I have been thinking for some time about mounting my 2 trailer spares under the deck of my bumper-pull car hauler (steel deck). This would get them out of the bed of my truck, and out of the sun (so they don't keep cracking). There is no place convenient to mount them on the sides of the trailer - they'd be in my way.

What is a good way to do this? I don't think I want to just bolt the tire to the bottom of the deck - I wouldn't look forward to trying to remove it by myself laying on the side of the road. I thought of using a pair of spare tire "winches" from under the bed of mini-trucks. But of course I wanted to check here for other opinions before I proceed... :D

TrailerGuy - I think you posted in another thread that you had built a trailer with two spares under the deck. [EDIT] Yes - it was this thread http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=523875 post #14:
"There are also two matching spares for the trailer under the front of the deck. By pulling a quick pin you can lower both spares if needed."
How did you do that?

Hey Richard when i had my steel deck, i had an idea to make a L shaped type swing arm with a pivot on the lower edge of the deck. It would swing up, under, then have some bolts/studs to secured it in place when up/under..

If you angled it right it would be up high when under the deck, and swing out low to unhook it..

oh ya forgot: the other idea was to make a small 'track' | | that pivoted near the center of the trailer. It would have a few small post to keep the tire enclosed when it track was lifted up. The tray would be pinned on the outside edge of the deck, when lowered the \ the tire could be pull down the 'track' and removed.. The outside frame edge of the trailer would keep the tire from sliding out when the tray is up..

I like the auto/truck style crank down cable tire holders too :)

take a tube and run it all the way from one side of the trailer to the other through the frame. weld a nut to the outside of one end. weld a chain or two tot the bar under the trailer. turn the bar from the outside to wrap the chin around it and hoist the tire, mush lie a winch winds the cable around the drum. make som sort of "pin" or catch for the nut and bar so it can unspool. should be less than a days work and work fine. you can get all crazy and bearing the thing and everything if you want.

:usa:

I have an Isuzu pickup spare tire winch under my motorcycle trailer for my spare. It works great and the tire is always tight. I always check it before I make a trip.
A friend gave the winch to me and only once did I need to get to it because of a flat. I just cranked it down and unhooked it. After we backed the trailer up about 3 feet and it was easy to pick up off the pavement. I have a hole in my bike trailer floor so I can access the valve stem easy enough without having to remove it.


I am building a 30 foot bumper pull trailer out in the shop now and will use another one for my spare. If you have the room under your trailer floor to tuck a spare tire, then the pickup winches are the way to go.

Been carrying mine like that for 10 years or more. Never had any problem other than the spare is always dirty!

Curtis

I have been thinking for some time about mounting my 2 trailer spares under the deck of my bumper-pull car hauler (steel deck). This would get them out of the bed of my truck, and out of the sun (so they don't keep cracking). There is no place convenient to mount them on the sides of the trailer - they'd be in my way.

What is a good way to do this? I don't think I want to just bolt the tire to the bottom of the deck - I wouldn't look forward to trying to remove it by myself laying on the side of the road. I thought of using a pair of spare tire "winches" from under the bed of mini-trucks. But of course I wanted to check here for other opinions before I proceed... :D

TrailerGuy - I think you posted in another thread that you had built a trailer with two spares under the deck. [EDIT] Yes - it was this thread http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=523875 post #14:
"There are also two matching spares for the trailer under the front of the deck. By pulling a quick pin you can lower both spares if needed."
How did you do that?

We built a carrier like the one that yager describes.

Hey Richard when i had my steel deck, i had an idea to make a L shaped type swing arm with a pivot on the lower edge of the deck. It would swing up, under, then have some bolts/studs to secured it in place when up/under..

The majority of the time we use a spare tire crank like SSSRodeo describes.

I have an Isuzu pickup spare tire winch under my motorcycle trailer for my spare. It works great and the tire is always tight. I always check it before I make a trip.

On real custom jobs we use a new Ford tire crank that is keyed. These are spendy, but well worth it if you have custom rims or just care about the spare enough to spend the money. Oh, and if you own a Ford with a keyed tire crank, good luck getting one for your trailer to match, I've tried that.

Anybody have any pics of their set-up.

