If you are considering it I would at least add a tailgate reinforcement bracket to help the tailgate with the extra weight. I have heard of the spot welds that hold the threaded nuts coming loose so I would reinforce that at least with these brackets.
MBRP Tailgate Reinforcement

We have a guy in our Jeep club that went over a sharp drop while off-roading and his spare tire drug with the weight of the Jeep on it bending the entire tailgate up. He had to replace the tailgate, no repairing it.

Personally I am waiting to get my swing away tire carrier bumper before mounting my 35" spare.

 

Some have problems, while others don't. Lots of dissussions in other threads. I think the main factors are 1)weight of the tire/wheel, 2)how it sits on the tire mount and stock bumper due to size and spacing, and 3)how it's driven. To be safe, I would suggest putting a tire carrier high on your mod list.

Me too. I don't want to take any chances.

It'd be kind of a pain opening and closing the tailgate though.

 

Problem for that it is where to weld? The stock carrier is aluminum and unless you got mad skilz you would probably just go strait through it.

 

I did see somewhere on here once that someone had rigged up a support for the spare tire on their trailer hitch.

 

not weld to the actual receiver, but to the drop hitch bar that you put in. If there was a small enough hydraulic jack that could be welded on and not look horrid, that would help with the issue of tailgate opening and closing. Then when installed you would just jack it up to support the tire and they weight would be supported by the hitch.

 

I'd say put it on for the meantime, but don't wait TOO long to get a rear carrier...

 

Are you Rube Goldberg?

 

I'd definitely stay away from mounting it on the tailgate if you can help it. I'm not sure if it's possible, but since it's a 4 door, you may want to keep it in the back until you can get a tire carrier. Also, you can get a tire carrier without the bumper, like the OR-FAB unit, which is like 475-500 bucks.

 

 

I had a 3.5in drop hitch flipped upside down with a ball shimmed up with some washers to keep my 35 from bouncing. You will have to play with the amount of air in the tire abit and the number of washers, but it worked on mine for a year and a half before I got a bumper/carrier. And my tailgate never rattled, noise or anything.