rear swing away??

[preacherman]

Ok here is your chance to help me design a rear swing away for my Montero. I have been thinking for awhile I would like to design a rear swing away to carry at least 1 Jerry or water can and possibily my CO2 tank, high lift, and spare tire.

The monteys have a tire mounted on the rear door so I have thought of a few options.
1. Move the tire off the door and build a whole new tire carrier with jerry etc...
2. Build a swing away for just the jerry, water, etc...

I do not want to just put the gas can on the tire (i am worried about weight on the door) and not on a roof rack because I have a RTT.

Here are a few homebrew pics of some options. I also included a before picture for any of you guys who design better than me (which should be just about everybody...)

 

[tdesanto]

Ok here is your chance to help me design a rear swing away for my Montero. I have been thinking for awhile I would like to design a rear swing away to carry at least 1 Jerry or water can and possibily my CO2 tank, high lift, and spare tire.

The monteys have a tire mounted on the rear door so I have thought of a few options.
1. Move the tire off the door and build a whole new tire carrier with jerry etc...
2. Build a swing away for just the jerry, water, etc...

I do not want to just put the gas can on the tire (i am worried about weight on the door) and not on a roof rack because I have a RTT.

Here are a few homebrew pics of some options. I also included a before picture for any of you guys who design better than me (which should be just about everybody...)

Paul,

I have thought about this exact same thing for mine. Given that the tire is already on the door could be of help or hindrance.

If you leave the tire on the door, I think you end up having to work around the tire, which limits your options. If it will fit, I'd recommend puting the jerry can(s) and/or CO2 on the left side covering up the license plate and then placing the hi-lift on the right side of the tire (if it can fit).

If that won't work, then I'd recommend moving the tire from the door to the swing-away and then relocating the jack in front of the tire like so many others have done and that should leave room for the jerry can/CO2 tanks.

Either way, I think you can relocate the license plate to the bumper or swing-away.

There are some photos that members have posted to my truck thread of aftermarket rear bumpers from Australia that may give you some ideas.

 

[sami]

i like the 3rd pic in the line up..

i personally feel more comfortable with tires mounted to something more beefy than sheetmetal/door situations... i would mount it to the bumper, and try to even out the weight of the additional items on the swingout..

-Jason

 

[preacherman]

Tony,
Yeah I saw that on your thread. I really wonder if having two different swing outs is a pain. I would like to keep it to as few steps as possible. It seams like I always forget something in the back and end up opening and closing the door a bizillion times.
I also saw a factory pajero gas can option on a pajero in africa last year. I (regretfully) did not take a pick. That would be a score to find one.

 

[PhulesAU]

Depending on the frame structure at the bumper, there are about a thousand Jeep designs out there. I'm sure one of them might be close enough to what you've seen to pick and choose through the designs, to make the "perfect" fit for your rig. the biggest thing will be to get the weight off of the door. These days ,It's almost a matter of picking the one you like the looks of the best. I would only recommend something that keeps the fuel can up high, away from other peoples bumpers.

 

[tdesanto]

Agreed, 2 swing outs would be one too many.

Also, I'd have to agree on the idea of keeping the jerry cans a bit higher to help reduce some of the risk in a collision.

 

[Bongo Boy]

In mounting the spare on the swingout, you end up with a considerable amount of mass centered well above the hinge, and generally well above the latch as well. In my case, the spare is about 85 lbs. When sitting in the driveway, I found I could barely flex the swingaway itself, fore-and-aft. But, when on the highway, in a particular stretch of freeway where I live, a nice harmonic is set up that causes the swingaway (and spare) to move nearly 1 1/2" fore-and-aft. More irritating than anything else, but irritating nonetheless.

I resolved this by fixing a vertical support member to the frame of the rig--it's a 2" x 2" piece of square tubing with a 3/16" thick wall, that rises about 14" above the bumper. The swingaway latches to the top and bottom of this vertical support. This has really reduced fore-and-aft flexure of the swingaway to nearly none.

The other feature I think may be even more important--a joint where the gate mates up to the support that it latches to. The gate (swing away) has a tab welded to it (tab is about 1/4" thick, 1 1/2" wide). The portion of the tab that protrudes from the gate is tapered on the top and bottom, and mates up to a 'female' tab welded to the support on the rig itself. The two parts engage in a way that ensures the tab takes all the weight on the gate--the end of the swingaway can't flex up-and-down whatsoever.

The latches I use are just Destaco (over center) clamps, and all they do is ensure the tapered male tab is held tightly into the mating piece on the support. The while the clamps do have to restrict aft motion of the gate (i.e., prevent the gate from swinging open), the clamps don't see any other load. Likewise, the hinge pin sees no bending load--the weight of the gate and spare is taken entirely by the bumper, vertically, at the hinge end, and by the tapered tab at the free end.

Just a design consideration.

I personally would vote for making the carrying of jerry cans of fuel on the exterior of a vehicle illegal--off road or on road--but that's just me.

 

[preacherman]

Bongo Boy,

Good ideas. Do you have any pictures of the brace you where talking about? I would love to see an example.

Gas can, I never really thought of the effects to having a gas can on the outside. The more I think about it, I actually think I would carry my spector water can more. I can get 325 miles on 1 tank of gas. But almost everywhere I go we need extra water. I hate having the water can inside because I have to listen to it slosh around. Just a pet peve.... The mount would really need to be the same no matter if it where for water or gas. The cans are almost identical, except in color... and taste if you drink out of the wrong one...

The other thing I thought about was the montero bumper sets out 4-5 inches. Like a lip or platform. If I built a swing away even with the current bumper it would leave the tire 4-6 inches from the back of the door. Their might be enough room to build a can mount behind the tire, in between the door. I have seen several jeep swing aways like that. I would have to play with the measurements. It might be too tight and look goofy.

 

[preacherman]

You know I just thought about this....If the gas can could be problematic in a wreck what would a 200psi CO2 tank do if smacked hard enough? Having a CO2 tank mounted outside could also have some baddddddd drawbacks...

 

[sami]

reduce some of the risk in a collision.

are there documented instances where this is an actual issue?

-Jason

 

[madizell]

are there documented instances where this is an actual issue?

-Jason

Depends I suppose on what kind of documentation you are looking for. My CJ-7 was tail ended in 1995, destroying the body. Even though it was just a surface street collision at or under 45mph, the hit was hard enough to push the rear mounted tire through the back window. Had there been a jerry can mounted on the swing away tire carrier, the can would also have been crushed. From there the ultimate result should be obvious. Not only did glass explode into the cab all the way to the windshield, but so would any spilled fuel from a crushed can.

I stopped carrying fuel on the rear of the car after that. Only solid objects.

 

[preacherman]

someone on 4x4 wire posted a pic of what I was talking about
the tire is still on the door

 

[Willman]

With what you what to carry on the gate......two gates would be the trick!

Plus it would look good too!~

:26_7_2:

 

[Fifthpro]

Well, not to add fuel to the fire (pun intended) I have been carrying my aux fuel on the rear swing out for years......it sits pretty high in normal conditions

or on the ground when you drive into an old fighting position!