I would like to mount my spare (32") on my roof rack. This is the only place I can put my spare. I can't afford a rear tire carrier/bumper and inside I have too many tools, spares, fluids. What is the best mounting system? I would like to use the stock roof rails. Is the change in center of gravity noticable?
Mounting Spare on Roof Rack
- Thread starter d10shun
- Start date
SouthernXJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- South Carolina
Are you looking for a way to just keep it on or a way to lock it?
What year is the XJ? I know my wife's 99 has holes down the rails that would help with just a simple ratchet strap. My 91 dosent have that though.
What year is the XJ? I know my wife's 99 has holes down the rails that would help with just a simple ratchet strap. My 91 dosent have that though.
SOOLONG
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Mankato, Mn
Yes,
You will be able to feel alot more body roll. Gets even more interesting with sway bar disconnected. It did not bother me too bad until winter, then it came off. Slippery icy snowy roads + top heavy + highway speeds = death trap. I now have rear tire carrier and bumper and it is much better but I am still trying to find something better yet. At the time I used a Yakima Load Warrior rack with spare tire mount. My friend had same set up but with a 33" tire in moab and after damaging front right fender and door the tire transferd to the interior cargo area. He mentioned something about an extremley high suck factor. Do what you have to. Personally I won't go with out a spare so I would do whatever it takes to ratchet strap or whatever to mount it up. Good luck. If you find a new and better way with out taking up my cargo area let me know.
Joe
You will be able to feel alot more body roll. Gets even more interesting with sway bar disconnected. It did not bother me too bad until winter, then it came off. Slippery icy snowy roads + top heavy + highway speeds = death trap. I now have rear tire carrier and bumper and it is much better but I am still trying to find something better yet. At the time I used a Yakima Load Warrior rack with spare tire mount. My friend had same set up but with a 33" tire in moab and after damaging front right fender and door the tire transferd to the interior cargo area. He mentioned something about an extremley high suck factor. Do what you have to. Personally I won't go with out a spare so I would do whatever it takes to ratchet strap or whatever to mount it up. Good luck. If you find a new and better way with out taking up my cargo area let me know.
Joe
xjhm
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- pikeville,ky
i keep my (31") laying face down in the back, and i use the wheel to store my junk in... so have you thought of cramming your tools in the wheel?
granted, you may have more tools than me but it is only a suggestion...
granted, you may have more tools than me but it is only a suggestion...
My_Little_Pony
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Renton, WA
I had my 29" spare on top and it was pretty top heavy. I didn't feel good going around turns. My buddy has his 33" spare on top of his Jeep and he flies around corners, his wheels also stick out pretty far. I want to get the rear spare tire gate. I Keep my tools under the rear seat!!
- Location
- Nashville, TN
$10 fix
I am running a 31" spare on the stock rim. I went to the hardware store and bought a piece of square tubing about 3-5 inches longer that the tire is tall. Then got 2-5 inch bolts, and 2 wing nuts. I also got 2 rubber caps for the ends of the square tubing.
I took it home and measured out the exact center of the square tube, then measured where two of the lug nut stud holes are on the rim and drilled 2 holes to shove the 5 inch bolts through. Then I JB welded them in place. So now, I essentially have a steel bar with 2 bolts sticking though it centered from end to end.
I painted it with hurculiner, just for the hell of it, and put the rubber end caps on it.
When I want to mount the tire, I put my homemade contraption UNDER the roof rack rails that run from left to right and make sure the rails are positioned about 25 inches apart. I put the tire OVER the 5 inch bolts, to form a "sandwich." The bar on the bottom, the tire on the top, and the roof rack cross rails in the middle. Then tighten the wing nuts down and it isn't going anywhere!
I even went as far as to get two rubber spring spacers to place between the roof and the bottom of my square tube, so that it won't bounce up and down on the paint. Granted my Jeep is an 85, and no one sees the roof anyway, but I like the rubber spacers.
I am running a 31" spare on the stock rim. I went to the hardware store and bought a piece of square tubing about 3-5 inches longer that the tire is tall. Then got 2-5 inch bolts, and 2 wing nuts. I also got 2 rubber caps for the ends of the square tubing.
I took it home and measured out the exact center of the square tube, then measured where two of the lug nut stud holes are on the rim and drilled 2 holes to shove the 5 inch bolts through. Then I JB welded them in place. So now, I essentially have a steel bar with 2 bolts sticking though it centered from end to end.
I painted it with hurculiner, just for the hell of it, and put the rubber end caps on it.
