Spare Tire

[Dan33]

Is it okay to run with weight of spare tire on cotter pins? I just pulled spare for first time to replace with a new 225/75/R15 tire. I have a 2009 2720 and stickers (rear corner on the driver side wall of the front shell) show correct tire size is 225/75/R15 (and this is what I have installed now), but it seems the 15' spare is too big to get the bracket over the other one so weight sits on the bracket. Also I believe the PO ran an additional gas line which also makes it hard to wedge tire up.

I've read about various mods to lower spare holder, but the spare was 10 years old and seems to have held up this way no problem. It does show marks from spare holder but it came down easily enough. Not super handy and the mods seem to require a bit of ingenuity. Is it risk to keep running this way? .

 

[Shane826]

I feel like I’ve seen this movie before…

 

[rickst29]

NO! The carrier "crossbar" musr be ABOVE the supporting frame welded L-bar.

You need this modification to the extend the height of the carrier's vertical side arms, so that the crossbar can ride ABOVE the supporting L-bar which was welded to the frame.

With the modification done, the pinned drop-in "bolts" pins don't carry any weight at all - they only keep the carrier crossbar in place above the L-bar support, by assuring the holes stay lined up.

 

[Bill-TMO]

I would not even consider supporting the rack with cotter pins. Your photo shows why. The sharp edges of the rack have distorted and nearly sheared the pins.

Like many things, it is a cost / benefit tradeoff.
If the pins hold, what do you get? A little convenience.
If the pins fail, what do you get? A lot of damage to your TM, much of it likely unrepairable. Plus whatever happens to the car behind you. Big stuff.

The question of how to handle the issue has come up in at least three threads on this Forum. Let me see if I can find them. In the meantime, Rick's solution is a really good one.

Bill

Start with these. They have a lot of good cross references within them.

https://www.trailmanorowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17639
https://www.trailmanorowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17611
https://www.trailmanorowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13525
https://www.trailmanorowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9785

 

[Shrimpburrito]

The spare tire rubbing up against that propane line doesn't look good....check for wear on the propane line.

Dave

 

[Dan33]

The spare tire rubbing up against that propane line doesn't look good....check for wear on the propane line.

Dave

Thanks Dave, great point. I checked and looks like it is all good. Still haven't figured out how to use the low pressure propane split line for a gas grill but at least there were no rub marks from the spare!

 

[Dan33]

Thanks all for the advice. Definitely avoided a disaster, I have added two Grade 8 1.5 inch hex bolts bolts with washers and nylock nuts until I can see about having an extension welded on!

 

[Wavery]

Thanks all for the advice. Definitely avoided a disaster, I have added two Grade 8 1.5 inch hex bolts bolts with washers and nylock nuts until I can see about having an extension welded on!

Suggestion.........

That looks like an awkward set-up that might require 3 hands to secure.

You might want to permanently secure those bolts to the lower or upper bracket with a nut & lock washer. That way, you can lift the rack in to place with one hand and put a nut on the bolt sticking through the hole.

 

[Dan33]

It did (2 hands and a leg) . Your suggestion makes sense , thanks!

 

[Viprjoe]

This is not the way mine is installed. The tire rack sits on top of the angle iron and the pins are only there to keep the rack from sliding out not to keep it from dropping down.

 

[Wavery]

This is not the way mine is installed. The tire rack sits on top of the angle iron and the pins are only there to keep the rack from sliding out not to keep it from dropping down.

Yes...... That is the way that it comes from the factory and it works well with the stock tire.

If you want to upgrade to larger tires, the assembly in the pic above will give you more room.