Anyone installed a hickey swing spare tire carrier lately?

[awelle01]

I'm getting ready to install a Hickey rear swing spare tire carrier on my blazer in the next couple weeks and was just wondering if anyone has installed on recently and has any tips or best known methods? I do have an instruction sheet so that will help greatly, but looking for input from someone who has done this and maybe has advice on something they wish they would have done differently. I am nervous to drill into good body work and recently painted body panels and getting everything aligned correctly.

One significant issue i see with my blazer is that upper interior bracket will have some issues getting into place due to someone welding/filling previous holes. I will likely need to grind them down somehow, unless they will align perfectly with the bracket holes. Any advice on how to do this without cutting an opening from the interior of the bedside to access it?

[mrtoni]

From internet

[mister.freeze]

mine still has those upper holes if you need location info. I gave away that inner bracket years ago... do you have one? If so, it should have the installation arm and be pretty easy.

[lks dcvn]

right side up

[awelle01]

Originally Posted by mister.freeze

mine still has those upper holes if you need location info. I gave away that inner bracket years ago... do you have one? If so, it should have the installation arm and be pretty easy.

I've got all the brackets and hardware...so I should be set.

Thanks...If you don't mind making a couple measurements, i can compare to measurement.

I do have a copy of the paper instructions from Erik who has Hickey brand now. The concern for my blazer is the holes that were welded and filled at some point in that area. There is significant metal bump(s) on the backside of the weld, which will likely prevent the inner upper bracket from sliding into place, unless the filled holed line up with the holes i will drill for the bracket. They might be close, but very difficult to tell. I do not know if there was a spare tire carrier there before, or if the holes were from something else, e.g. CB antenna, and there is not really any way to get a tool up there to grind the bumps down. but i will have to wait and see!

I bed lined the tub with a color matched coating, so the last thing I want to do I cut an opening from the inside to grind down the bumps, but if that's the only solution, i'll have to do it. I added the idea of the swing spare tire carrier later in the build after all the paint/bedliner was done