When I want to mount the tire, I put my homemade contraption UNDER the roof rack rails that run from left to right and make sure the rails are positioned about 25 inches apart. I put the tire OVER the 5 inch bolts, to form a "sandwich." The bar on the bottom, the tire on the top, and the roof rack cross rails in the middle. Then tighten the wing nuts down and it isn't going anywhere!
I even went as far as to get two rubber spring spacers to place between the roof and the bottom of my square tube, so that it won't bounce up and down on the paint. Granted my Jeep is an 85, and no one sees the roof anyway, but I like the rubber spacers.
- Location
- Nashville, TN
I'm afraid I don't, and have no way of getting one. It really is pretty self explanitory. If you have any specific questions, IM me.
Roxtar
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- NW Indiana-Chicago area
I've had my 32" on the roof for about 6 months now. Never really noticed the difference.
I've just got the original full size spare inside my jeep. I know that you can (should) only put 150 lbs on the roof so you start to limit your roof carrying capacity if you put something heavy like a 32 inch tire and wheel on the roof. I've overloaded my Yakima roket box on my old cherokee and I think it bent the rain gutters. Yakima makes a lot of cool stuff for the roof and it all locks with one key. I only wheel about 5% of the time, unfortuately. But I use my XJ to haul stuff when I move, tow my boat, downhill skis, mtn bikes, I've rented Kyaks and surfboards. The yakima rack is great.
My 2 cents.
My 2 cents.
tjl1388
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Atlanta, Ga.
My 33 is on the roof and I have had no problems at all. I have it on a roof rack and tied down with simple ratchet straps. 33in tire won't fit in the back and I currently don't have the 5-700 smackers to plop down on a bumper and tire carrier. The only complaint is that it is a biatch to get down....that sucker is HEAVY!!!!!!!!!
VincentH
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Rochester, Washington
Go Go said:
Owners manual states that you can put 200 lbs up there but I sure dont think I'd want to.
I'm curious why I never see anyone making a receiver hitch style rear tire carrier?? It would be very simple to weld one up using some square tubing and a couple of bends here and there.
It would certainly be very stout... you could make it rattle free by snugging it down with something externally.
I suppose then if a person had to tow something they could just place the spare inside temporarily....heck, I think I just talked myself into my next project!!
SouthernXJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- South Carolina
Only problem with that is you wont be able to open the hatch.
Lawn Cher'
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Westampton, NJ
I've seen such a product in the JCW catalog, manufactured by Hidden Hitch, IIRC. It swivels down out of the way to access the hatch.
Danno
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Lawrenceburg, TN
receiver hitch style carriers are okay until you go off road. then they drag REALLY badly.
BrianJr
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Blacksburg Virginia
On my 1999 XJ I simply used racheting tie down straps to hold a 32x11.5" tire down. I ran the straps diagonally across the tire, looping through the holes in the rim, and hooked the strap to the cross bars. Here is the only picture I have of the set up (click thumbnail to get larger image)
Once I stopped being paranoid about the weight I realized I could not really tell that the tire was up there.
The only real drawback I noticed was a 3 MPG drop in gas mileage. :gonnablow So I take the tire off the roof on long trips.
-Brian
Once I stopped being paranoid about the weight I realized I could not really tell that the tire was up there.
The only real drawback I noticed was a 3 MPG drop in gas mileage. :gonnablow So I take the tire off the roof on long trips.
-Brian
- Location
- Nashville, TN
Another problem with the hitch mount tire carrier...
That carrier will not fit snuggly into the hitch, and everytime your truck shifts, or you hit a bump, that carrier is going to move. I can only imagine the noise that it will make driving down the highway with the metal hitch rubbing and hitting the metal carrier, especially with a heavy tire mounted to it!
It may not be really loud, but it will be constant, and I, for one, couldn't live with that.
That carrier will not fit snuggly into the hitch, and everytime your truck shifts, or you hit a bump, that carrier is going to move. I can only imagine the noise that it will make driving down the highway with the metal hitch rubbing and hitting the metal carrier, especially with a heavy tire mounted to it!
It may not be really loud, but it will be constant, and I, for one, couldn't live with that.
seymouj
NAXLA Member #1223
- Location
- Shingle Springs, CA
I got one of those hitch mount tire carriers with my jeep when I bought it and noise is not a problem. It does extent the hitch about 6 inches so as stated it can drag when you go up something steep.
Here is the one I have:
http://www.sparetirecarrier.com/
Here is the one I have:
http://www.sparetirecarrier.com/
Yucca-Man
NAXJA Member # 683
- Location
- Castle Rock, CO
Crap! $430??? May as well buy a new rear bumper for that investment! You're halfway to a http://bpifab.com/bumper/cherokee_rear.htm already...seymouj said:
