This is for Nathan, and Bill, and everyone else that enjoyed my tire carrier made from an old driveline. I had to remove it today. I have noticed over the last week or so that the tire seems to moving around a whole lot in my rear view mirror. Closer inspection revealed that the 2x2 steel that I welded onto the driveline tube was separating. They weren't separating as a result of a poor weld; on the contrary, they were taking chunks of the driveline with it. I underestimated the wall thickness of the driveline tube, it is actually very thin material, and the weight of the 35" tire bouncing around back there started to rip the driveline apart.
All is not lost, however. Tomorrow I plan to visit my steel store and get a piece of tubing that will do the job without coming apart. I will maintain the same u-joint hinge and mounting, and hopefully when it is done, it will look the same as it did before.
I wanted to post this information in case anyone was considering doing a similar project. Be aware of the lack of wall thickness.
Jerry