Supply list:
1 long length of chain or rope (enough to wrap around your tree branch, connect, & still hang approx. 7 feet off the ground)
3 4'-6' lengths of chain (we used one with a 500lb weight limit - better safe than sorry)
3' length of hose
5 quick links
3 eye bolts
6 lock nuts
6 large washers
14"-16" tire (we got ours free from a local tire shop)
First, clean up your tire & make sure there's nothing on the surface that could snag clothing or scratch. Then drill 3 holes in the top of the tire for the hardware to go through. Flip the tire over & drill several holes on the bottom for drainage. You don't want water to sit inside the tire & splash the rider or breed mosquitos - ew.
Take each 4'-6' length of chain & use the quick links to hook them to your eye bolts. Thread a nut onto your eye bolts & slide one of the large washers on behind it. Feed the eye bolts through the holes in the top of your tire.
Inside the tire, slide on another large washer & lock nut onto the bolt & screw 'em on tight.
Take your long chain & feed one end through the hose. (Tip: Ours was a pretty snug fit, so we sprayed some Pam on the chain & it slid right through!) Hook the end of the chain to the rest of the long chain with another quick link. Almost there!
Take your last quick link & hook the hanging end of your long chain to the three shorter chains that are connected to your swing. Everything I read said that 4'-6' length works best. Make sure all of the quick links are super tight - you don't want your swing detaching mid-air & tossing your kid (or you). Believe me, after having that happen to me & landing on my neck not once, but twice in my youth (with a rope tire swing), I'm super paranoid about it! I still have neck problems & totally blame it on the falls from the swings!
I'm a sucker for any type of swing, but this big guy is probably my favorite ever. It goes SO high & swings FOREVER. One push & it'll go for 10 minutes. (Easy babysitter for when you're busy weeding gardens or spray-painting your next project!)
(You can't really tell in the pictures, but the swing hangs around 10' out from the tree trunk. If you pushed the swing hard enough in a circle you could possibly hit the tree, but it would take a lot. Use caution & be sure you hang your swing far enough away from obstacles so no one will get hurt!)
Let me know if any of you have attempted, or plan on putting a tire swing up in your yard...or had one when you were a kiddo. I feel like it's something that Grady will remember forever...
