DangerBoy's 4Runner carrier

Once you have had to change a tire on the trail using the floor mounted spare you quickly realize that there must be a better way especially if your lift is frozen with rust... After one such excursion I decided that it was time for a tire carrier so as soon as I had finished my bumper I started scab-ing one together. The design came mostly from my head with ideas from about 10 other carriers mixed in for good measure. The parts for the carrier where mostly scrounged from various unrelated scrap items and some left over 1-1/4 square tube I had laying around. The hinge for the bumper is a 1-1/4' shaft that rides in a tube with brass bushings on the bumper; for the moment all that really holds it in place is weight although I have desgned it to have a retaining bolt and washer threaded in from the bottom. On the latch side I have installed a "keeper" on the bumper. All this is is a channel that the end of the actual carrier slides into to keep it from moving up and down while latched. The latch is a home brew but it works great and doesn't rattle at all. the only real down fall that I can find is that I seem to have some flex front to rear with the

spare mounted but this is only with EXTREME bouncing. I think the solution to this is to reinforce the tube at the hinge (the hinge doesnt move but the long base tube does have some deflection in it) and I will be remounting the tire 3" lower than it is currently to reduce the mechanical advantage of the flex. In the process of building this carrier and bumper I can see where I could have designed it stronger and better and I already have plans for another (read: better, stronger, more versitile) one at a later date when I build my new wrap around bumper design. I think the only thing that could really use a change is the hinge; not that its not strong enough, I just want to make it so it can not lift up and I think the solution to that is a trailer stub axle that is slightly modified for use as a hinge.