I'm curious to know the verdict on spare tire mounted bike racks because I've seen a lot of conflicting information on whether or not they actually cause damage to the tailgate/tire carrier.

I currently have a hitch mounted rack which make me compromise a bit with regard to access. I'm also not all that concerned with scratching my bike because I ride single track a few times a week and whatever bit of rubbing I get in transit would have to be minimal compared to riding forest. Thanks in advance!

 

I have the Yakima Spare Time bike rack and it would be perfect if I were using it on my factory carrier with my factory wheels.
Since installing the Teraflex tire carrier and AEV wheels, fitment ain't so good. I had to file the base and the square tube that comes with the kit. The bolt holes didn't exactly line up and the hub hole in the AEV wheel was smaller than my factory wheels. Otherwise, I absolutely love the thing!

 

Stick with the hitch mount. I sold my tire mount cause it wouldn't fit on a 35 and 100 pounds of bikes is a recipe for a broken tailgate if used regularly. One road bike might be ok though