Spare Tire Sheared off Alminess Swing Gate

[This old va]

Dude you are so lucky do you have any idea what a rim and tire going through a windshield of a car could have done to a family?
And you're right if you put that in your van you strap that thing down I had to stop once in a hurry and a toolbox came all the way through and punctured the passenger seat if somebody had been sitting in that it probably would have broke their back if it hit him in the head it would have killed them... I never drive in a van ever ever with anything they can become a projectile especially in a van because accidents are so much easier to incur, and the rollover is almost inevitable.

Now I know that aluminum is nice and light and I totally understand the benefits, but it seems so many people want the Aluminess purely because it is trendy and expensive...gives em bragging rights.... While a very nice concept and when built right a great piece of kit.
I do find it annoying that off roading in adventure stuff has become a fashion statement... But that's me if it works for others that's fine.
But unless you've get one where you're comfortable I would be inclined to go with old school steel..... Or as you mentioned a backup with a cable lock which could also double as a theft deterrent.
Just be glad nobody got hurt your safe.....

[boywonder]

Originally Posted by Herbie

I was going to say the same thing. I would send those photos to Aluminess. Even if they don't make it right with you, it will let the shop foreman know he needs to go smack the welders around. (And the QC dept. too, if they have one.)

Exactly...Aluminess has a liability issue here....


....as would the owner of the vehicle if the spare tire causes damage/injury/death when it falls off.


When I was 19 my trailer wheels both came off (long story) as I was getting on I-95 in VA. They both crossed the median and were bouncing into oncoming traffic. Fortunately for me everyone avoided the wheels barreling down the highway at them..it was scary.


..One reason why I have an umbrella policy these days....


I've been looking for a lock/cable for my Aluminess spare tire carrier now..it's on my project list.

[shenrie]

Originally Posted by boywonder

I've been looking for a lock/cable for my Aluminess spare tire carrier now..it's on my project list.

If you don’t want the cable bouncing around a lockable hitch pin works really well. Just gotta drill a hole though the mounting plate. The pin counter sinks perfectly into the rim.

[boywonder]

Originally Posted by shenrie

If you don’t want the cable bouncing around a lockable hitch pin works really well. Just gotta drill a hole though the mounting plate. The pin counter sinks perfectly into the rim.

Brilliant.......hey wait a minute.........the mounting plate broke off too for the OP.... I was lovin' this idea for a minute....

[rallypanam]

Originally Posted by This old va

Now I know that aluminum is nice and light and I totally understand the benefits, but it seems so many people want the Aluminess purely because it is trendy and expensive...gives em bragging rights.....

The issue is not Aluminum.. it’s crappy welds. Same thing could have happened with steel. And I will also point out there are thousands of these tire carriers out there with millions of rough miles on them... and very very very few issues.

And I don’t thing people want Aluminess because it’s ‘trendy and expensive’, it’s because for many years it was the only option. There were literally no other companies making bumpers for Econolines. Many of us who ponied up would have been more than happy to pay for cheaper steel bumpers. But there was no such thing.

[grinnelljd]

This design would be so much stronger if there were holes in the plate for the two tubes to pass through. Then the weight would be borne by the tubes themselves and not the welds. They wouldn’t need to stick through the plate by much, just a half inch should be sufficient. It would also allow you to weld the plate to the tubes from both sides of the plate.

[arctictraveller]

Originally Posted by rallypanam

The issue is not Aluminum.. it’s crappy welds. Same thing could have happened with steel. And I will also point out there are thousands of these tire carriers out there with millions of rough miles on them... and very very very few issues.

I have to agree, I've driven countless miles on washboard roads that have been rough enough that I've destroyed (cooked) the Fox shocks twice, but the spare tire is still firmly attached and showing no sign of failure. Perhaps that's partly due to the fact that it's firmly in contact with the tube and can't move. Never the less, a safety cable gives me a little insurance.

Speaking of weld failure, I remember following RPA down a dirt road in Baja when I noticed one tire on his trailer wasn't turning well, or not at all, despite the fact we were moving at about 20mph. Upon inspection, we saw that the axle was no longer attached to the frame on that side and the tire was hitting the frame. Yup, weld failure, but fortunately just about everyone in Baja is a welder.............................

[boywonder]

Originally Posted by grinnelljd

This design would be so much stronger if there were holes in the plate for the two tubes to pass through. Then the weight would be borne by the tubes themselves and not the welds. They wouldn’t need to stick through the plate by much, just a half inch should be sufficient. It would also allow you to weld the plate to the tubes from both sides of the plate.

Agreed......it's always easier to redesign something than to design it in the first place.


That would take the shear loading off of the welds and allow for an additional weld....you wouldn't even need the tubes to stick past the face of the plate..fillet welds on both sides of the plate. Perhaps an improved rework for others who may suffer this failure in the future and happen to read this thread.



Aluminess has drastically changed the design of the swingarms in recent years as shown by 1der earlier in this thread....I imagine to standardize across makes/models and to be more robust....and square tubing is potentially easier to fixture/weld.

[This old va]

Awesome job dude ��!
I've been to a a fair share of my off-road events 30 years Baja and various events I've seen hundreds aif Ford vans with steel tire carriers even some Factory ones that have just been utilized.
Aluminess is certainly not the only game in town.
Albeit, many of the chase vehicles & transport and parts trucks their mounts are fabricated in house by their owners.
And don't get me started on the "trendiness of adventure vans" and all the outlandish super expensive gear and accessories.
It's at a all-time silly level right now....
Many if not most at van shows/ off-road meet ups , are plain keeping up with the Jones'es some of these rigs have never seen dirt.... I see more dirt the first 5 minutes of my day than many if not most of these folks in their flashy, spotless dirt free 80k-100+k urban adventure vans/ tricked out long travel/King shocked 4 Runner's see in a month or more
It just bugs me I guess? I suppose it's been this way for many years ..Glamis used to be just everybody with their own thing having fun and now you go out there and it's a multi thousand-dollar bling- bling contest.. just not the way I was raised to have fun that's all our family had fun and went all over the country sometimes not seeing people for days in a 1970 F250 2-wheel drive Ford with a camper... We went everywhere, later we had a plain jane Ford Bronco 4 x 4 and that took us everywhere we ever wanted to go all stock.. all Factory.

Anyways I must agree that is a totally inferior weld, and a rather poor design to boot it seems they have addressed the problem....
Can't come down too hard on them when we've got airplane companies the build aircraft that fall out of the sky.
Awesome that the owner found somebody to do such a good repair for him while on the road!
A lot of talented folks out there these days and a lot of folks willing to help each other that's one thing but it hasn't seemed to change and that's good!!
Have a great trip, enjoy yourself!!

[JonBertsch]

Hey, sorry I've been off road and without any cell service - that's a good thing!


Anyway the updated welding has held up over several trails and I'm happy with that. Super glad the guys in Panguitch were able to fix it for me.



Not getting into the van life bling thing but the guys who did the welding fix said something like "we prefer steel. Aluminum is fine, but it crunches". I took that to mean that aluminum is fine until it ... isn't.


Anyway it's a trade off - weight v strength.


I think the design could be a bit better but considering the number of known failures it's not some frequent issue so it looks like having good welds is sufficient for most activities.


Anyway, I'll add a backup attachment device so if the welds do fail at least the tire and wheel won't be floating down the highway into someone else's vehicle.


jon