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Spare Tire Mount and Laptop Mount
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Dogpilot
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Location: Flagstaff, AZ
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 5:13 pm    Post subject: Spare Tire Mount and Laptop Mount Reply with quote

So, as I have been messing up the garage, I decided to finish up two little projects:

When I put the GoWesty 16" wheels and the Smallcar rear disks on the Syncro, I have been spareless. I found a 16" Passat steel rim with a mounted, new, Michelin tire, for $50 on eBay. After I adjusted the center hole a bit (used my metal stretching compound). I realized it would in no way fit the old spare tire clamshell mount. The other aftermarket ones are clever, but way too pricey for what they are.

Since I have bunches of 2" webbing (it is always falling off the choo choo trains that pass through Flagstaff about 350 times a day), and a horde of sheet metal. I decided to make one with recycled material, for a total cost of about $3 (screws and nuts). IT snugs the wheel up as you tighten the normal bolt and keep the spare nestled in place nicely. Anybody with hand tools and some way to heat a 1/4" rod to melt the holes through the webbing can make this.

My other project was to make a tiny table to mount the laptop on. Since the front table is about as useful as our sitting president. Looks like it could be useful for something, but I haven't figured it out yet. I went ahead and unscrewed the flat plate mount from the table top. I cut some 3/4" poplar ply scrap to the size of my MacBook Pro 17" base, and laminated on an extra 1/4" of Poplar ply to make it 1" thick. I can hold the laptop on the table with two of the mini grip clamps. They have the soft rubber clamp face, so they do not mar the laptop.

Thats the burned out 10 year later, stoner remnants of the Scooby Doo group on a recent Venture Brothers episode shown on the laptop

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slunk33
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 6:37 pm    Post subject: I like it! Reply with quote

I was wondering if a 16" would fit in the spare tire area. The only question remains of your design is, how are you going to prevent road debris from puncturing and/or marring the tire? Maybe you could use the original clam shell half between the webbing and the tire.

I'm also looking at a way to better utilize the interior of my GL. I love how much space I have without the center seat, so I have undergone the daunting task of finding or fabricating jump seats and a table in the back. If I were to get jump seats and the brackets, how hard would it be to add them to a GL? Are the bolt holes already there?
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Dogpilot
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 6:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I thought about that as well. But after noticing that virtually every pickup truck and ford explorer has a spare that is cranked up and down out of the well in the rear and are unprotected. The other thing is the replacement mounts are just tube metal, with no protection. I was going to incorporate the clamshell in the modded design, but it was more trouble than it was worth.

I may just make a disk of either plywood (eventually to be killed by moisture) or aluminium. I just had no scrap big enough. When I do my next trip to Georgia, I have a wrecked King Air 100 behind one of the hangers that may donate some aluminium to this end.
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98 Disco I
08 Range Rover SC
08 VW Rabbit S
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Chuck77
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 7:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Why not a used vinyl tire cover from a jeep or other suv from a junk yard? It will do in the interim until you can fab up something smoother. I have seen a fiberglass one from an Isuzu Trooper that would work better than the stocker at my local U-Pull It. Some 80 grit sandpaper and some POR-15 you are in business. Just my .02
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riceye
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Every kid in Wisconsin has possessed, at one time or another, a plastic saucer made for screaming down snowy hills in winter. Cheap, durable, and easy to cut. Might work well!
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Christopher Schimke
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice job James!
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crukab
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 8:06 am    Post subject: Re: I like it! Reply with quote

[quote="slunk33] If I were to get jump seats and the brackets, how hard would it be to add them to a GL? Are the bolt holes already there?[/quote]

The Jump seats have a plate w/ a hole in it for the 2 rear legs of the seat to sit in, one for each leg, I've cut all 4 out of a Vanagon when I sold some Jump seats. There is also a bracket that goes on the back side of your front seat pedestals, its bolted on, the release knob on the J seat locks into that.
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Dogpilot
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 8:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Snow saucer! I have one in the basement, the kids wll never miss it. The vinyl cover idea is valid as well. I am hoping to make a carrier to hold my hydralic jack as well to go in the middle of the tire, that project is in the someday catagory.
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98 Disco I
08 Range Rover SC
08 VW Rabbit S
1951 O-1G
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psych-illogical
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 8:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice job Dog. I'd like to see more detail on how you are able to cinch the strap tight enough to keep the tire secure. The laptop table is really nice too. I'm just waiting with baited breath for the questions to start rolling in about your special metal stretching compound Wink
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Dogpilot
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 8:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The method I used to make the straps tighten, was to use a large angle iron. The strap is a bit on the short side. So when the angle is in place and you start screwing the bolt in it tightens the straps by tilting forward to set square on the body member.

I thought everybody used Metal Stretching Compound. Its made by the same folks that make Panel Grow. If you cut a panel too short, you paint it on the edge and it grows a bit. Available from Diagon Alley online.
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Geology with a Syncro rocks!
86 Syncro Westy AKA "The Bughunter"
98 Disco I
08 Range Rover SC
08 VW Rabbit S
1951 O-1G
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MarkWard
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 31, 2012 2:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Where did the pictures go?
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buildyourown
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 31, 2012 2:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

IIIRC, the OP has sold his van. Likely the pics aren't hosted anymore.
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hiram6
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 31, 2012 3:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Awww, a Dogpilot thread revived. Amazed that his van didn't go to a member of this forum.
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