Barriers for rear frame mounted spare tires are disclosed. An example vehicle disclosed herein includes a frame including a cross member, a spare tire, a skid plate, and a barrier extending between the skid plate and the cross member, the barrier abutting the spare tire, the barrier including a first surface having a first curvature, the first curvature concave relative to a rear of the vehicle.

Barriers for rear frame mounted spare tires are disclosed. An example vehicle disclosed herein includes a frame including a cross member, a spare tire, a skid plate, and a barrier extending between the skid plate and the cross member, the barrier abutting the spare tire, the barrier including a first surface having a first curvature, the first curvature concave relative to a rear of the vehicle.

A device for absorbing shocks of a liftable and lowerable object such as a spare tire includes a reeling device that contains a hoisting cable, the reeling device rotatably attached to the vehicle chassis, an arresting device that under normal conditions prevents the reeling device from rotating relative to the vehicle chassis but enables the reeling device to rotate relative to the vehicle chassis under crash conditions thereby absorbing significant part of the energy of the shock.

A cable hoist system for a spare tire carrier in a vehicle includes a housing; a drive cable; a reel assembly; and a drive mechanism. A first gear assembly of the drive mechanism includes a control plate member connected to a first gear using at least two frangible connectors. The at least two frangible connectors connecting the control plate member and the first gear provides a frangible connection in the first gear assembly such that, when the first gear assembly is subject to a force exceeding a predetermined value caused by momentum of a spare tire applied through the reel assembly and a second gear of a second gear assembly, the at least two frangible connectors break to allow the first gear to move relative to the control plate member such that the second gear and the reel assembly can rotate to allow for pay out of the drive cable.

A spare tire winch mechanism which performs the steps of lowering the spare tire from its location and locating the flat tire on this location via a rope winding assembly. A worm gear and a threaded drum prevent the rope from winding onto the threaded drum in an overlapping and irregular manner which results in locking of the parts and the damage to the parts due to the application of extreme force during the winding. The spare tire performs free fall movement with its own weight as a result of the tire wrench being activated with a pulling force applied perpendicular to the floor axis and the worm gear disconnects from the drum body, in case one of the tires of the motor vehicle needs to be changed.

A vehicle includes a pair of frame rails elongated along a longitudinal axis, each of the frame rails having a downward deformation zone, the frame rails bendable at the downward deformation zones from a first position to a second position beneath the first position. The vehicle includes a tire supported between the pair of frame rails at the downward deformation zones. The vehicle includes a spare tire retention member supported between the pair of frame rails forward of the downward deformation zones.

A vehicle includes a pair of frame rails elongated along a longitudinal axis, each of the frame rails having a downward deformation zone, the frame rails bendable at the downward deformation zones from a first position to a second position beneath the first position. The vehicle includes a tire supported between the pair of frame rails at the downward deformation zones. The vehicle includes a spare tire retention member supported between the pair of frame rails forward of the downward deformation zones.

A rolling spare tire storage apparatus for easy access to spare tires includes a tire rack. A plurality of rollers and a plurality of arms are coupled to the tire rack. A plurality of brackets is coupled to the plurality of arms and is configured to selectively engage a tire and secure the tire to the rack body. A pivot mount comprises a pivot bar. A pair of back arms is coupled to the pivot bar. A pair of roller tracks is coupled to the pair of back arms. A pair of hydraulic cylinders is coupled to the pair of roller tracks. Each cylinder has a lock maintaining a compressed position securing the pair of roller tracks horizontally and alternatively releasing each cylinder to an extended position and angling the pair of roller tracks. A release button is in operational communication with the lock of each cylinder.

A rolling spare tire storage apparatus for easy access to spare tires includes a tire rack. A plurality of rollers and a plurality of arms are coupled to the tire rack. A plurality of brackets is coupled to the plurality of arms and is configured to selectively engage a tire and secure the tire to the rack body. A pivot mount comprises a pivot bar. A pair of back arms is coupled to the pivot bar. A pair of roller tracks is coupled to the pair of back arms. A pair of hydraulic cylinders is coupled to the pair of roller tracks. Each cylinder has a lock maintaining a compressed position securing the pair of roller tracks horizontally and alternatively releasing each cylinder to an extended position and angling the pair of roller tracks. A release button is in operational communication with the lock of each cylinder.

A vehicle includes a system for storing items that achieves a stowed configuration and an accessible configuration. The storage system includes a tray affixed to a frame of the vehicle by a joint, and optionally an element arranged on a top surface of the tray for holding items. In the stowed configuration, the tray and optional element are tucked under the vehicle. In the accessible configuration, the tray is positioned outward of a bumper of the vehicle. The tray may optionally rotate, translate, swing, or undergo a combination thereof, to achieve the accessible configuration from the stowed configuration and return to the stowed configuration from the accessible configuration. For example, when stowed the tray is arranged between a drive unit and the bumper, beneath the vehicle, and then moves into a more accessible position at least partially outward of the bumper such that a user can retrieve or store items.