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Dogpilot Samba Member
Joined: October 03, 2005 Posts: 4205 Location: Flagstaff, AZ
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Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 5:13 pm Post subject: Spare Tire Mount and Laptop Mount |
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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
_________________ 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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slunk33 Samba Member
Joined: November 28, 2004 Posts: 326 Location: Tacoma, WA
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Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 6:37 pm Post subject: I like it! |
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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? _________________ Current VW's:
'70 Standard Beetle Convertible, '89 Vanagon Wolfsburg (Bluestar) "Gonzo", Peg-Perego Magica
Former VW's:
'72 Bus, '75 Bus, '78 Sunroof Bus, '87 Vanagon GL, '00 Jetta TDI (Gas companies don't miss her, but I do), '04 Passat Wagon |
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Dogpilot Samba Member
Joined: October 03, 2005 Posts: 4205 Location: Flagstaff, AZ
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Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 6:52 pm Post subject: |
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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. _________________ 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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Chuck77 Samba Member
Joined: April 05, 2007 Posts: 170 Location: Brush Prairie, WA
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Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 7:30 pm Post subject: |
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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 Samba Member
Joined: March 09, 2006 Posts: 1661 Location: Caledonia, WI
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:11 am Post subject: |
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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! _________________ '87 Westy Weekender - daily driver on salt-free roads
There's gonna be some changes made.
“I find that things usually go well right up until the moment they don't.” - Ahwahnee
"Quality isn't method. It's the goal toward which the method is aimed." - Socrates, later quoted by R.M. Pirsig |
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Christopher Schimke Samba Member
Joined: August 03, 2005 Posts: 5391 Location: PNW
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:51 am Post subject: |
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Nice job James! _________________ "Sometimes you have to build a box to think outside of." - Bruce (not Springsteen)
*Custom wheel hardware for Audi/VW, Porsche and Mercedes wheels - Urethane Suspension Bushings*
T3Technique.com or contact me at [email protected] |
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crukab Samba Chef
Joined: December 13, 2002 Posts: 6116 Location: Vermont
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 8:06 am Post subject: Re: I like it! |
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[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. _________________ Tom
My Pops:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=604100&highlight=
I know you will always be with me, rest in peace with no more pain. 8/13/14.....
In the yard right now:
'51 Dodge 5 window truck
'65 Bug
'66 Singlecab
'82 Rabbit Truck Diesel from CALI
'86 Doublecab W/T
'91 Vanagon carat/wolfsbrg.Tiico
'88 Dodge Ram pickup
'11 Jetta Wagon |
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Dogpilot Samba Member
Joined: October 03, 2005 Posts: 4205 Location: Flagstaff, AZ
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 8:18 am Post subject: |
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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. _________________ 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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psych-illogical Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2004 Posts: 1181 Location: AZ
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 8:24 am Post subject: |
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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 _________________ 83 1/2 Westy waterboxer
'57 Beetle-sold
Coupla '81 BMW motorcycles (R80G/S; R100RS)
'96 BMW R1100GS |
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Dogpilot Samba Member
Joined: October 03, 2005 Posts: 4205 Location: Flagstaff, AZ
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 8:40 am Post subject: |
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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. _________________ 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 Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2005 Posts: 17154 Location: Retired South Florida
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Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2012 2:12 pm Post subject: |
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Where did the pictures go? _________________ ☮️ |
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buildyourown Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2009 Posts: 1668 Location: Seattle
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Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2012 2:44 pm Post subject: |
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IIIRC, the OP has sold his van. Likely the pics aren't hosted anymore. |
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hiram6 Samba Member
Joined: September 29, 2006 Posts: 1880 Location: Beautiful South
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Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2012 3:28 pm Post subject: |
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Awww, a Dogpilot thread revived. Amazed that his van didn't go to a member of this forum. _________________ 1985 Westy, 1.9L automatic (Daisy)
1996 Mazda Miata
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited
You can't lie around on the beach and drink rum all day.................unless you start first thing in the morning. |
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