Spare Tire Storage

[vt_maverick]

Let me try Sue...

Her 4 mounted Cooper Zeons are 60 lbs. heavier than the 4 stock tires - that's 15 lbs. per corner. Notice she typed "29 lbs wheel, 49 lbs tire" (singular) in her original post, NOT "29 lbs wheels, 49 lbs tires" plural as I think you keep reading it. The second set of numbers (29+49) is for the spare ONLY.

[Ldub]

So.....if we had a large enough bowl of cornflakes we could make rocket science?......

[VX KAT]

Let me try Sue...

Her 4 mounted Cooper Zeons are 60 lbs. heavier than the 4 stock tires - that's 15 lbs. per corner. Notice she typed "29 lbs wheel, 49 lbs tire" (singular) in her original post, NOT "29 lbs wheels, 49 lbs tires" plural as I think you keep reading it. The second set of numbers (29+49) is for the spare ONLY.

Exactly!

So.....if we had a large enough bowl of cornflakes we could make rocket science?......

Exactly!!

[RallyDude]

I think the MPG change would be more due to the wind resistance, than the additional weight.

VT maverick, if you are really close to getting into the garage, you may want to check out member zeus's ride. He reversed the rack mounting clips, to lower his rack a few inches. He did it for aesthetics, but if you are close, it could be all the distance you need.

Wow, I've never heard of a hitch not attaching to the frame. Maybe that's why our rigs aren't rated to tow anything.

[rowhard]

Well, finished it and for the most part it works well. Have a few issues to work out, but no real biggy.

So, from this:


to this:









Love the space I have gained doing this. Also much easier rolling tire in and out rather then having to lift it to get it out.

On a side note. You notice the middle two photo's, the inside of the wheel looks,... different. I like most here had the chrome peeling issue. I took it to a local powder coat shop and had them media blast just the inside of the wheel then powder coat in in a chrome like finish. Moral of this story, if you like the stock wheels but have the chrome peeling problem, this might be a solution for you.

[Triathlete]

Looks good...to bad I use my back seat.

[VXjunky]

heck...my horse trailer spare exploded from the sun and heat, just hanging on the side of the trailer....hate to think what might happen to my precious VX if that happened on the roof!...........

[RickOKC]

Hey Rowhard, I'm leaning toward doing this. Your final post last year mentioned you had a couple minor items to work out - did you finish? What did you do to secure it laterally?

[rowhard]

Hey Rowhard, I'm leaning toward doing this. Your final post last year mentioned you had a couple minor items to work out - did you finish? What did you do to secure it laterally?

Think I just beefed it up a bit and extended it so I could pick up one of the rear seat mounting holes on the forward edge. As far as lateral, have it cinched down with a 3k strap, seems to hold fine.

[vt_maverick]

Tom it will be interesting to see what the bumper bar looks like when we go to install the new hitch. The one component I think is missing from your pics is what happens when you drive 20 hours with that much weight bouncing up and down all the time. I'm thinking the "standing still" tongue weight may not be the problem - it may be the movement that causes weakness over time.

[tom4bren]

Tom it will be interesting to see what the bumper bar looks like when we go to install the new hitch. The one component I think is missing from your pics is what happens when you drive 20 hours with that much weight bouncing up and down all the time. I'm thinking the "standing still" tongue weight may not be the problem - it may be the movement that causes weakness over time.

True Dat!

I know that I deformed the crossmember when I installed the Tone hitch just by tightening the bolts too much (it's a knuckle dragger thing - you wouldn't understand). That crossmember is far from being a structural member.

[tom4bren]

Tom it will be interesting to see what the bumper bar looks like when we go to install the new hitch. The one component I think is missing from your pics is what happens when you drive 20 hours with that much weight bouncing up and down all the time. I'm thinking the "standing still" tongue weight may not be the problem - it may be the movement that causes weakness over time.

In retrospect, ignore my previous response. The issue that I was responding to was whether the Tone hitch could support the weight of a person lifting a full sized spare to the roof. I hope nobody plans on doing THAT in a dynamic scenario.

[VXjunky]

hehehe...i got that Tom

[tom4bren]

You've heard of the butt dyno.

Rekin my butt torque wrench needs calibration.

[VXjunky]

as Jackson Browne said, to the Pretty Little one..."Honey, Let me introduce you to my red neck friend"