The Toyota Landcruiser Owners Club

DaveWall · Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2019 6:14 Post subject: Rear Wheel Hanger

Has anyone ever seen any figure for max weight you can mount on the spare wheel hanger?

I'm mounting a bike rack on mine and just wondering if I should reinforce the mount to rear door bolts, I've not looked inside the rear door but suspect they are just captive nuts welded to slightly thicker part of the inside of the door skin... has anyone else use the mount for extra items and checked this?

Google · Sponsor

Roger Fairclough · Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2019 20:52 Post subject:

Hi Dave.

It's not just the bolts, it's the hinges that take the pounding.

Personally, I would consider using a bracket mounted on the tow bracket.

Roger

DaveWall · Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2019 20:59 Post subject:

Yeah I've made two in the past with tow bar mounts, but it's so handy to be able to open the rear door with the bikes on....

I'm thinking while it's shut it's pretty strong... Perhaps the trick is to counter balance the weight and mount a toolbox on the inside of the door LoL

Roger Fairclough · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2019 11:29 Post subject:

I saw with my own eyes the remnants of two bikes that had broken away from the bike rack mounted on the back of a Volvo estate. It's not just the static weight of the rack and the bike/s that is the problem but the swaying and juddering of the complete package that could promote metal fatigue with sudden and catastrophic failure of the mountings. Sorry if I sound unduly morbid but this idea worries me.

Roger

DaveWall · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2019 13:00 Post subject:

I know where you are coming from - I'm not going to strap a Halfords Special dodge rack with half hearted clips on the back and bounce it down the road...

Appropriately thought out, I don't see any problem - for example, your wheels don't fall off... your bumpers don't fall off... the windows don't fall out... etc etc just need to be fixed securely for the weight...

I have seen cookers/jacks and all sorts mounted on the spare wheel hangers, just got to secure correctly and strengthen anything that needs to be uprated, I did think I could even beef up the rear door hinge pins, but really can't see it needing it while the door is shut!

Did the Volvo loose the entire rear door, or was the bike rack just a bit naff/not fitted right?

Roger Fairclough · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2019 15:43 Post subject:

The rack appeared to be the sort you hang on the rear door and then use straps to pull it tight. What I saw was the mangled remains of 2 bikes in various pieces plus the remains of the carrier. The driver was lucky that no one hit any of the bits or the result could have been carnage.

My own rack I built from 50mm and 25mm RHS and is strong enough to bounce up and down on but then I always had a tendency to go OTT>

Roger

DaveWall · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2019 20:09 Post subject:

Yeah they are terrible - a few bounces and the strap on hooks come off and say goodbye to the bikes!

The spare wheel mount one I made physically bolts to the large bolt mounted to the middle of the hanger (the one you wind a wheel nut onto to hole the spare wheel cover), I machined a boss to bolt on to it with a frame welded off the boss sat against the tyre wall in two places too, so very firm and the tyre takes the 'sting' out of any bounce too so even less likely for the rack itself to fatigue... but now wanting to put more bikes on (kids), I have welded a safety bar upwards and fitted a welded bracket with a ratchet loop permanently attached to the rack and round the entire spare wheel, I'm 100% sure this is all good enough to keep everything attached (I have put my entire weight on it already), I'm just not 100% sure what weight the spare wheel hanger can take before peeling off the door... quite a lot I suspect but I may reinforce it anyway...

DaveWall · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2019 20:10 Post subject:

I'm sure some of the Surfs had a swing away spare wheel hanger didn't they???

Roger Fairclough · Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2019 9:00 Post subject:

There are two types of swing away carriers, those mounted on a pivot mounted on the bumper or the type that bolts to the bodywork. Either type needs strengthening of the surrounding metal.

How about a trailer? Very Happy

Roger