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Terrific Tire Swing

Total Time Needed:: 2-3 Hours

An old tire, some rope or chain, a tall tree -- could anything be simpler? The backyard tire swing has been entertaining kids pretty much since backyards were invented. Here's how to set one up right.

Materials

Used beltless light truck tire or old tractor tire
Drill, 1/4-inch and 1/2-inch bits
Healthy hardwood tree
3/16-inch playground chain

2 (12-inch) drop-forged eyebolt, washers, and nuts
2 (14-inch) quick links
Mulch or wood chips

Instructions

If possible, find a used beltless light truck tire or old tractor tire (try a junkyard or tire store). Avoid steel-belted tires, whose sharp cords might eventually work their way out of the rubber sheathing.
Drill holes in the bottom of the tire so rainwater can drain.
Choose a healthy hardwood tree such as oak, walnut, sugar maple, ash, or cherry. (Beech, while strong, has delicate roots that resent trampling.) Make sure the branch is straight, forming an L-shape, not a V, against the trunk, and strong -- at least 8 inches in diameter where you attach the swing. It should be 9 to 12 feet off the ground (the higher the branch, the farther you'll swing).
The best way to suspend the tire (for both the swinger and the tree) is with a length of 3/16-inch playground chain. Drill a 12-inch hole through the center of the branch, then insert a 12-inch drop-forged eyebolt through the hole, securing it on top with a washer and two nuts. (If you use rope, choose nylon or Dacron. Polypropylene and hemp don't weather well, and polypropylene can also slip too easily through small hands.)
Drill a 12-inch hole through the top of the tire. Thread a nut, washer, and 3-inch fender washer on another 12-inch eyebolt, slip it through the tire, and thread on another fender washer, washer, and nut. Secure the chain to the two eyebolts with 14-inch quick links.
Spread a circle of mulch or wood chips around the trunk to protect tree roots and cushion falls.