Tire Carrier Modification

[Hedgehog]

This is what it looked like before modification. It did work well, but the unsupported depth rattling around off road made fatigue failures all to possible. This thing did not want to come apart, I built it to stay. Saws All blades broke at the attaching point, cut off wheels exploded. A friends plasma cutter finally cut off enough to get down to the bottom rail that has the bearing and latch on it.:




The bottom 2"x1.5" tube was reinforced with a 2"x2"x3/16" tube to make a 2"x4" bottom tube. The tire carrier is 2"x6" tubing. The Smitty Built jerry can carrier is supported with left over 2"x2" tubing. This thing is stout, it doesn't vibrate or rattle.

The back:



Side:



Loaded:

 

[Peanut Butter]

I like it! You did a really good job. I too like to over engineer things. Now when are you going to start selling them? Heck, make the mounts for a LJ or JK and you can start charging $1200 for one.

 

[mtnwhlr]

Great job looks very beefy. I'm with PB putting my order in for one, I should get the friend discount right

 

[Belizean]

HH I like it also. Trying to figure out what the piece is between the 3 studs where the tire mounts. Is that a locking device?

 

[Hedgehog]

The 2"x6" tube holding the tire is thinner than it looks ~1/8" it is very strong but not as heavy as it looks. With the tire and 5 gallons of gas there is a lot of weight to manage on the trail. Nice and stout but not overly heavy is nice. The bumper below it is VERY heave 1/4" steel in a step bumper configuration. The whole tire mount is located to one side of the CJ to allow room for the gas can. I was originally going to set the 31" tire as close to the passenger light as close as possible. Then I started to consider that I have a bit of an itch for 33's, so room was left to mount 33's with no modification to the carrier. Being a draftsman I find a little pride in allowing for the little things before construction begins.

Belizean - The part in the middle of the wheel is a shelf to set the tire on to aid in mounting it on the studs. There is a bit of a lip to keep the tire from sliding off the shelf. I got sick of holding the heavy tire in place while setting the wheel on the studs. Now it's simple. Set the rim on the shelf, index one bottom stud in it's hole, rotate the wheel to index the other two studs and slide it home. Easy as can be.

 

[Belizean]

Perfect idea and make great sense. Those tires seam to be getting heavier each time I lift one

 

[Lumpy Grits]

For a half blind, gimpy old fart-You did real good!

LG

 

[Hedgehog]

:0 half blind, gimpy old fart ...... Well yeah!

I had another vehicle that a similar tire hanger from the factory. Can't remember which one, Bronco or Trooper II. With this I decided long ago I'd make my own.

A few months ago I upgraded my Lincoln 140 110v mig welder to a Lincoln 180 220v mig welder. The 140 was very good, no real complaints. The 180 is GREAT! This big boy will really stick metal together! With the addition of an Argon mix gas laying a decent weld without a bunch of flux core spatter and a serious increase in the ability to control the puddle welding is far more enjoyable.

 

[EVERYUSERNAMEISTAKEN]

A few months ago I upgraded my Lincoln 140 110v mig welder to a Lincoln 180 220v mig welder. The 140 was very good, no real complaints. The 180 is GREAT!

That tire carrier looks strong enough to mount 4 tires on it! This is on my to do list and I might be stealing some of your ideas.

Not to derail the thread but are you talking about the Lincoln 180 HD? I've been eyeing it for a while. Do you think that it is adjustable enough to handle thinner metal as well?

 

[Hedgehog]

It is odd, in real life the metal doesn't look as big as it does in pictures. The steel isn't as thick as the support steel so it's lighter than it could be, but also very strong. At first I didn't have the angled side support, but got to thinking that all that is holding things together is a butt weld. The added side helps relieve the stresses on the single, but long butt weld. The added strength will help the carrier handle the weight of the tire and 5 gallons of gas on the hard bumps and jarring from the dry rocky ground I wheel on. I've seen several lightly built carriers fail after a long season of rattling over Arizona back roads.

EVERYUSERNAMEISTAKEN - Welding is part of this discussion, so you are not derailing the thread.

Yes, it's a Lincoln 180HD 220v MIG welder. I got this welder to go with my Lincoln 140hd 110v MIG welder. As it turned out I sold the 140hd to a friend down the road from me. The180 was bought with the specific idea that it would be run as a true MIG wire feed on gas. Gas allows you to run thinner wire for sheet metal and such on thinner metal. The 140 is a MIG machine but I never ran gas with it, only flux core wire. Flux core worked well with a few draw backs. It runs hotter than wire and it is far messier with a wide spatter field.

So, to directly answer your question. Yes, the 180 HD can easily handle thin metal. The main draw back is that you need 220v available where the 140 HD will run on household wiring. Warning - if you get a 110v machine it is wise to use a 20 amp circuit. The standard 15 amp circuit will run a 110v machine for a small job, but for all day welding you need something that can handle more amperage.

I would not have been able to pay the asking price for a new Lincoln 180 HD. After haunting Craigslist for a while a screaming deal finally popped up that I couldn't resist. Craigslist is a good place to find a 180. I believe that people buy the machine not fully realizing that a 220v circuit is required to run it or the 220v was to hard to manage or momma got upset with the use of her dryer outlet for welding.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

The ONLY thing I will add to HH's post is this.
When you use a 110vac or 220vac welder. Have the welder on a dedicated circuit.
LG

 

[EVERYUSERNAMEISTAKEN]

HH, thanks for taking the time to give more detail! Over a decade ago I was fortunate enough to use a MillerMatic 252 or something similar in my High School welding class. However I am still very new to welding and can use any advice that yall can give.

Long story short is the guy who drove my CJ7 to Dallas and back everyday for work is a master electrician! This guy also happens to be my dad so I am very fortunate when it comes to electrical work.

A few months ago I acquired a Lincoln 225 AC/DC buzzbox. My dad came over and put in a new sub panel w/ 20 amp breaker and 220 plug to run my welder. Oh and whatever else I needed to run my new badarse air compressor! I've been trying my had at it but the welds just aren't as pretty as MIG. It sounds like I need to jump on the next good deal I see for a Lincoln 180.

Sorry for the short story.

 

[Hedgehog]

My buzz box went "down the road" after getting a Craigslist deal on a Thermal Arc Stick welder, OMG what a great stick welder that thing is. Like all things today it has a bunch of features I never knew existed. The best is the hot start feature. No rod sticking any more. It doesn't get used that much anymore, but when welding heavy metal it will really dig.

You would like the Lincoln 180 HD. Don't ignore a good deal on a Miller or a Hobart. All three are very decent with the Miller probably being the best, but you will pay for Miller quality. Miller is very strong in the professional market.

I have to admit being partial towards Lincoln welders. Dad was a certified welder, his welder was a Lincoln DC welder, the kind with a pony motor. That old girl welded up a bunch of equipment. It took a few years for me to get used to NOT striking an arc to get the motor wound up. Welding is so quiet with a plug in unit with no roaring motor in need of a muffler in the background.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Learn'n to weld, is much like learning a second language.
If you don't 'use-it', you'll 'loose-it'.
LG