I have a 1995 4 door Jimmy SLT with the under floor mounted spare tire setup. Winch is shot, so just useless space under there right now. Briefly considered adding a second gas tank from a 2 door back there, but discovered the sway bar is in the way. Hate the winch setup so not gonna go back to that.


So then I thought of making a steel storage compartment under there with a top hatch in the cargo area floor. Essentially just a large steel box welded up from 16 gauge sheet metal with a flange around the top. Cut out a matching hole in the floor pan and drop the box in, the flange holding it in place and providing a place to screw it down. Either a hinged lid or just one that lays in place to cover it up. Should be able to keep the spare in there along with room for some other stuff. Like they used to have in the ancient days when Station Wagons roamed the Earth!


So, great idea or bad idea? Been done before? Something I'm not thinking of that will have me making up new cuss words? Is 16 gauge thick enough to hold the tire without bowing down or needing angle iron framing to reinforce it?

 

never thought of that but did think of putting an air compressor there

 

I have seen what you are imagining. A guy built one for a subwoofer. As a fab guy I see no reason to go thicker than 16ga but a few for going thinner. I would not go more than one ga thicker than what is already there while hemming the hole in the body.