Bebop Man
Member
Well, they're finally finished. Took a little bit longer since I don't have regular access to a welder. But I managed.
With the bikes loaded up for a day in the hills.
Closed up with spare and jack mounted. You can also see the roof rack and the utility lights. They are tied into the backup lights as well as having a stand alone on-off switch for lighting up the campsite.
Opened and locked. I use a 1/2" J-bolt that slips into a piece of tube welded inside the bumper. Drop in the j-bolt, and the carriers are locked open.
Close-up of the bumper. You can see the D-rings, receiver, and trailer hook-ups. Some diamond plate and non-skid make for a good standing surface to load things into the roof rack. What do you think of my tow point? I fabbed it up years ago before I had any D-Rings.
Side Rails. Bolted to the frame, and with some more non-skid tape, they make for a handy step, too.
Detail of the tire carrier. The hi-lift sits on a pin welded to the base plate, then a wing nut locks it to a bolt welded to the upright. A 5/8 eyebolt with a locknut, washer and spring between two plates make up my latch. The spring puts pressure on the washer forcing it tight against the lower plate. Lift up, and the carrier is free to swing. It takes some effort to lift that eyebolt, it's not going to pop out on its own.
Closeup of the hinge. I got a 1000lb hinge kit from Competition 4x4, and welded it into place. Two greasable bearings will keep it smooth and quiet for a long time. The spindle sits in its own sleeve inside the bumper, and that's what you weld on. You never weld to the spindle, saving it from heat stress and potential failure. The spindle slips into the sleeve, and locks with a roll pin. You can tack weld the lower end of the spindle to the bottom of the sleeve, but you really don't have to. You can also see the short bit of tube that holds the j-bolts when the carrier is closed.
The cooler rack. The upper, flat portion carries a 5g water can, and the lower fits up to a 24x15 cooler. I built it that way so a trailer tongue can still swivel to the left and not contact the rack. I have plans for attaching a 2nd level to this rack, then I can add a couple of 5g gas cans and a small generator.
With the bikes loaded up for a day in the hills.
Closed up with spare and jack mounted. You can also see the roof rack and the utility lights. They are tied into the backup lights as well as having a stand alone on-off switch for lighting up the campsite.
Opened and locked. I use a 1/2" J-bolt that slips into a piece of tube welded inside the bumper. Drop in the j-bolt, and the carriers are locked open.
Close-up of the bumper. You can see the D-rings, receiver, and trailer hook-ups. Some diamond plate and non-skid make for a good standing surface to load things into the roof rack. What do you think of my tow point? I fabbed it up years ago before I had any D-Rings.
Side Rails. Bolted to the frame, and with some more non-skid tape, they make for a handy step, too.
Detail of the tire carrier. The hi-lift sits on a pin welded to the base plate, then a wing nut locks it to a bolt welded to the upright. A 5/8 eyebolt with a locknut, washer and spring between two plates make up my latch. The spring puts pressure on the washer forcing it tight against the lower plate. Lift up, and the carrier is free to swing. It takes some effort to lift that eyebolt, it's not going to pop out on its own.
Closeup of the hinge. I got a 1000lb hinge kit from Competition 4x4, and welded it into place. Two greasable bearings will keep it smooth and quiet for a long time. The spindle sits in its own sleeve inside the bumper, and that's what you weld on. You never weld to the spindle, saving it from heat stress and potential failure. The spindle slips into the sleeve, and locks with a roll pin. You can tack weld the lower end of the spindle to the bottom of the sleeve, but you really don't have to. You can also see the short bit of tube that holds the j-bolts when the carrier is closed.
The cooler rack. The upper, flat portion carries a 5g water can, and the lower fits up to a 24x15 cooler. I built it that way so a trailer tongue can still swivel to the left and not contact the rack. I have plans for attaching a 2nd level to this rack, then I can add a couple of 5g gas cans and a small generator.
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