Tailgate Mounted Spare

[ECKSJAY]

Not fiberglass on a 96+

97+, you monkey.

:nono:

 

[98XJSport]

97+, you monkey.

:nono:

Something Ive learned from the sales guys at work...

Technical accuracy is overrated

 

[PornstaR]

97+, you monkey.

:nono:

Bad monkey no bannana??

 

[98XJSport]

No thoughts on this?

My biggest concern would be the amount of space between bumper and rear window.

I would mount the top bolts above the black trim piece you can see above my license plate, and the lower bolts where the plate is now. Trimming of course to make it fit well there, and around the rear wiper. However, with the weight of the tire there could it flex the hatch near the window and pop the seal? I figure on bolting/welding the tire carrier to a plate of sorts, and bolting through the door to another plate to sandwich the door and hopefully distribute the weight.

Edit: After playing around in paint a bit I doubt there would be enough room for a 32" tire doing it as I had planned, so I may need to build a bracket that will mount with the license plate footprint and move the mount over the window a bit. This would solve the depth problem with larger tires as well...

 

[XJSpencer]

Never seen it, but anything is possible.
The idea has some allure, but I wouldn't be able to open my tail gate all the way, when the Jeep's in the garage, with the garage door open. With a swing-out, stock, or after-market, I couldn't open the hatch when pulling a trailer, or when some one was parked close behind.

Rigidco does a bumper with two swing arms. One swings to each side and they attach in the middle. He designed it for someone who pulls a trailer and has parking space issues etc.

 

[smccollamjr]

If I were trying this I think I would do it on a hatch from the junkyard first.

 

[98XJSport]

If I were trying this I think I would do it on a hatch from the junkyard first.

Ideally yes, but buying a steel hatch to test a $30 mod isn't really an option. Not sure what they are going for, but it's gotta be a good chunk of cash.

 

[Timber]

You could cut the top of the stock bumper and bend the pieces down, weld a section back in lower, so it looks like a typical truck step bumper. \___________/ Kind of like this.

 

[98XJSport]

Thats how it's done on the liberty as well, but I would like to mount it higher if I could so I may be able to reuse the factory handle instead of mounting a pull ring to open the hatch.

 

[98XJSport]

Some pics for thought...

Liberty carrier has a 10" wide by 12" tall footprint and has a WMS at 8" out from the tailgate. Would put your tire somewhere around here:

Tire is a 32x10.5

 

[90Blue_XJ]

I like the looks of thar 32x10.50 back there. How much modification to mount the steel hatch in place of the fiberglass ones?

 

[lazyxj]

I like the way it looks in the mock up photos

How are you planning on opening the hatch if the tire and wheel are covering the handle?

 

[98XJSport]

I like the way it looks in the mock up photos

How are you planning on opening the hatch if the tire and wheel are covering the handle?

Ive been looking at 2 options. 1, hope that the tire will stick out far enough to fit a hand back there, or 2, see what actuates it on the inside and see if a pullring could be done or something similar...

It would kind of defeat the purpose of freeing up trunk space if you couldn't open the trunk:gee:

 

[krelja]

It looks like the tire would get hung up on all kinds of stuff being mounted that low just another thing to think about before you start putting holes in your hatch

 

[98XJSport]

It looks like the tire would get hung up on all kinds of stuff being mounted that low just another thing to think about before you start putting holes in your hatch

It won't get hung up on anything more than a rear tow hitch reciever would. Ideally I would mount it as high as I could in that position, the mock up isn't super accurate it was a balancing job Plus I avoid rocks if I can, its more of a trail and hunting rig build for old back roads, etc.

I can't believe theres been no opinion as to if the hinges or latch could handle doing this?

 

[krelja]

It won't get hung up on anything more than a rear tow hitch reciever would. Ideally I would mount it as high as I could in that position, the mock up isn't super accurate it was a balancing job Plus I avoid rocks if I can, its more of a trail and hunting rig build for old back roads, etc.

I can't believe theres been no opinion as to if the hinges or latch could handle doing this?

If thats what it is used for you should be ok but the tire will stick out a lot further than the hitch does. I think that you would wear out the crappy struts before anyhthing else and I would just try to figure out a place to have something hold it open so all the stress is not on the latch struts and hinges

 

[98XJSport]

I know stronger than factory struts can be found, I was also thinking some sort of fold down leg for long term leaving open. I know it won't stick out much further than the hitch because thats what is holding the tire up in the pics, the 2" ball ffrom my hitch.:eeks1:

 

[xj4fun]

FYI on the original question. There were two types of OE XJ rear tire swing away mounts available. One mounted to the bumper (I had this one), the other mounted to the passenger side quarter panel.

I believe the quarter panel mount was the older of the two versions (and possibly stronger).

I ran mine with the OE tire/rim (I.E. 28/29") for upwards of ten years without any problems. I then ran a 31 for roughly 18 months and it was starting to sag. Point being, I wouldn't trust one long term with anything over a 31.

Hope this helps..

 

[xj4fun]

Forgot to mention bumper mount would work on steel or glass hatches. I'm not sure on quarter panel mount, as the 96+ hatches had slightly different lines.

I'm not sure if the 96+ bumper was redesigned. If it was, the bumper mount might not work for this reason.

 

[Markos]

Check out some of the newer minivan struts. They have some monster struts on the newer vans. I've always been interested in this idea.

Check out this thread, which ultimately points back to naxja...

http://www.colorado4x4.org/vbb/showthread.php?t=92353