For the longest time I considered making my own rear bumper/tire carrier combo. I couldnt justify paying $600 for an aftermarket setup(what a rip-off) so I started collecting ideas and parts to build my own.

I've since decided on not going with a tire carrier at all as my my CJ7 will be a pure rockcrawler and will carry its spare in the bed for better departure angles and lower center of gravity.

I put this info together on a webpage so as to help others save some money and also enjoy a better designed carrier than some of the home built setups I've seen.

Read on....
 

The latch that's used by most of the top bumper/carrier manufacturers (including Bulletproof MFG) is made by Destaco. Have a look at their webpage for an online catalog or you can order their free print catalog to see the different type of latches that are available. They dont sell to the public as far as I know but it doesnt matter as they are available from many places (see below).....

The latch we are interested in is Part# 344 or if you live where rust is a problem the same latch is available in stainless steel #344-SS. Pricey, but the best available!... about $30-$40. Reid Tool Supply is where I bought mine but they are available from a number of places and quite possibly you'll have a local source. Again, there are many types of latches made by Destaco so get a catalog!

Some of the better aftermarket carriers use a trailer axle spindle welded into the bumper for the pivot. These can be had from Northern Tools for about $20 (sold in pairs).

Part #12461-C146 (same as above except that the base is square) seems to be the common size but I would consider going slightly larger if I were running 35" or bigger tires.

A  bearing kit will cost about $10 from the same place.
It includes two bearings w/races, an oil seal and a cap.

Part # 12582-C147

Bulletproof MFG. uses a Nylatron bushing instead of bearings but they still use the trailer axle. I've never heard of Nylatron and if anyone finds a source let me know.

Here is a diagram to help set up this pivot using the above items...


 

Some comments to go with the diagram....

"It took me a long time to come up with a suitable design that I could fabricate at home for the spindle. I ended up buying a set of 1" weld on trailer spindles from Northern Hydraulic (nowNorthern Tools). After receiving them I tried to locate someone that could turn the bushing part on a lathe. I could not get anyone that would do it for a reasonable price and then after some more searching I located some 2.5" OD (2"ID) tube that did not have a seam.

I bought 36" of this for $50, still cheap considering that a machinist wanted $45/hour. I cut about 4" of this and then cut a 2.5" piece of 2" OD tube that I had. This was split lengthwise and I also drilled 1/2" holes at about 6 locations. This small piece was then inserted into the bigger tube and welded in place. This formed the seat for taper bearings at top and the bottom."  Christo Slee
 

You can see how this hinge setup (in the above diagram) looks by clicking here. He (Christo Slee) makes a lot of unique stuff for Toyota Land Cruisers but also does bumpers for Jeeps. He also sells the spindle setups complete for $90. Not a bad price actually.
 

More pics of a similar setup using the same parts....


Above pic has Destaco latch and trailer spindle.


Closeup of another (homemade) bumpr with trailer spindle.


Different view....also see the plunger to keep carrier open.
 

On most of the better carriers, there is a spring plunger that locks into place when the tire carrier has opened to the furthest desired point. The pin(plunger) that Bulletproof uses is part # is FRSN-62 from Reid Tools. If you have a 4Wheel Drive Hardware catalog around you can look at their tire carrier and get a better idea of how the
spring plunger works and how to mount it.

I think thats all I have. Hope this info has helped someone. Good Luck.

Regards,
Larry (DesertJeeper)