Hi, guys. Not sure exactly where this goes, but I have an old tractor tire that I'd like to turn into a giant tire swing. You know the kind- with the tire parallel to the ground. Anyone out there done this with a big tire? Any suggestions? Is it too big for the kids to use? Thanks for any help with this project!
Tractor tire swing
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RoyJackson
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Yeah, tractor tires are heavy! Also, the center opening (where the wheel mounts) might be a bit big for a kid who would enjoy swinging.
my elementry school had the best playground ever till they tore it down cause if splinters
that one had pee gravel the new one has mulch
but it had a giant tire swing and it was kinda low to the ground and the amount of swing was limited, and they attached threaded i bolts like you might see on some power lines with the threads in side the tire so there were no sharp edges on the out side
wish i had pictures now
that one had pee gravel the new one has mulch
but it had a giant tire swing and it was kinda low to the ground and the amount of swing was limited, and they attached threaded i bolts like you might see on some power lines with the threads in side the tire so there were no sharp edges on the out side
wish i had pictures now
blueriver
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You need to put 3 eye bolts evenly spaced in 3 locations around the tire ... a length of chain from each (any length suitable to you) to a swivel and a ring and one chain to the tree branch of choice...
And enjoy !!!
firefighter jim
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Make sure you drill a hole in the bottom of the tire so that rain water will drain out............
tommu56
Elite Member
Just drill 3 holes 120 degrees apart and run a rope through the holes figure 8 knot under it to haul rope.
Drill 3 more hoes on the bottom for drain (you never know were the low spt will be.
My kids had one and loved it!
tom
forgeblast
Elite Member
do you tie a figure 8 at each of the top holes or do you weave the rope through them and tie 1 figure8?
tommu56
Elite Member
I spliced 3 lines to one at the top and the 8's were in the tire to make it so I could level it.
tom
tom
johnrex62
Platinum Member
Growing up, my neighborhood park had one in it's playground. It was big enough for 5 kids to sit in at a time. It was heavy enough that we could not swing it very far, but it was on a heavy swivel mount and we loved using it like a merry-go-round. Everyone would hang on to the chains for dear life as we spun it around on that swivel. :thumbsup: I would not use a fixed bolt or rope to hang it, the twisting would just break that connection.
RxRatedZ71
Gold Member
I built my son a tire swing last year just using my pickup truck tire. I drilled holes in the bottom for drainage and also screwed in some boards/planks across the hole in the center. I used treated 1x6's about one-half inch apart. The tricky part came when I had to cut them long enough to reach either side of the tire's bead, yet they had to be short enough that I could get them "into the tire". I'll try to find some pictures of it. I just used some wood screws and secured them to inside of the bead. It gives him something to stand on, and while they're still small, 3 kids sit on the sides and 1 in the middle. Depending upon the span and child size, you might be able to do it with 5/4" treated decking.
Gary Fowler
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Seems to me that half the fun of a tire swing was the ability to rotate it while swinging. Then again the safety police might balk at that so dont forget to install the 6 point safety harness and all the foam underneath to break the falls. With all the lack of safety features that we grew up with, how the heck did we survive? I think it was some luck, but we learned a lot about how not to do things wrong but once, if you survived that, then lifes lesson was learned early. Now days adults have to anticipate every event that could possibly go wrong and stop if from happening, it is the way of our society. If by chance a child falls from a swing set, it must be the fault of the manufacturer for not designing it correctly so we must sue them because our child cried when he fell. Some knocks and falls are good for development as long as they arent permanently damaged. I guess us old folks were luckier than todays kids. I still dont have any broken bones after 61 years and a lot of falls from swings, tree tops, monkey bars and lots of rope swings over shallow water and plenty more dangerous stuff that I dont want to admit that happened that I wouldn't want my grandkids trying for sure.
firefighter9208
Platinum Member
Pictures please!!!
I have a 11.2 x 24 tire off my farmall that I want to make into a swing for the kids.
Are you saying to lay the tire down and drill 3 holds in the tread. Run Chains from the 3 eye bolts to a center swivel and then a rope to the tree. I invision the tire swing being flat and the kids sitting on top of it.
The tire swings that I have always seen had the tire hanging as it would be mounted on the rim.
Chris
Danno1
Veteran Member
.
FF9208,
I would say you got that mostly correct. Except for, lay it flat and drill the three holes in the upper sidewall for the eye bolts. Then three holes in the lower sidewall to drain rainwater.
Yes, hanging in the in use position is most common.
.
FF9208,
I would say you got that mostly correct. Except for, lay it flat and drill the three holes in the upper sidewall for the eye bolts. Then three holes in the lower sidewall to drain rainwater.
Yes, hanging in the in use position is most common.
.
tommu56
Elite Member
sorta like this with ropes in stead of chain
here is some instructions
tom
here is some instructions
tom
tommu56
Elite Member
try this link to see some neater swings
tire swing - Google Search
tire swing - Google Search
firefighter9208
Platinum Member
That's what I thought!
sorta like this with ropes in stead of chain
here is some instructions
tom
Thanks guys!
Mace Canute
Elite Member
This post reminds me of when I was a very young boy, well before school age, and my older sisters teaching me how to swing on the swing dad had made for us in the barn. He used a 2X6 for a seat and a couple of lengths of heavy rope to hang it from a beam that the joists for the loft floor sat on. My sisters would put me on it and push me and see how high they could make me go. To me at that age, it was terrifyingly high and they took an unwholesome pleasure in making me scream in abject terror! To this day, the scent of hemp rope invokes surprisingly poignant memories of those times.
forgeblast
Elite Member
When we were at Boy Scout camp one year we took a huge length of rope and make a chair swing. Tied a knot to a folding chair and would push kids in it. We had the smallest kid on it as we were trying to see how high we could get him. Well the knot let loose, he dropped down and landed right on the legs of the chair. he was white as a ghost but walked away from it.....our scoutmaster made us practice knots for the rest of the week.
Man that chair swing was fun.
Man that chair swing was fun.
buck12
Veteran Member
My elementary school had several build like this. They were a blast and we all lived. Too bad today's kids can not have the kind of fun we had.
