How to Hang a Tire Swing

A tire swing is a simple, inexpensive, old-fashioned addition to the kids play area that even adults can enjoy. Let's put one together. You will of course need a tree or appropriate support to hang your tire swing from.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Old tire
• Bleach
• Water
• Drill
• Rope
• Stand

1. Purchase a large diameter rope to act as the tire seat support from your local hardware store or lumberyard. Take a rough measurement from the branch to the point you want where you want the tire to hang then add about ten feet for loops and knots.

2. Use a piece of rubber hose to protect both the tree branch and the rope from excessive wear. Buy a piece of hose that has an inside diameter that is slightly larger than your rope. Slip the rope through the hose, making sure that the hose will rest on the top of the branch when it is put in place.

3. Find an old tire to use for the swing seat. You may have one lying around the garage or you can check with local service stations or tire stores. Most will sell you an old tire for next to nothing or even give you one at no cost.

4. Clean the tire with a trip to the car wash and a good squirt with the power sprayer. At home a solution of one part bleach to three parts water used on the tire with the help of an old scrub brush will strip of any possibly harmful deposits.

5. Remember to clean the inside of the tire as well while you are doing the out side.

6. Use a power drill with at least a half-inch bit to drill several holes through the surface of the tire. This will be the bottom of the swing or the part that is under the seating area. The hole will keep rainwater from collecting in the tire and becoming stagnant. If you live an area of the country with lots of leafy trees you may have to make an annual practice of cleaning the leaves out of the tire to prevent the leaves from plugging the holes.

7. Loop the end of the rope with the protective hose sleeve over the branch you have selected. The branch should be at least six inches in diameter to be safe. The farther the swing is from the trunk the larger the supporting branch should be.

8. Use a common square knot or overhand double knot(this is the knot that everyone uses to tie package string ' nothing nautical or Boy Scout tricky about it) to secure the rope to the branch. Leave a little space in the loop to allow for branch growth.

9. Set your tire up on anything you can find as a temporary stand that is the approximate height you want it to hang. Calling in a friend to help hold the tire is a good idea because you can take turns swinging each other once the swing is completed.

10. Take two wraps of rope around the tire and then use another square or double overhand knot to secure the rope at the tire end.

11. Adjust the swing height after a few days if the rope stretches out from the weight of passengers.

Tips & Warnings

• It is acceptable to use chain instead of Rope to support your tire swing, though the traditional swing loses some of its appeal. The chain is stronger and requires less maintenance. Makes sure the tree limb well protected from the extra abrasive action of the chain by a rubber hose or even an additional rubber pad.

[misterfixit]

on 9/24/2007 The swing in the picture is not the one described. In the picture three I-bolts have been put through the tire and three pieces of chain have been connected to the I-bolts with S-hooks, and then the three chains are linked together at the top and tied to the rope. It is better not to run the rope through the chain links, but get a strong metal ring to hold both the ends of the chains and the supporting rope. You should also use large washers to keep the I-bolts from pulling through the holes in the tire. I use a nut-washer-tire-washer-nut assembly. Screw the first nut all the way up the I-bolt, then a washer, then stick through the hole, another washer, and final nut, tightened as much as possible. That ought to hold them well. Be sure to close the s-hooks well with pliers to make sure the chain does not slip off. Sid

[bmi57]

on 9/12/2007 I just loved tire swings when I was a kid, there were seven of us plus our friends so we usually had more than one swing. It's too bad we don't see as many as we used to. They are so much fun. Loved your article, thank you.

on 8/8/2006 Rope swings are much more fun when you've got a long rope (climbing rope is the best). But how do you get the rope over a branch that's 30 feet in the air?

Start with fishing line- you can use a weight with a fishing rod. I made a hole in a hard rubber ball, threaded the fishing line through it, I used a lacrosse stick and a little bit of luck, then tied the fishing line to a small diameter rope, then to the climbing rope.

on 8/8/2006 You can also take a 2" by 4" wooden board and cut a piece long enough to fit inside the tire. But, cut the ends of it at an angle and even drive screws from the outside edge of the tire into the wooden board at each end. It provides an extra step to reach the ground easier, or it also serves as another seat.