I was doing my 5 tire rotation today and noticed my tailgate look dented/buckled between the hinges. I also noticed my stock spare tire holder is cracked right by the upper passenger stud. Is it time to stop using my stock tire carrier or is the buckle between the hinges from something else? Low on funds now or else I would just order a tire carrier and bumper. May have to sell a gun or two. I have 34 inch Goodyear MTRs which weight 64 pounds not including my 17 inch steel rim


For people who have throw there spare in the back, do you take off the carrier and 3rd brake light?

 

something i'll have to pay attention to.....i've got 35's on 20's on the stock spare bracket....

 

I took off my spare(35x12.50/17) because of the weight and odd noise the gate was making. Its now in the back. 2 door/ no backseat.
I've had the plastic spare tire mount off. Just unbolt all the bolts. Unplug the harness from inside the access panel. Then plug the hole where grommet was.
My opinion, the tailgate looks way better like this.

 

Just got in from doing just that. I am not sure what is going on with the tailgate but the spare tire carrier is def cracked. I dont want to risk having it fly off at 65 mph on the highway and kill someone. I unbolted the carrier and and took the whole thing off. Tire is in the back for now. Need to save for tire carrier becasue I not have no storage space.

What can I plug the various holes with?

 

Soon after I added my 35" spare to the tire holder, I heard the noise others have reported so I knew my tailgate would end up suffering. I couldn't get a proper bumper and tire carrier holder for a while so I took the suggestion of another forum member and I installed my trailer hitch upside down. When I close the tailgate, the spare is lifted and supported by the hitch ball which of course adds some resistance to the normal closing of the door. But the rattle went away along with any chance my hinges or tailgate would sag before I could buy a new rear bumper and tire carrier.

 

can you guys upload a pic of this??? I'd love to see what it looks like..........

 

The stock tire carrier is aluminum alloy. if you dont want the crack to continue you could drill a hole at the end of the crack. then clean the paint off the surface and JB weld it. it would only be a temporary fix.

 

Just because of the risk of it breaking further and ending up on a busy roadway, I'd really recommend picking up one without damage. I had one break (my son backed into a pole) a couple years ago, and within a few days I had several offers for take-offs (from folks who had installed swinggate carriers)--ranging in price from $30-$50 (and one free that came after I opted for the $30 offer).

 

Sounds like someone may have backed into your spare in a parking lot (or you rolled back into a tree on the trail). The weight of a 34" tire/wheel shouldn't be enough to buckle the tailgate between the hinges on its own.

 

You are 100% right. I was thinking about how I bashed up the plastic lens while I was typing. Guess my mind if connected to the fingers somehow.