[zachv]

We sell a bunch of our current Tire Carrier Hinge Kits and they are a great product for the money. At this point we see about a 1% failure rate where the spindle cracks where the fabricator welds the unit in.

We have had some engineers working on a custom spindle made from improved materials and with a better design, but the cost would be raised about $15 per kit. The nice thing about the single shear design is the ease of building from it and I think the current design is so close to working that a beefier spindle is all that is needed. The current bearings never fail, the outer tube works great for building off of, and the parts are easy to find.

Anyway, the question to you DIY fabbers out there: Would you pay an extra $15 for a tire carrier hinge kit if you know the spindle would not break and it had some design elements that made installing a kit easier? Please post up with your thoughts.

Thanks, Jeep Forum!

[rustywrangler]

What would be the rating on it??? I wouldn't mind a 1500lb rating. It seems the 1000lb rating ones do have a failure from time to time. An HD spindle for $60 is not bad IMHO.

[timatoe]

Agreed, an extra $15's not bad, at least it's not double like some other places.

[TiredOldMan]

Simple answer yes.

Simple question is when will you have them ready to ship?

Thanks

[Scotch740]

Probably.

How much larger would the spindle base be?

Will you have them ready to order by May? I think I will be starting my rear bumper shortly after that.

[Scotch740]

Ok Zach, Im ready to order your Mega Spindle.
Can you give us some dimensions on it?
Is the outer tube the same 2.25"?
What is it rated to?

PMing you also so others can find this thread. I had forgotten about it.

Looks beefier.

[chet44]

The rear bumper I am building is 6" tall. Do you have a spindle with a 6" long tail instead of 4" ? I want to weld it top and bottom. if not, I suppose I could add an extension.

[jgorm]

hell yeah. I have looked at the spindles that they sell for fabbing bumpers, and they are all weak. I was thinking about using a trailer spindle rated for 3000lbs or something crazy like that. I want to be able to swing around on the end of the swing out without breaking or bending anything.
Easy spindle, 2600lb rating

http://www.etrailer.com/pc-S~R50342EZ.htm

[Scotch740]

Originally Posted by jgorm

hell yeah. I have looked at the spindles that they sell for fabbing bumpers, and they are all weak. I was thinking about using a trailer spindle rated for 3000lbs or something crazy like that. I want to be able to swing around on the end of the swing out without breaking or bending anything.
Easy spindle, 2600lb rating

http://www.etrailer.com/pc-S~R50342EZ.htm

ha, except that wouldn't fit in a 2" wide bumper.


A =2.25
B = 2.24
C =1.74
D =1.25
E =1.00
F =3.00

But yeah thats BEEF!

[gabriel05]

I'd buy one for sure. I don't want to be that 1% that has the tire carrier fall off.

[Scotch740]

Guys,
He already has them for sale so I don't think hes surveying us anymore.

I am just trying to see the size difference on the "B" and "C" Dimensions and the dimension of the tube the carrier is welded to.

Standard Carrier dimensions.


If you would buy them go here and do so.
http://www.atozfabrication.com/store/catalog/Tire-Carrier-Swingout-Heavy-Duty-Hinge-Kit-p-16138.html

Originally Posted by A to Z

BENEFITS OF THE MEGA-DUTY HINGE KIT:

* 1 ½” Spindle Main Diameter Compared to 1 ¼”
* 20% Stronger w/ Greater Weld Surface
* Higher Grade of CNC-Machined Steel for Better Welding & Carrier Rigidity
* Longer to fit a 5” Tall Bumper - Weld Both Top & Bottom
* Machined Radius to Relieve Stress Risers


DESIGNED FOR:

* Tire carriers built for 35"- 39" Tires
* Carriers Built with Jerry Can Mounts or Cargo Racks
* Tall 5" Bumper Bodies
* Anyone Wanting a Super Beefy Tire Carrier Hinge Assembly

[Scotch740]

Ok I just spoke to Zach about the Mega Spindle and here is what I found out.

-They use the same outer tube, and the same bearings as the standard spindle.
-They increased the "A" dimension in the above photo to 1.5" and the "F" dimension to 5".
-They also added a radius between the A and B sections in the above photo which he thinks was a 1/8" radius.
-All other dimensions are the same.
-They changed the material to cold rolled 1018 steel.

Most of that he has on their site. But I wanted to see exactly what the additional $20 was getting.

His recommendations were to mount a brace between the tailgate and the tire carrier to help prevent the carrier from vibrating and causing strain on the hinge. He also stated the importance of a latch that does not allow the carrier to shake around.

They have been using the mega spindle on their bumpers for 2 months and did not mention any failures. He did say most the previous failures involved people landing on rocks, larger tires, or insufficient latches.

Most of this we have heard before but it cant hurt to post it again.

I would have like to see the "B" dimension increased, but from some of my engineering classes, know the huge benefit of adding the radius to relieve stress.

Seams like the best complete spindle for the price.

[zachv]

Thanks, Scotch740. I have been lacking with info and generally posting anything lately. All I can say is Thank God we are busy.

The new Mega spindles (blame my Marketing Manager for the name) seem to be the real deal. We have a few that have been getting abused and they do not seem to flinch. So far we went through the first batch of 20 and I get the new batch of 40 in tomorrow. Without proper testing I can only estimate, but I think the material change is the biggest benefit. We made them longer, like mentioned, but that was mostly so I did not have to explain to customers how to secure a 4" shaft inside a 5" tall bumper any longer. The thicker welding diameter and the radius are icing on the cake. The weight difference in these is pretty significant compared to the standard spindle.

Check 'em out.

[Unlimited04]

the weldable area needs to be 5.5-6" or so. My bumper is 2x5", and I'd rather have to grind 1/2" off after welding than try to fill a 1/2" gap.

[Bigbob]

Originally Posted by Scotch740

Looks beefier.

Not trying to be a pain in the butt, but the 2 spindles above look the same to me. Looks like the same 1" bearings and 1,000 rating. Are we thinking the added meat in the area the spindle welds in will help? I think most failures have been from heat checking at the top weld at the bumper. I don't see how increasing the diameter will prevent this. Maybe it will, I just don't see it. Most failures I have read about or seen have been in the same area. Right where the spindle was welded into the bumper. My suggestion is to not weld it in. If the welding is gonna weaken it possibly, don't do it. It is just as easy to weld a sleeve into the bumper and slide the spindle into the sleeve and tighten a couple set-screws. I also suggest if you do weld in the spindle to pre-heat the spindle. I think that may help with the checking/cracking.