i'm looking to get a set of 315/70/17 kumho mt's in the near future. i know that i'm going to have to have spacers in order to use my stock rims, my question is what are my options for my spare? is that too much weight to have on my tailgate? do i need to get a swing-away carrier. as always your input is valued greatly

 

You will probably want a swing away at some point, the weight on the tail gate will wear it down over time. This is mine with 35x12.5x17 Pro Comp xTreme AT and cans, made by Or-Fab and holds 10 gallons of gas as well, works great

 

I'd consider a carrier (OR-FAB) with a wheel that big, especially if you go off road. The factory carrier is cast aluminum, I'd worry about it breaking on the trail.

 

I have same size MTs and steel rims (they are heavy) and I have had no problem with the stock carrier. It is made to hold a good deal of weight as many racks are also designed to be mounted on top of the spare.

I have the extended bump stops and I cut them to hold the tire in snug. If there is very little play, it distributes the weight of the spare and there is less torque on the mount with bumps.

I have also had no problems off road with the carrier.

 

I bought the Rampage tire carrier from 4wd.com for a little over $100. I have a 35 sitting in there with no problems. I have had it on there for over a year with plenty of wheeling and no sagging at all. It's a cheap temporary solution.