off by one year and we have the same, but I think his is a '12, with less efficient cooling). Regardless, my would be mounted lower so neither of those concerns should be an issue (although you never know for sure until you try). My front axle rating is 7,250# and it's a very beefy 5 link system. I have more than enough buffer to install an Alcoa, rubber and a mount. My setup weighs a fraction of a large snow plow setup that is common on these pigs. That said, as I posted above, I'm more likely to go with a dual mount setup out back and see how that pans out first. I have a design in mind that I think will work well. If not, then I'll give a single front mount for an alloy a go. Thanks again.
LR Max
Local Oaf
On the question of air flow restriction, minimal/none.
Yes there will be turbulent airflow directly behind the tire as one drives down the interstate, but it'll return to laminar flow pretty quickly and will be back to laminar flow well before it hits the radiator. Even if there is still some turbulent air flow, it still provides cooling at reasonable efficiency. The only time it would be an issue is if his cooling system was damaged/worn out and he was loading the engine heavily.
At slower speeds, most of the air flow is being pulled in by the fan. And with that giant of a space between the radiator and the tire, it won't be an issue. Especially since at lower speeds, the engine won't be heavily loaded.
The bigger issue is reduced visibility and when you take that tire and wack it into something and damage it. THAT isn't fun.
If you really want to learn more, look up laminar and turbulent fluid dynamics. There are some good constants available and you can run your own calculations. But most likely you'll find that everything returns to laminar flow pretty quickly and that is what is needed for forced convection heat transfer (oh and bust out the old heat transfer book too!!).
(Now waiting for someone to reply about how all of this is wrong because their uncle strapped a tire to the front of his 20 year old chevy van and it overheated while driving through the desert or something...)
Yes there will be turbulent airflow directly behind the tire as one drives down the interstate, but it'll return to laminar flow pretty quickly and will be back to laminar flow well before it hits the radiator. Even if there is still some turbulent air flow, it still provides cooling at reasonable efficiency. The only time it would be an issue is if his cooling system was damaged/worn out and he was loading the engine heavily.
At slower speeds, most of the air flow is being pulled in by the fan. And with that giant of a space between the radiator and the tire, it won't be an issue. Especially since at lower speeds, the engine won't be heavily loaded.
The bigger issue is reduced visibility and when you take that tire and wack it into something and damage it. THAT isn't fun.
If you really want to learn more, look up laminar and turbulent fluid dynamics. There are some good constants available and you can run your own calculations. But most likely you'll find that everything returns to laminar flow pretty quickly and that is what is needed for forced convection heat transfer (oh and bust out the old heat transfer book too!!).
(Now waiting for someone to reply about how all of this is wrong because their uncle strapped a tire to the front of his 20 year old chevy van and it overheated while driving through the desert or something...)
1stDeuce
Explorer
With your relatively thin profile tires, can the spare be attached under the front bumper instead of in front of it? It'll take away a little departure, but with tires, weight, and breakover/departure you've got, it probably won't be the limit to your "off road ability" that often. ?? A standard under-bed tire winch off a HD truck might work well to put it there. Could add a ratchet strap to quell any anxiety about it dropping onto the road while you're in motion.
Alternately, just grab a ratchet strap or two, heave the tire up onto the fairlead, and cinch it to the bars on your front bumper. That would at least give you an idea what visibility would be like, and it would work fairly well for the short term, until you got something built. Lots of places making nice 3-way straps just for that purpose now, and when you didn't need it, you'd be back to a naked bumper.
Alternately, just grab a ratchet strap or two, heave the tire up onto the fairlead, and cinch it to the bars on your front bumper. That would at least give you an idea what visibility would be like, and it would work fairly well for the short term, until you got something built. Lots of places making nice 3-way straps just for that purpose now, and when you didn't need it, you'd be back to a naked bumper.
1stDeuce
Explorer
I didn't mean to kill your thread... I was hoping for a picture of the tire actually strapped to the front to see what it looks like...
I was thinking a strap like this setup would be easy to use, and add less weight than a hard mount setup:
If this will hold a tire on the back of a truck through the Baja 1000, it should be fine for the front of your truck!!
I was thinking a strap like this setup would be easy to use, and add less weight than a hard mount setup:
If this will hold a tire on the back of a truck through the Baja 1000, it should be fine for the front of your truck!!
deminimis
Explorer
Nah, I gotcha. Thanks. For a strap hold down, I would need a cradle and if I need to build a cradle, I may as well build the mount. I pretty much have the mount figured out at this point should I decide to build it. Very similar to the Aluminess, but attached low on the bumper, with a slight forward tilt reminiscent of a prerunner. Whole thing would be removable, should it not curl my toes. It's way down my list of projects right now. I need to get back to work on our buggy. Thanks again though.
deminimis
Explorer
I was watching NBC's coverage of the Snowpocalypse last week (bunch of wimps). From inside their camera rig (F450) I noticed it had a front mounted spare that was not interfering with the driver's vision. Found some pics of the "Bloommobile". Just throwing it up here.
It's first incarnation in the sand box
Damn thing even has it's own Feacebook page: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.511055472287106.1073741828.249421551783834&type=3
It's first incarnation in the sand box
Damn thing even has it's own Feacebook page: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.511055472287106.1073741828.249421551783834&type=3
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