GoWesty Vano Swing Arm Installed--Spare tire on rear

[El Brujo]

I just finished installing the re-designed rear swing arm from GoWesty and chose the tire mount option (basket for gas cans etc. also fits on the swing arm). All in all it's a good kit and installation was fairly straight forward.

Installing required drilling holes in the GoWesty bumper, and modifying the bumper slightly to allow for the latch hook, which was too large to fit between bumper and body. Took about two hours (not counting hunting down appropriate drill bit and grinding bit for my drill at Home Depot).

One problem I encountered was that the strut mount (a brass ball-on-a-bolt) required a 5/16" hole drilled through the top of the bumper and was fastened from beneath with a lock nut. But my bumper (one of the earlier GoWesty versions) was completely sealed off and I had no access to the bolt from beneath. So I had to drill a large hole--big enough to slide a 13mm socket on a long extension up into the dead space inside the bumper to fit the lock nut to secure the mount. My smallest socket required a 3/4" hole--larger than all of my steel bits, so I bought a 1/2" bit and reamed it out with a grinder attachment. I suppose GoWesty didn't foresee this problem and made no mention of it in the instructions. So beware if you're thinking of mounting this swing arm--check your bumper before ordering!

I'll upload some pics of the details as soon as I figure out how to do this in the forums.

[danfromsyr]

Sounds good and not too painful of an install. would be good to see pics too. we like pics.


for your drilling & hole size issues I'd suggest next time/anyone to buy the cheap 2 or 3 pack of Stepdrills at harbor feight.
http://www.harborfreight.com/3-piece-titanium-nitride-coated-high-speed-steel-step-drills-91616.html

I use the heck out of them and rarely use regular drillbits anymore..
they've worn well with countless times of abuse. a very good investment for the $$ to any handymans kit.

best

Dan in NY
_________________

[joseph928]

sounds good I like go westy, they did my eng. lites ,trans. sup. wheels tires drive shaft shocks but! I dont like there rack,the only way to go is Gary Lee. People need to look at both and then make up your mind
_________________
1987 syncro westy tin top sun roof , GW2.3, rear locker, decoupler, Gary Lee tire rack & winch mount, lift, south african grill, big brakes , rhein alloy ,15 BFG AT, Fiamma 10 foot awning ,140 watt rear 85 watt front solar , mppt, truckfridge, automatic fire extinguishing system, tencent oil cooler, And a RMW SS exhaust! - 1971 bug convertible 1776 engine- 2010 Subaru turbo - 1993 Toyota 4x4 truck - 1999 Harley 95 CI, big bore, Andrews cams . Also 80-84- vans. Stock 65 sunroof bug.

[Jon_slider]

I look forward to a test report, and pictures with a spare tire installed, of that GW tire carrier..

sounds like the tire sits on a post that is only attached at the base.. they mention no body connection.. sounds like there will be a lot of leverage from the tire hanging at the end of an unsupported post..

Gary lee is entirely based on connecting to the body, it does not matter what bumper you have.. but Gary Lee costs 3 times what the GW costs..

Burley makes a body attached swing away also, costs almost half of a gary lee..

Rocky Mountain Westy also makes a bumper mounted tire carrier, but it DOES use a connection to the body as well. It can be made to fit the GW bumper as well as the RMW bumpers..

imho, a body mounted tire carrier is more sturdy because it anchors the load of the tire to both the body and the latch connection.. not just the latch connection like GW is doing, leaving the vertical post unsupported..

[syncrodoka]

I believe that Burley has gotten out of making tire carriers, at least that is what he told me last time I talked to him. He may have changed his mind since then I dunno.

[rubbachicken]

pictures ?
_________________
lucy our westy

lucy's BIG adventure

meet 'burni'


markswagen {mobile mechanic} san diego area all early VW's cared for.

