Spare Wheel Carrier

Chrus · Post by **Chrus** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 11:18 pm

I used to sell these units in the mountain bike shop back home. Have had good experiences using them to carry my own bike. You do have to keep an eye on the strapping but other than that i wouldn't hesitate using one

stamp_licker · Post by **stamp_licker** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:56 pm

Suberman wrote:So, you saying you're getting something similar made up, Subarino?

I'm not sure how it connects to the spare, but it obviously works.

Put the tyre on the inside like that.If your towbar tongue is longer it gives you more room for the spare between the carrier and hatch.The bike carrier bit remains as standard when folded down the spare is accessible.There is a guy in the suba club qld that has a fold down spare carrier yaeh pics would be priceless.

Suberman · Post by **Suberman** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 8:17 pm

Chrus -I used to sell these units in the mountain bike shop back home. Have had good experiences using them to carry my own bike. You do have to keep an eye on the strapping but other than that i wouldn't hesitate using one

Hi Chrus, how do they handle the vibration of lots of gravel road, and k's and k's of corrugations?

stamp_licker wrote:Put the tyre on the inside like that.If your towbar tongue is longer it gives you more room for the spare between the carrier and hatch.The bike carrier bit remains as standard when folded down the spare is accessible.There is a guy in the suba club qld that has a fold down spare carrier yaeh pics would be priceless.

Stamp_licker, what El Freddo said (about the bike holder being a public hazard) has changed my design. The guy who's doing the welding was here a coupla hours ago. He's going to make the bike holder part removable from about 2 inches before the top bend - putting a plate sitting up a coupla inches & across either side of the cut on the bottom rack bit, so the bike holder bit slips down between those plates ( like it's in its original position), then secure it with two pins through two holes in the plates. The tyre will sit on a mount like Subarino's rack. That's the plan. I can still fit a bike on with the tyre. When my son's coming with me, I can put his in the back.

I still haven't figured the towbar tongue bit out. Do you mean have the tow ball a coupla inches further away from the car? That would reduce the liberty's towing capacity a fair bit. And everyman and his dog would be smashing their legs on it. And I can imagine how many grills I'd drive off with, skewered on my extended towbar

D3V1L · Post by **D3V1L** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 9:40 pm

i just made on of these too today;) works quite well... now i gotta go buy one of those contraptions so i can carry a bike now

so it looks complete

dave

stamp_licker · Post by **stamp_licker** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:24 am

Sounds like you've got it sorted.If i was carrying my MTB and spare wheel i would put the bikes on the roof and spare on the back or vice versa.The idea of removing the bike carrier but keeping the spare on is brilliant.With the tongue further out from the car wouldn't cause anymore probs with grills ,skins etc as the wheel carrier would act as a buffer.
Edit: i just noticed you don't have removable hitch, with a removable you could have 2 holes for locating standard and extended.

Suberman · Post by **Suberman** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 6:38 pm

D3V1L -i just made on of these too today works quite well... now i gotta go buy one of those contraptions so i can carry a bike now so it looks complete

dave

Hehe, good luck to you on that.

stamp_licker - Sounds like you've got it sorted.If i was carrying my MTB and spare wheel i would put the bikes on the roof and spare on the back or vice versa.

I thought about bikes on the roof, but I know I'd forget they were there at the wrong time. Plus, I want to cut down on drag/fuel costs. Plus the '91 gx liberty doesn't have the roof rails. The racks are pretty clunky to get on and off. I've already caused a leak in the rubber over the passenger door.

The idea of removing the bike carrier but keeping the spare on is brilliant.

I have to credit Gav the welder with that one. Because the upright tubing decreases in diameter closer to the bend we had to dismiss sleeves. I thought the bike rack part was a goner. Great save by him.

With the tongue further out from the car wouldn't cause anymore probs with grills ,skins etc as the wheel carrier would act as a buffer.
Edit: i just noticed you don't have removable hitch, with a removable you could have 2 holes for locating standard and extended.

Ah, ok, now I see why you were suggesting that.

Chrus · Post by **Chrus** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 7:51 pm

Suberman wrote:Hi Chrus, how do they handle the vibration of lots of gravel road, and k's and k's of corrugations?

mmm thats a hard one to comment on for me because I havent used them extensively on gravel roads. I have used them with heavy Downhill Bikes but only for short trips (<20kms) on sealed roads...but they did hold up well. Security was a big issue for me and eventually i sold my own unit in favour of a Q-spear bike rack http://www.jetblackproducts.com/product ... ContId=777

Suberman · Post by **Suberman** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 10:31 pm

Got the Wheel Carrier on Friday 8/8. Took it to Cobaw, handled the off road conditions no probs.

When I'm not using the bike rack section, I just use the bolt holes to mount the number plate. Still have to wire a light back there somewhere, and find a spot for the plate when the bike is on there as well.

benwarn · Post by **benwarn** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 1:53 pm

just a thought, here goes,

what if u get an old steel bmx, cut the back triangle off it, flip it upsidedown, flip the forks upsidedown too in the headset (where the forks go into the frame) that way you have a triangle with bearings already in it, then weld the forks to the rhs that the towbar comes off and you have a swinging arm. too easy, then take out the pedals and the bottom bracket and weld on a hub where that'd normally go. thats where you pop the wheel onto. alst step is to have something that were the seat would normally be that that rests on so the weight isnt taken all by the forks. and some thing to hold it shut. what do u think? could be a really easy way to do it