Swing-away rear bumper WITHOUT a tire mount?

[SOAZ]

I don’t know if you even still check this. But for your water cans did you just cut a hole a put tap in it?

Yep, I was sure it was a bad idea, but I was leaving on a trip so I cut the hole a bit too small, used some silicone and screwed in the brass tap. That was 2008 or so and it's never leaked so I just keep using it. ?

 

[knoxswift]

Aluminess also makes bumpers with dual swing aways...with or without a tire carrier.

X2 on aluminess

 

[Trestle]

Another option to consider if going custom is to have the swing away portion not removable, but very low with some type of lug system that allows different upper attachments to be added, changed, or taken off of it. Keep the heavy duty build where it is needed at the hinge and latching mechanism. There could be some vertical holes (lugs), where various uppers could slide vertically down into the swinging support arm and be pinned or bolted in place. Think of how modular a 2" hitch is, and replicate that in a vertical direction with lugs that don't have the play associated with 2" receivers and inserts. The bumper arm would have to have a specified weight limit that it was designed for.

The down side to this, is of course that your rear weight is always changing with each configuration. Without an adjustable airbag on the rear suspension, you may run high or low in the rear end with various configurations.

 

[jonnypage]

Here is what i have just finished

 

[TundraStewy]

11 years later….lol…..how did you build the swing out to go through the bumper clevises? If you’re still active I’d be interested to learn how you made that work.

 

[Regcabguy]

Just sort of daydreaming/wasting time here, but I've often wondered if anybody was running (or making) a swing-away rear bumper without a tire mount?

Reason I ask is that I like the looks of some of the tube or plate bumpers with swing aways, but to be honest, I'm fine with having my spare under the rear of the truck where it is now. I don't run seriously oversized tires (265/75/16, or 10.5" x 31" if you prefer non-metric) so I see no need to "reinvent the wheel."

However, it has occurred to me that some stuff - namely fuel but also water - could be stored as effectively (or more effectively) outside the vehicle rather than in.

The other issue with having the spare mounted on the swing away is the neccessity to have it even during around-town driving.

So my big question is, what would it take (besides money!) to make a rear bumper with (1) A double swing-away that could carry, say, 2 standard 5 gallon NATO fuel cans and maybe a high-lift jack, and (2) be removable so that the swing-away portions could be taken off when not needed (like for daily-driver duties.)

The first part seems easy, since most of the swing-aways I've seen are custom built, just have it built with the gas can compartments in lieu of a tire carrier. But the second part - being able to remove it and reinstall it later for use - seems trickier. Are there hinges that have some kind of quick-release or quick-detach feature?

I've always felt carrying fuel on the bumper is a recipe for disaster. I got rear ended at 50 mph and am glad there wasn't anything flammable back there.

 

[Martinjmpr]

I've always felt carrying fuel on the bumper is a recipe for disaster. I got rear ended at 50 mph and am glad there wasn't anything flammable back there.

And yet...people have been doing it for decades. ?‍♂️





Yes, in a perfect world this wouldn't be necessary. But we don't live in a perfect world and if you need to carry fuel, you need to carry fuel - not carrying fuel isn't really an option for you.

Is it ideal? Well, the question is, compared to what? Carrying it on the roof? The side? The front? Inside the passenger compartment? Or just going without fuel?

Between all those choices, I'd say carrying fuel on the back of a vehicle is probably the "least bad" option.

And yes, there ought to be some kind of award for how far back you are quoting a message. The one above from me that you quoted was 11 years and 6 vehicles ago.