BoureeOne
Bronco Guru
Was reading a thread from several years back about a latch for a spare tire carrier. I thought it looked very interesting. The thread said it came from a Nissan Pathfinder from the late 80's to the early 90's. So I got on the computer, checked the inventory at the local Pull-a-Part, and wouldn't you know it, they had a 1995 Pathfinder, so off I went. And yes, it had the spare tire carrier and the latch I was looking for. It took me a total of 5 minutes to get everything off. The receiver part of the latch bolts on with two large bolts. It also had integrated in to it a switch. I have to believe that this was some sort of a warning light on the dash to say the spare tire was either not latched or only partially latched. The reason I say partially latched is because of how this latch is designed. It actually has two hooks that can catch the receiver. The main hook locks the carrier up tight to the receiver. The second hook is like a back-up or safety hook. If for any reason the main hook comes off of the receiver, the back up hook will then catch it. The carrier would travel only about an inch before the back up hook would engage. The cool design is that each hook has a separate spring holding it down tight. So if the main hook is some how forced up to cause it to come unhooked, the backup hook is still pressed down to catch the receiver. The rubber stops are both adjustable for a good snug fit. The left rubber stopper has a recessed area that covers the switch to keep it out of the weather. There is also a piece that mounts on the vehicle or bumper about even with the middle of the carrier. This acts as a little ramp and support for the center of the carrier. It is heavy and well built, and will be easily moded to fit any application. I think this will be an excellent latch/locking mechanism for the spare tire carrier I will build. Best part of all, everything cost me $13.
Scott
Scott
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