Whatever you do dont design it like the mounts on PJ trailers. Its a great trailer but almost impossable to remount the spare tire under the deck. It just a pice on angle iron and 2 wheel studs. You have to bench press the tire up onto the wobbling pice of angle and try your hardest to get the studs through the lug nut holes on the rim and then put on the lug nust all while trying to hold the spare in one hand.

I tried and gave up after 45 minutes.

Any tips on the retuarded design

Whatever you do dont design it like the mounts on PJ trailers. Its a great trailer but almost impossable to remount the spare tire under the deck. It just a pice on angle iron and 2 wheel studs. You have to bench press the tire up onto the wobbling pice of angle and try your hardest to get the studs through the lug nut holes on the rim and then put on the lug nust all while trying to hold the spare in one hand.

I tried and gave up after 45 minutes.

Any tips on the retuarded design
Use a jack or two to lift the tire. Small floor jacks work well.

Trailer guy-

You might also consider Toyota spare tire crank assembiles. The keyed locks come separate on the later model ones, so you could easily have a locking crank assembly. Basically, you can add the lock to any late-model crank, so a quick trip to the salvage yard might get you the crank for cheap. Another $20 at the dealership, and you've got a locking crank assembly...

Ryan

Trailer guy-

You might also consider Toyota spare tire crank assembiles. The keyed locks come separate on the later model ones, so you could easily have a locking crank assembly. Basically, you can add the lock to any late-model crank, so a quick trip to the salvage yard might get you the crank for cheap. Another $20 at the dealership, and you've got a locking crank assembly...

Ryan
I haven't thought about those at all. Nice.

The junk yard would be a lot less expensive, but I can't sell a used part on a custom trailer though. If it was my own, I wouldn't give a crap. But when it comes to a customers new rig, only new parts. But with that piece and maybe a different crank, I might be able to save a little.

Thanks,
Aaron

Cut a square out of the trailer floor. Build a box for the tire to sit in. Mount that below the deck. Built a rest for the four sides of the "lid" to sit on. Cut a finger hole in the lid to grab. You can let the lid sit there, or hinge the front side.

I was just going to go to a junkyard one day and get the winch from a fullsize truck.

Drill a 3/4-1" hole in my framerail for the winch crank and my spare would be mostly hidden. No need to worry about keys. Besides, it would be more secure than the ratchet strap that holds it down now. :laughing:

Cut a square out of the trailer floor. Build a box for the tire to sit in. Mount that below the deck. Built a rest for the four sides of the "lid" to sit on. Cut a finger hole in the lid to grab. You can let the lid sit there, or hinge the front side.

The downside to that design is having to unload the trailer to get to the spare.

The downside to that design is having to unload the trailer to get to the spare.


How often do you plan on having to change a flat tire? Most of our rigs are tall enough to get underneath to get the tire out if the lid isn't hinged.

How often do you plan on having to change a flat tire? Most of our rigs are tall enough to get underneath to get the tire out if the lid isn't hinged.

well, that all depends. I think it would have been a bitch in this situation:

I'de wager more than a few of us use our trailers for more than just for our rig.

Bingo. Some of us even use the trailer to haul sports cars without a lift.

As for how often do I plan on having a flat, If it were up to my planning, I would not need a spare.:flipoff2:



well, that all depends. I think it would have been a bitch in this situation:

I'de wager more than a few of us use our trailers for more than just for our rig.

I made this out of 3" C-channel. It works just like a standard tire carrier on an older pick-up, but easier to use because the 2 bolts on the top make it a lot easier to get the spare on and off the carrier, and the longer handle makes it a lot easier to lift and lower it.

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/243182/fullsize/100_0717.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/243176/fullsize/100_0716.jpg





It hangs from these 3 mounts on the crossmembers by three 3/4" bolts.
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/243185/fullsize/100_0718.jpg

Use an eye bolt on the end that drops so you can loosen and tighten it with your lug wrench. And its also a good idea to weld the nut to the bracket, or to a plate or something to keep it from turning while your trying to loosen it. Try to remember when your takling the spare down, its going to be cold, dark, raining like hell, and your going to be laying in the mud, so do whatever you can when your building it to make it as easy as possible to use.