Rear Wheel Carrier

[yowie78 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close yowie78]

Looking at the rear bars on the market, I have decided they are a bit outside my price range. Has anyone thought about drilling a hole through the plastic rear bumper and welding / bolting custom wheel holders to the chassis?
An forseeable problems?

Matt

[timmay5.7 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close timmay5.7]

Rear Wheel Carrier

What's your price range?

[mudboy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mudboy]

Rear Wheel Carrier

I'm in the sane boat I want a new rear bar but they are expensive

[foxclan Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close foxclan]

Re: Rear Wheel Carrier

Looking at the rear bars on the market, I have decided they are a bit outside my price range. Has anyone thought about drilling a hole through the plastic rear bumper and welding / bolting custom wheel holders to the chassis?
Any foreseeable problems?

Matt

Hi yowie78
A while back when I was on the garage creeper under the rear of the Prado, The thought of rear end protection mounted through the bumper came into the old think tank. The rear chassis cross member is quite solid and has a few holes, that some form of carrier or protection bar work could be mounted. A proto type bumper would be the go before sacrificing the actual bumper.
Cheers Troy

[damonat Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close damonat]

Re: Rear Wheel Carrier

for the weight that would acculate (with steel, distance from mounting and tyre),
you really need to mount up the chassis rails to overcome the weight V's flex.
someone on the 90 series forum made one up. looked good.
the costs of parts was up there by the end of the build.
but with the 120, the tow bar needs to remain in place and not modified,
which makes it hard to build carrier around this.
i have thought a few times about making a start, but keep failing to get past the towbar issue first.
if you do go ahead, i'd be keen to know your progress and designs

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

Re: Rear Wheel Carrier

I to have "intentions" of making a rear bar and have spent a bit of time lying under the back looking. I don't see the mounting or the towbar as a problem, but shaping the ends of the bar to fit in with the flare work might be a bit of a challenge. Added to that the back door will look shite with the recess for the spare wheel being left empty, so a new door skin from an overseas model with the spare under the car would be needed to finish it nicely. It's a lot of work and expense that i haven't been able to justify (yet). Would also be interested to see anyone elses afforts at a DIY bar.

Cheers Andrew

[Matty80 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Matty80]

Re: Rear Wheel Carrier

Added to that the back door will look shite with the recess for the spare wheel being left empty, so a new door skin from an overseas model with the spare under the car would be needed to finish it nicely.

I have also looked into this a little - and while not handy enough with a welding machine myself to build my own I had gone with the idea of a kaymar (or similar). However, I was unable to get to thought of how "ugly" the rear would look with that recess in the door and no tyre in place... So I spent a while searching the net for rear doors without the recess in the UK as elsewhere, what eventually put me off the idea entirely was there are no doors that open with the bottom down, top up!!! Making it a little bit of a pain to open the rear doors to get anything out...

Also interested to see how anyone else approaches the rear bar DIY project...

[sleeky Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close sleeky]

Re: Rear Wheel Carrier

I thought some members may be interested in my solution to carrying a second spare for trips. My brother actually came up with the idea several years ago when he made a similar contraption for his Jackaroo to do the Gunbarrel Highway and Canning Stock Route. It worked like a dream and caused no stress issues with the rear door. Since making mine I have travelled to Darwin from Perth taking in some fairly rough roads through the Murchison and Pilbara and have had no problems at all. The only shortcoming is that it needs to be swung down to open the rear door, however it provides a handy step to get to the fridge. We made it largely out of scrap metal so it cost around $150 for welding rods and the wheel studs. The existing spare is used as an anchor to stop the second spare from falling down and a pin prevents it from inadvertently jumping off. Most of the weight is born by the towbar and a new bracket which utilises two existing threaded chassis holes and an additional horizontal bolt which is welded through a third hole in the chassis. The whole lot can be installed and removed in about 5 minutes.

[damonat Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close damonat]

Re: Rear Wheel Carrier

good job. never thought of that design.
it definately works, and the additional use as a step is good.

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

Re: Rear Wheel Carrier

Interesting idea, I have lifted one of those tyres/rims onto the roof and I don't know if I'd like 40 odd kilos swinging like a big lever off the back of the chassis.

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

Re: Rear Wheel Carrier

Interesting idea, I have lifted one of those tyres/rims onto the roof and I don't know if I'd like 40 odd kilos swinging like a big lever off the back of the chassis.

I imagine when you are towing the goldsteam you have more than 40 kilos hanging on the towbar, which is attached to the ummmm.........the back of the chassis :wink:

I like the second spare carrier just goes to show that there is always another way to do just about anything.

Cheers Andrew

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

Re: Rear Wheel Carrier

I imagine when you are towing the goldsteam you have more than 40 kilos hanging on the towbar, which is attached to the ummmm.........the back of the chassis :wink:

True but the weight is lower down and not acting like a fuclrum

[rabs Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close rabs]

Re: Rear Wheel Carrier

Sleeky

great job. Can you post a picture or two of bottom bracket and where it attaches to the chasis?

[foxclan Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close foxclan]

Re: Rear Wheel Carrier

The existing spare is used as an anchor to stop the second spare from falling down and a pin prevents it from inadvertently jumping off. Most of the weight is born by the tow bar and a new bracket which utilises two existing threaded chassis holes and an additional horizontal bolt which is welded through a third hole in the chassis. The whole lot can be installed and removed in about 5 minutes.

Looks like a good solution there Sleeky.
I was wondering if there was much movement between the two wheels, as one is mounted to the door/body and the second mounted mainly to the chassis. Thinking of the body moving on the rubber mounting blocks independently to the chassis. Much movement between the chassis mounted bull bar and the body at the front of the Prado.
Looks a heck of a lot easier than heaving the spare onto the roof rack.
Cheers Troy

[sleeky Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close sleeky]

Re: Rear Wheel Carrier

Rabs, I will try and get some time this weekend to pop it on and take some photos of the bracket when in place.

Troy, I guess it must move in relation to the spare but I didn't notice anything. I have watched it in the rear view mirror when driving but it must be too small to notice. After 4500 kms there were no marks on the spare to indicate that it was a problem. There doesn't seem to be any adverse impact on the rear door and I wouldn't expect there to be as most of the weight is on the tow bar and bracket. Compared to a full bumper replacement with 2 spares mounted on it, it must also be significantly lighter and easier on the chassis. That's my assessment anyway.

Regards
Neil