Spare on tailgate - lets settle this once and for all
 

OK guys lets settle this once and for all. Can folks with a 35" or bigger spare on the tailgate say:

1. What parts/products they used to make room for the bigger tires and accomodate a 3rd brake light,

2. How long they ran with this setup (time or miles)

3. What kind of abuse has it been getting over this time (highway, off-road)

4. Any side effects to date? Deformation of tailgate, bends, dents, etc.

Here are some solutions I thought of that allow for oversized spare on tailgate AND accomodate for a 3rd brake light:

Bestop HighRock 4X4 Oversize Tire Carrier
(up to 37" tire and 200lbs)
http://www.buildingjeeps.com/JK/images/spare3.jpg

Tomken machine spare tire relocation bracket PLUS Warrior third brake light bracket
(moves tire out 2.5" and up 1.5". according to my measurements a 12.50 wide tire is roughly 1.5" wider than stock rubicon tires)
http://www.buildingjeeps.com/JK/images/spare6.jpg
http://www.buildingjeeps.com/JK/images/spare1.jpg

Another bracket that can be uses is the AtoZ fabricaion spare tire adapter that can convert between various bolt patterns:
http://www.buildingjeeps.com/JK/images/spare2.jpg

Mopar spare tire carrier
(this is the carrier w/o the bumper. can it be mounted on the stock bumper? up to 35" tire)
http://www.buildingjeeps.com/JK/images/spare4.jpg

There may be tire carriers by other manufacturers that can be installed on stock bumper, not just their bumper. I remember at least one manufacturer stating so in their product description.

rampage products spare tire mount extender
(I am not sure if this replaces the stock tire mount or extends it. if replaces then it would not allow the use of the Warrior braket to extend the brake light)
http://www.buildingjeeps.com/JK/images/spare5.jpg

Thats all I have.

very nice write-up man! Good info for everyone

1. What parts/products they used to make room for the bigger tires and accomodate a 3rd brake light,

2. How long they ran with this setup (time or miles)

3. What kind of abuse has it been getting over this time (highway, off-road)

4. Any side effects to date? Deformation of tailgate, bends, dents, etc.

Here are some solutions I thought of that allow for oversized spare on tailgate AND accomodate for a 3rd brake light:

1. 35's here and didnt need any change to brake light or carrier, tire fit fine on stock carrier.

2. 6500mi and now I have Pure jeep rear bumper and tire carrier, just because I wanted it, it looks cool :thumbsup: and that stock bumper is nothing but a plastic cover.

3. I wheeled with the stock alot and I do like to fly thru my mudholes.

4. No effects for the time I had it on stock.

I think the stock is fine for the 35's but you are pushing it mounting a 37 on the tailgate no matter what bracket you use for it.

I have the teraflex extended 3rd brakelight :thumbsup: I needed it with the tire carrier

When you going to join us on a pine barrons run?
http://www.teraflexplus.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=179

35"...no problems to date
 

My 35" spare has been mounted since last September with no problems to date. The "cyclops" light remains oem & is still visible. My tires are mounted on the stock rims so I had to add a 1.5" spacer to the spare mount, the same as I did with my other 4. The bolts were too short. My spare barely clears the molded tire section of the bumper. No way a 37" would fiton the stock spare tire carrier...top or bottom, unless it was pushed out more than mine. I will try and find a pic to post, if not I'll try and take a couple if you need them.

I bought the Rough Country Spacer for mine:

http://www.roughcountry.com/images_large/jeep_1052.jpg

it worked great for a few months but this last week before my last run, I took it off. I was getting some "flex" on the tailgate with a resulting "thump" whenever I hit a bump.

I wheel semi-aggressively I guess and that along with the added weight and the Spacer extending the tire away from the tailgate even further, caused just to much stress.

I just turned 4500 miles (lift and tires went on at 900) so about 3500 miles without to much issue.

IMO you use the Spacers to buy you some time before you get a real Tire Carrier, unless your a mall crawler in which case you'll probably never need to upgrade.

I have been running 35" Toyo M/Ts on my Jeep for about 6 months. I didn't have to use any adapters to put the spare on the tailgate. It was working great until I went to Moab. While I was in Moab, the spare took some hits when going over some large drop offs. My tailgate is now bent a little. Nothing serious, but enough that I ordered the LoD rear bumper with tire carrier to get the spare off the tailgate and raise it a few inches as well.

As soon as we go. When are we going? I've been to the pines the day after picking my Jeep up with the lift. I am waiting to go to Rauch Creek. I just don't have a spare mounted, so unless I can leave it at their staging area they may not let me in.

I don't even want to mount my full size spare. I like the visibility in the back. I am thinking of a simple custom bracket to just mount the brake light (required in NJ) w/o the stock tire carrier (until I work up a budget for a rear bumper... why are they so expensive?), but don't have the tools or parts. Its just that the private off-road parks around here require a full size spare to wheel.

My 35 is on a 17x8.5 inch wheel with 5.75 inch backspacing. I used one 1.5 inch spidertrax wheel spacer. The bottom of the tire sitson the edge of the bumper recess.

The CHMSL is still fully viewable without modification and looks like the 35 came that way stock.

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...n/DSCN2497.jpg