619 201 0310 or 617 935 4182

[shepherdsond]

Yes pictures would be great, particularly of the bumper mounting. I have a home made steel C channel bumper and it looks like the GW swing away might fit with a few holes drilled. If so this would make it a bargain price wise compared to the alternatives.
TIA

[Jedi]

Pics Pics pics?????
_________________
1961 Westfalia SO23 Mango Green/Seagull grey
1961 Westfalia SO34 T/BW
1961 Westfalia SO34 SWR
1964 Westfalia SO33 pearl white
1965 Westfalia SO42 Velvet green
1986 Syncro Wolfram grey with black int GL
1986 Syncro Doka
1987 Syncro Sevana beige Adventurewagen
1987 syncro Sevana beige GL
1973 Pumpkin orange Thing
2 1963 Rag top bug's
1965 Manx
1970 Single cab
1971 combi
1990 Vanagon GL
2007 Audi A4 3.2L quattro

[El Brujo]

It looks like I have to post my pics to the "Gallery" section then link to them somehow. Seems like a back-asswards way of doing it but I'll do it as soon as I can.

[El Brujo]

OK. Here's a few pics of the install.

Here's where the mounting bolt holes are drilled through the bumper.

A third hole is drilled horizontally below the bracket.

The Swing Arm swung.

I had to grind a small semicircle in the leading top edge of the bumper to allow for the latch hook to fit between the bumper and the body. It also serves as a notch for the hook to fit into--a little more secure.

I also ground down the length of the latch hook so it would fit easier.

And here's the 3/4" hole I drilled and ground out in the bottom of the bumper so I could fit the 13mm socket and extension through up into the dead space of the bumper to secure the strut. I need to paint it or something to rust-proof it as its in a vulnerable spot.

So far it is a stable mount--the tire fits securely and does not move while on the road. My one concern is that the latch might come unhooked if I hit a good bump and the strut would swing the tire out to the left side of the van. I am considering some sort of safety lock on the latch to prevent this unlikely, but potentially disastrous, possibility.
Hope these pics help. Let me know if I can add to this in any way.

[shepherdsond]

That is great, thanks. Can you give me the vertical distance between the top mounting bolts and the bottom mounting bolt? I am not sure my bumper is wide enough (in the vertical dimension). I imagine the latch can fairly easily be adapted to different configurations/widths.
Thanks

[El Brujo]

Top of the bumper to the center of the lower bolt is about 5 3/4"

[shepherdsond]

Thanks,
Mine is only 5" so it would not work without modification.n

[shepherdsond]

How easy is it to remove this rack? Can you just unbolt the spindle?

[Steelhead]

out of curiosity, did you go this route because the wheel/tire combo didn't fit in a modified clamshell? Or some other reason?
_________________
'77 Bay Window / '89 Caratsburg (aka. the Stormtrooper)

[GWTWTLW]

Looks like you got a little too close to your license plate with the grinder...

I think I'm going to order one of these as well. Seems to be the most affordable solution that doesn't require holes in the body...
_________________
89 Syncro Westy - GW 2.5, now with a double knob job
@gwtwtlw

[The Raven]

For you folks who are a bit handy and want to avoid the GW crazy pricing.

http://www.atozfabrication.com/store/Tire-Carrier-Components/

I'm having a custom tow bumper done up this spring and will be incorporating in this carrier.

[cprwalker]

[quote="El Brujo"]I just finished installing the re-designed rear swing arm from GoWesty and chose the tire mount option (basket for gas cans etc. also fits on the swing arm). All in all it's a good kit and installation was fairly straight forward.

How do you like the set up? I ended up getting both the tire mount and the tray arm. I like this system. I'm able to move the tire from the roof rack to the back, no holes in the body, and cost (initial 25% off).

Before I purchased it I had to make sure that the arms would clear my hitch mounted bike rack.

Haven't tested it much, since my VC went out a week after I mounted it.
_________________
cwalk
1986 Vanagon Syncro
1981 Vanagon Westfalia
1971 Super Beetle

[burleymotorsports]

[Jon_slider]

suggestion to Burley, GW, and Gary Lee:

make the tire swing stop as close to the straight back postion as will allow the hatch to open.

in the following photo you can see that in a parking lot, with a car on the driver side of the van, opening the swing out, will interfere with the parked car exiting the parking space.

here is where my Gary Lee stops.. also too far open imho:

I would like the tire swing to stop about here:

I think the use of a mini shock to hold the carrier open is a great idea.