I am looking at buying one of these once I get my lift and 35s in May. The problem I have with this carrier is how the spare tire is mounted to it. From the pictures I've seen, it has a bolt or rod that goes through the center of the spare wheel and then is secured with a plate and screwed down.

I have a bike rack that needs the 5x5 bolt pattern mounting plate on the spare carrier to work. It sticks out through the center of the spare and is secured with a bolt.

Is there a way to weld a 5x5 plate with 3 studs to resemble the same mounting bracket as the stock carrier? I'm not sure what the Or-Fab carrier mounting point looks like without the spare mounted. I'm also not sure whether there is sufficient metal to weld a plate to if it's just a rod that sticks out.

Does anyone have pics or has anyone done this? If it's possible, is there a 5x5 plate that would work? I thought of a wheel spacer, but those are aluminum. Can aluminum be welded to the steel frame of the carrier?

Thanks.

 

You may need to go with the Hanson tire carrier.....

 

Don't know much about the Or-Fab carrier other than I'd like to have one when the Jeep mod fund finally has a little money in it.

But I'm pretty sure aluminum won't weld to steel. You could either weld a steel plate and bolt the aluminum spacer on or I think Teraflex makes steel wheel spacers if you are able to and want to weld a spacer on.

Good luck.

 

hanson one looks interesting .. anyone know how much that one runs ?

 

I had never even heard of the Hanson carrier - $499 at the Hanson website.



It looks like the carrier mounts only to the tailgate. There's no additional support from the body, which is what I was looking for. Although Hanson claims that the weight is more evenly distributed, the tailgate hinges will have added stress and eventually the tailgate will droop. I'm not crazy about this design. I'd much rather modify the Or-Fab. If I can't weld a spacer to the carrier, maybe I can have a machine shop fabricate a plate with 3 bolts in the same pattern as the stock carrier. I just need to see the Or-Fab mounting location to confirm that there is sufficient space and it won't require too much modification, cutting, grinding, etc.

Thanks for the effort though.

 

OrFab used to make an adapter for the tire carrier, but talking to David at Northridge, they discontinued the piece. You may could contact OrFab for any remaining pieces they may have left over.

 

I wouldnt touch that hanson man my gate is struggling with the 35" after bouncing around for a few months from what I see in the pic it looks like your adding more weight with no support on the hinges wich I think is going to equal out to problems and a waste of your money JMO

 

I like that! Good idea. Thanks!

 

The Hanson one transfers the weight. With the stock carrier all the weight is leveraged away from the hinge and will cause droop in the gate. The Hanson one distributes the weight evenly and allows the weight to be on the hinge where the support should be. It is all about leverage. The Hanson is a dramatic upgrade, but not as good as a bumper carrier or even the Or Fab for taking the weight off of the gate.

 

I'm not completely sure how your bike rack connects to the spare tire, but you can easily drill holes through the plate holding the tire onto the OR-Fab tire carrier, then slide bolts from the back of the tire, through the tire plate and through the tire rack. Then you'll have to shorten the lenth of the OR-Fab "T Bar"(depending on the backspacing for your wheel). I have the OR-Fab rack installed, and this should easily work.