Faced with the prospect of tyre failure on our Birdsville trip and not being able to get another tug wheel for a second spare I had this brilliant idea. I originally planned to take a spare tyre carcass for the van and tug and change on the road if required. This has become more difficult as I get older and the biggest issue is holding the wheel steady whilst wrestling with tyre levers.

It took me a couple of hours to make this jigger. It weighs 3.5 kg and slides into my front tow hitch. It has a circle welded underneath to safely locate the top of the jack whilst breaking the tyre beads. Then the wheel is hung off the front with 2 bolts. One is welded in place and the other is loose to go in either hole to suit the tug and van wheels that are different. Now the wheel is held rock steady whilst I work on the tyre.

Please don’t tell me that this idea already exists or I will be shattered

What a clever man you are Techo.

What a great idea OT

Those things have been out for years, I saw them at …..











Nah just kidding









Fantastic work mate, put a patent on it before someone copies it and makes their fortune with it
Frank

You obviously need a hobby, Oh hang on, this is (the result of) it. Very clever.
There could be a market for that OT.

As they say “not just a pretty face” well done OT.

Peter & Meta.

Hi OT, I am interested in your front hitch. Have you done a post on this, I tried search but did not find it.
They are very handy, I had one back in the 70s on a falcon ute. But I thought with front air bag sensors it was very hard to fit anything under the front.
Any photos and info would be welcome. Brian.

a great idea for taking the Tyre off the rim , I know what it like changing tyres on the side of the road I have done it for a lot of years , working for a tyre company but they were pretty lousy supplying the right gear , but we had bead breakers ,I hope your idea for breaking the beads works because some of them take braking and the jack idea tend to keep slipping off the bead area good idea though
Geoff

Well done OT. I hope I never to have to use a system like that, but I am highly impressed by the ‘air driven’ idiot warning device, behind the nudge bar!!!

Colin.

Brian wrote:I thought with front air bag sensors it was very hard to fit anything under the front. Any photos and info would be welcome. Brian.

I made this for my first Prado in 2004. I too was acutely aware of air bag issues but my home-made hitch is attached exactly where the winch would normally mount. Given the huge forces involved with winching I figured my mod was neither here nor there. I fitted the hitch only in case I had to get my van into a tight spot.

I did take some pics of the job on the old Prado but can’t find them at the minute. I’ll keep looking… after the cricket