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OEM style swing out carrier fitting

Jon Wildsmith

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Ok, this is a rubbish post because we didn't take any pictures but it still describes what we did for those interested. Maybe Ian will add a picture of the finished job ...

Ian bought a Direct4x4 swing out carrier which is a knock off of the OEM carrier. It's not 100% identical but it's close. When the OEM carriers are fitted at the factory they put extra strengthening plates inside the rear wing where the carrier mounts. Ian sourced an OEM lower mounting plate but didn't have any luck with the upper plate so I bent a bit of 6mm plate to the profile of the top hinge casting and we used that.

The OEM hinges have 3 bolt holes and the knock off only has 2 holes which on the lower hinge don't quite line up with the OEM holes. The holes are close enough that a bit of work with a file elongated the holes in the carrier lower hinge enough to use the OEM mounting plate.

You have to remove the light cluster and the plastic backing so you have access to the inner wing area. Best to disconnect the wiring just inside the wing and put the light to one side rather than leaving it swinging in the way. The lower mounting plate can be slid into place with a bit of a wiggle but to fit it properly requires cutting a section of the inside pillar to gain access to fit 2 of the bolts. We cut down each side from the seat belt hole to just above the floor and then folded the flap of metal down out of the way. The two bolts that gives you access for already have holes in the inner panels. You will have to make the 3rd bolt hole and it's a bit of guess work judging from the outside where it needs to go! With those three bolts holding the bracket to the inner framework and then the two hing bolts once fitted clamping it to the outer panels it's very well fixed and rigid.

With the lower mounting in place you now have a good reference point for lining the carrier up and making the upper hinge holes. The top plate is tight to access and there's only just room between the outer and inner panels for a 6mm plate and a nut but it can be done without any more cutting :mrgreen:

The carrier was supplied with a plate to bolt onto the lower tailgate with the catch bar on it but it wasn't a very good fit to the shape of the tailgate! We made our own version (we were running out of time though) with a spreader plate on the inside of the tailgate. With a bit more time we could probably have reshaped the supplied plate to be a good fit and that might give a more rigid fixing. Accessing the inside of the tailgate to put washers and nuts on was a bit of a squeeze but can be done.

There is also a rubber buffer to mount on the upper tailgate. That was supplied with a backing plate with captive nuts so it's pretty easy to fit.

For those not planning on fitting a steel rear bumper with swing out this seems like quite a solid option.

Perhaps Ian will comment on it from his perspective.
 
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