Installation Instructions for TAB Tire carrier

The spare tire size was changed at some point. I had built the carrier for a 23" diameter tire. The newer trailers use a 196/60R15 which is 24" in diameter and probably a little wider. Mounting the tire to the carrier should be done with the lower holes of the wheel as shown in the picture. The added benefit to this allows greater access to the battery/propane box latch and the jockey wheel can retract fully between the frame rails. If you have an older style wheel the carrier will work fine using the top wheel holes and the tire will rest on the frame rails. If you are having trouble turning the latch knob because of finger clearance, I can send you a special flat wrench.

The design has be changed since this photo was taken and now has gussets for extra strength. There is a CAD drawing in the project photo gallery of the new design. 

If you need more clearance for any reason, I found that the battery box can be moved back about 3/4". Use a 3/8" driver socket with a strong cordless drill to remove and reinstall the self tapping screws. I found that drilling a small pilot first made the reinstall easier. If you do choose to move it back make sure that the lid opens without rubbing on the trailer's front surface.

Tools needed:

Drill

5/16 drill bit

Marker/pen and center punch to mark hole locations

½ inch combination wrench and ratchet with ½ inch socket

Place the carrier on the trailer frame and mark the hole locations. You can place the tire on the carrier to adjust for front and rear clearance and mark this with pen or a strip of tape. But then remove the tire from the carrier to mark the hole locations.  (you can use a clamp if needed to spread the carrier a little to match your frame rails, use a rubber faced clamp to avoid removing the paint) Remove the carrier and center punch the hole locations to keep the drill point from wandering. Drill a 5/16 hole at each location. Apply some paint or silicon to the holes if you want to avoid rust. Next bolt the carrier to the rails using the supplied hardware. The flat plate in the hardware bag goes underneath the frame rails to add strength to the assembly. If the flat plate does not align with your bolts, you can drill out one or both of the holes larger with the next size drill in your set. Use a washer on the top and bottom of the bolted connection. Removing the tire from the carrier will make bolting the carrier down easier. Finally remount the tire on the carrier and tighten the lug nuts. It maybe a tight squeeze to get the tire between the lug bolts and the jockey wheel jack. If it will not fit, loosen the adjusting bolt on the side of the jack(make sure the trailer is supported with a jack stand or connected to a vehicle) and move the jack body down until you can get it in. You can also adjust the timing of the jockey wheel retraction slot using this bolt to make sure that the wheel is in line with the trailer and car wheels. Then return the jack to its desired height.

 The white wedge can be placed between the carrier and the wheel with the beveled side against the wheel and the thicker part at the top. Use of the wedge is optional, but it does allow more space to access the propane box latch. The down side is that it slants the tire a bit rather than holding it vertical. Bolt tire to carrier using the chrome lug nuts.