CK5
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Valley Spare Tire Carrier
- Thread starter 2toneZ
- Start date
I've always been curious about these, even had one or two, but never had all the bits. The J-hook up top, is it threaded on the other end, goes through one of the lug holes to hold the wheel in place?
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Thanks for posting these up. Is that 1" tube diameter? Maybe a close up of the latch mechanism? Thanks again!
runamok151
1 ton status
You should temporarily unbolt the backing plate for those corner brackets and take pics so people can see them. The top one may be especially of interest since very few on here have seen one. It has the long wire hanging down so you can fish it up the body panel to line up the holes .
The Hickey one is very similar, and I've liberated a picture from the website of the folks who currently use that name...
The inner brackets you're talking about are indeed very important to avoid sheetmetal damage.
The inner brackets you're talking about are indeed very important to avoid sheetmetal damage.
2toneZ
Registered Member
I looked at pulling out a bracket, or sneeking a pic in place ... how do you access them? They are inside a structural channel at the corner of the body. Do they get fished up from outside the body between the interior sheetmetal and the outside quarter panel? The rig should be gone tomorrow.
2toneZ
Registered Member
Tube is 1.250"
runamok151
1 ton status
The Hickey one is very similar, and I've liberated a picture from the website of the folks who currently use that name...
The inner brackets you're talking about are indeed very important to avoid sheetmetal damage.
That's a direct copy of the VI carrier. I wonder it they bought the copyright? They're nuts charging $600 for it. For a few $ more you can buy an HD rear bumper w/ a built in carrier. That thing should be half that price.
I made 2 changes to mine.
1) I cut 4 washers out of a plastic milk jug and stacked two between the arm and bracket at each hinge. Made it open/ close much easier.
2) The single bolt to hold the tire on wasn't enough. It let the bottom of the tire bounce around and shake the whole carrier/ tailgate. I was always worried it would pop the latch and let the carrier swing out while driving. I drilled a hole below the L-bracket and used a 2nd bolt to hold down the bottom half of the wheel.
Is the sheet metal cracking as a result of the carrier?
Usually is. Look at the gate in his pic. Just to the left you'll see a vertical crack from the weather strip down. Don't get me wrong most tailgates develop a crack on both sides, but not like that one. That's from carrying the weight when the carrier is in the closed position.
I like the idea but I wouldn't put much over a 33" tire on it. That's pushing it too.
Would adding a piece of sheet steel on the inside of the tailgate where everything bolts up help distribute the load and prevent cracking like that?
runamok151
1 ton status
I had the usual cracks at the corners of my tailgate when I bought my truck. I had the carrier on for 20 years and the cracks never got any bigger.
There's a piece that goes across the top of the tailgate to spread the load. Look at his 7th and 8th pic. There was something inside for a backing plate but I don't remember if it was as substantial as the corner bracket. Might just have been washers and nuts. Things are tighter w/ the window glass in the way.
