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Where to mount the spare

Where should the Spare be mounted?

  • On the Roof

    Votes: 162 35.9%

  • On the back

    Votes: 218 48.3%

  • Other (Explain)

    Votes: 71 15.7%
  • Total voters
    451
Status
Not open for further replies.
I apologize for the earlier comments. with the first posting i wasnt intending to sound like a wimp or a woose, i am strong enough, i merely don't want to have to fight with a tire on and off my roof rack whenever. furthermore, size of tire and wheels greatly vary the weight of the wheel. if i was running 44' boggers on 20' wheels, no, i would not be strong enough, though w/ my stock tires/wheels i am perfectly capable.
 
ladywolf said:
I apologize for the earlier comments. with the first posting i wasnt intending to sound like a wimp or a woose, i am strong enough, i merely don't want to have to fight with a tire on and off my roof rack whenever. furthermore, size of tire and wheels greatly vary the weight of the wheel. if i was running 44' boggers on 20' wheels, no, i would not be strong enough, though w/ my stock tires/wheels i am perfectly capable.
Click to expand...

yeah a 44 would weight some. I would not even want a 44 up there to start with. I just threw my 32" with steel rim up there yesterday and was glad this in not some thing I do every day. Time to work on a rear tire mount. I am sick of not being able to go in a parking garage.
 
Easy answer:

Put it out back on a carrier if not being able to see out the back window and having to swing a carrier everytime you open the hatch doesn't bother you.

Put it inside if you don't carry passengers and don't mind the stench of a big ole hunk of rubber taking up your interior.

Put it up top if you carry people, think it is a good idea to see behind you, and actually use the hatch frequently.

I put my spare up top when I wheel. It sits in my garage the rest of the time. It's fun to press a 34x12.5" MT onto the top of an 8" lifted XJ. I run very stable rear springs (BIGOffroad 6"). Don't really even notice it up there, except when I forget it is up there coming back home and slam it into the top of my garage, chipping the stucco and bending my roof rack :bawl: .

Nay
 
somebody did a write up with pix on having a custom made tire carrier that mounted on the bumper nd it was lifted and lowered with gas shocks ( I believe)to improve clearance/visibilty it depended on what he was doing at the time. I just don't remember what URL it was, it was a good compromise.

:viking:
 
Last edited:
No pix, but I keep my 31 strapped down flat in the back, I pretty much have no interior left, other than two front seats and some beat up plastic, no rear seats, so tying it up in there is no big deal- if you are concerned about weight I wouldnt put it up top, just to not mess with your cog too much, but that depends on the rest of your setup as well......
 
dogtired said:
somebody did a write up with pix on having a custom made tire carrier that mounted on the bumper nd it was lifted and lowered with gas shocks ( I believe)to improve clearance/visibilty it depended on what he was doing at the time. I just don't remember what URL it was, it was a good compromise.

:viking:
Click to expand...

http://www.xjworld.4wdriver.com/
 
It's not about right or wrong, but preference. As for me, I have mine up on the Wilderness rack. I thought I would notice a big difference with it being up there when off camber, but I dont. I have had my tire up there for three years now and have only dragged it off once for a flat. I like the room inside and the view out the back window when maneuvering gets tight. Again that's my preference. I run 32x11.5 Negative - I tear off every branch in sight luckly the wilderness always wins.
 
When I trail ride, the spare sits up top on a Mopar Roof Top tire carrier. Otherwise it sits at home. Its a 31" tire on 15x8 wheel. I tried the lay it in the back-hit one bump too hard and the tire broke the straps and pushed out the back window. Didnt break the glass. And it was a hassle everytime I needed something from the back. Didnt like the rear mount-rattle concerns, blocked view.
 
Me and my brother-in law put this one together over the weekend. The bumper is made by Tomken that I found in a junkyard w/o the tire carrier.

1560tc2.jpg
 
i will be making my spare tire carrier pre runner style. on an angle and in the back part. i dont need to carry anything back there. i just fold down the rear seat and set all my junk right there.
 
BrettM said:
I don't understand why we need a 5 page thread to figure out where to chuck the spare, could it really get any simpler?

oh yeah, you guys have XJs :bawl: get over it and get an MJ
Click to expand...

You know, you damn MJ guys need to just shut the hell up. :twak:

I've got some stuff you may be able to use.
 
I've had it
1. on the roof mounted to a full 6 foot Garvin Safari Rack
2. inside the rear hatch area floor
3. now mountd to a swing arm w/ a Custom 4x4 bumper

Putting it on the roof is flat out crazy if you do off camber stuff.
inside the XJ the tire smells like shizzle so u dont want that if your ride is clean.
the swing out is fine up to 33" tire but it does stress out the unibody.

So it really depends on your needs and wants...... if you can do it...Id say go inside the xj flat on the floor....better COG and its feels better while wheeling

Chewy
 
I started out having it flat in the back, then moved it to the roof with a mopar carrier. That made the Jeep a little more top heavy, and created some wind drag on the highway. Then I moved it to the back w/ custom 4x4 carrier, but then it would rub on the ground while off-road and it made the rear bounce more. Eventually moved it back inside right where it started. Thats my prefrence.
 
If you have a hitch, you could use the hitch mounted tire carrier from Quadratec. It's cheaper than an entirely new rear bumper with a tire carrier on it, and can be taken off whenever you want.




The problem with this solution is that every time you want to open the tailgate, you have to remove the carrier from the hitch and put it back in again. I would bite the bullet and go with a bumper/tire carrier. I run the Tomken swing away bumper and I think it is awesome. It seems like it will hold up, and has proven its strength to me on several occasions.
Click to expand...
 
would it be possible to just buy the tire mount and swing and then using bolts and welds along the entire rear factory bumper to support it
 
For the price of Tire Carriers you can buy some do it yourself bead lock rings and paysome one to weld them on. Then forget the spare and you are way better of all the way around.
I run bead locks, carry plugs and patches, and leave the spare at the camp.
 
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