Club 80-90 Forums

Sorry I am a bit late - was coming home via sardinia, mainland italy, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia, slovenia, Austria, Germany, Belgium and France. Early prototype wheel carrier did not fall off !!!!!!
Potholes in albania to swallow ford fiestas
Glad to get the camper home and the only mechanical problem was the inner lip of the brake drum shearing off and scraping against the back plate causing a very worrying noise.
Pete & Muna.

Still waiting for the price....

I'll post some pics tommorow.

As a taster. My carrier folds down, not sideways, uses the bumper mounts (straight to chassis) to fix, meaning no modifications to your van or Doka or Sika, has a spring loaded latch and a separate lock. The prototype is made from 2 and 3mm wall stainless but I can easilly make them in powder coated mild steel if people don't like the bling.

The price is looking like comparing favourably with other offerings.

This week the prototype is having a 2 bike carrying facillity added.

Oh and having a pillock in a white van reverse into it doesn't damage the carrier or wheel (As tested by the local bread van, does a fair amount of damage to a white van though) ...

If anyone wants to give it a prod I'll take it to the camp at Llanfyllin...

What were you doing Dave,reversing into that bakers van?!I do like the notion of having a bit of kit that does the job well (maybe even better-I don't know) but doesn't cost a fortune. Some of us have priorities other than syncros (heresy I know!!) and need to make our hard-earned cash go a bit further.

Not mine but ......
http://www.bluebird-type2.co.uk/Split%2 ... rparts.htm

syncropete wrote:http://www.bluebird-type2.co.uk/Split%2 ... rparts.htm

Does that one double as a chair when working on the engine? Should be handy on a bay.

i had a similar version on my bay years ago, worked ok but was very heavy to lift even with a little bay wheel and they are mounted a lot lower on a bay than you`d want to on a syncro.

i`ve spent a year trawling the net pinching and developing both mine and other people`s ideas and i think vw got it spot on with the placement and method of carrying a spare wheel or two.

Now that's a sensible price....


Here's a few pics my prototype.

There are parts that are still being worked on, hence the unpainted metal at the bumper end of things. The cross tubes from the forged steel brackets are going to be in heavier material to stiffen things up a bit.

I'll be able to Laser etch the centre disk with any artwork as of next week.

How dose it secure at the top.

Them welds or the metal is going to fracture before long

Is that thing held on by only 4 x 8mm bolts????

I take it that You are able to work out the theoretical strength of 4 M8 high tensile bolts? All four bolts are in tension with no shear forces, unlike the bolts on swing out wheel carriers.

I'm not running down your vw-esque carrier Pete. This is a different way of acheiving a similar end.

I'm not planning to tow a caravan with it, I'm planning to carry a wheel that weighs at most 30kg

The welds are deep penetrating welds done at 185 Amps on a large mig and I'd challenge you to crack them any way you fancy Andy. Why don't you check the welds on your tow bar or maybe your chassis if welds bother you that much? I plan to upgrade the cross bar steel to Heavy wall tube so that I can use more oomph for even deeper welds on the next one.

The Carrier doesn't fix at the top, it compresses a dense foam pad as you lift it to latch, this pre loads the tubing so that there is no bounce in the carrier.

The bike rack attachment incorporates a strap to the tailgate top to balance the extra loads put on the tubing by the bikes.

I appreciate all the positive feedback because I obviously haven't thought this through at all.

Dave

I take it that You are able to work out the theoretical strength of 4 M8 high tensile bolts?

Yup I can thanks and I take it you have worked out how long it will take for a 30kg wheel vibrating backwards and forwards to pop those bolts.

All four bolts are in tension with no shear forces, unlike the bolts on swing out wheel carriers.

Which bolts are you refering to? The 6 bolts on the VW item that hold on the hinges?

Which would be a worry if it were wobbling backwards and forwards like noddy's hat....

Fortunately it's not.

And no I wasn't questioning VW's ability to calculate the correct number of fixings for the OEM carrier. I was pointing out that the forces acting on the bolts I've used are different to the forces acting on the OEM bolts and so 4 high tensile bolts are adequate in this application.

I really must apologise for sounding so defensive

Would be good to see it in the flesh at Llanfyllin and then we can rib you wicked about using bolts in tension instead of shear and chew the fat over every single aspect of it... I'll bring my vernier calipers and stress gauges

Any further comments/criticisms/witticisms should best be communicated by PM please