Bumper mounted spare issue

[0rion]

Last summer coming back from VA Beach we had a really close call with the spare. I stopped for lunch and fuel and did my usual walk around and noticed the spare looked funny. On closer inspection the bumper had partially torn away from the mounts. I know those bumpers are weak but everything I've read said a spare would be fine on it and I even emailed KZ and asked them about it. Evidently not. I can't imagine the damage that bumper and spare would've done had it came all the way off and hit someone. I took the spare off and carried it in the camper until we got home.

After we got home I broke out the welder and welded the bumper back on. The problem I have now is what to do with this spare. I'm really not looking forward to wagging this thing around in the back of the truck all year. I have stuff already in the bed and it'll be a huge inconvenience in there. I also don't really want to carry it inside the camper. I'm just not sure how much I trust that thing on the bumper now. I've briefly considered trying to figure out a way to beef up that bumper to the support but the issue is the welds aren't what broke....the bumper itself started ripping away so reinforcing the bumper to the mount isn't really going to help that. Any ideas on what I can do here?

[MnTom]

I had the same problem about eight years ago with mine. I welded everything back together then used some 1/8" steel to make some gussets that went on top and the bottom of the bumper where it attaches to the frame. Once I welded those on the bumper is still solid even with the tire hanging on it.

[0rion]

That's kinda what I was thinking about doing and maybe even doing a 90 degree on either side of the support to the bumper. I figured if I tacked enough metal to it something would hold haha. Just not sure if I can trust it again. I was thinking about making a tire holder that goes under the camper behind the axles. Would be a pain to get out if I ever needed it but frankly if I'm getting the spare out I'm having a pretty terrible day to begin with so what's one more step.

[clifford j]

Hi ORION, putting the spare under sounds good. Go to a salvage yard and get a spare tire assembly from a mini van or such. They have a cable and crank system. That would be quite easy to adapt. Crank the tire up ,crank it down.

CLIFF

[hondavalk]