Spare & jerry can rack

Been thinking about a rear spare and jerry can rack since we're planning to hit the Rubicon this summer and I need the bed space for camping stuff. Jpet, the renaissance man, help me design it.

Here's the bits of metal I bought.



Here it is welded together and hanging in my paint booth. Please don't look too closely at the welds.



I tried to spoof the patina of Grampa's Jeep. Turned out a little too blue, but some dirt and trail grunge should bring it a little closer.



I still need to get the bottom legs tied into the draw bar. Right now my draw bar is a bit bent and broken so I'm on the hunt for a different one.

Looks great, gonna work great!

That's a great looking rack. Keep us up to date on the finished product.

Bufordjeep wrote: Mind posting a close up of how the tailgate and the rack come togeather? Share the chain hooks?

I already pulled it off because the bottom legs aren't anchored yet and I had to do some construction site wheeling today.

It's a pretty simple system. I drilled holes in the end plates that are welded to the cross tubes and tapped them to handle a bolt. I took the tailgate chain hook out of the tailgate tabs and hooked it in the chain. (I don't think I'm going to keep the rack on permanently so I didn't take the chain all the way off.) Then just put the bolt through the tabs and into the newly threaded end plate.

Here's a picture of the bolt and end plate as it sits on the garage floor.
Looking for a good drawbar if anyone has one sitting around taking up valuable space.

My can holder is mounted to a bar that slides into a vertical trailer hitch receiver that the PO welded to a plate and bolted to the draw bar. It's solid and can be slid off to open the tailgate. Not sure how you re going to tie yours in to the draw bar but this is one idea anyway. 

Edited by Thorfinn - 21 May 2017 at 8:03am

Thorfinn wrote: Not sure how you re going to tie yours in to the draw bar but this is one idea anyway.

My plan is to use some angle iron or steel straps. Drill a couple of holes in the legs and bolt it to the draw bar using the existing holes in the draw bar. Might have to do some thing creative with the draw bar holes since they are so large and I don't really want to use bolts that large. Maybe a stack of washers inside the hole to act as spacers.

Haven't drilled the holes or any thing yet because I want to change out my bent and broken drawbar for a straight one and I want to match measurements to the new part.

Stan:  I like your (and Jeff's) fuel can and spare tire rack design and may modify it a bit to fit on my Agrijeep.  What size square tubing did you use?  Thanks, and . . . 

Stan if you look for a 1948 or later draw bar with the holes for a Monroe 3 point lift - they will have two holes drilled in the draw bar on the back angle, in-line with the second hole from the outer ends on the bottom.  All you would have to do is weld a tab to you tube design with a hole for a through bolt.  The advantage is that you will not have bolts sticking out from under the draw bar like you would if you use the bottom holds.  Also it is a correct draw bar for a 1948.

Edited by Stev - 22 May 2017 at 3:54pm

Stan:

Thanks for the tubing specs and spare tire carrier source.  You got my wheels a'turning . . .