Tailgate reinforcement or swing out carrier?

[Fuel Fire Desire]

It’s time for me to get serious about throwing 35’s on, and need to finish the prep work to make it happen. I’m still trying to decide between using a swing out tire carrier (specifically the Westin swing out bumper) or reinforcing the tailgate and using a separate bumper.

The Westin has all the features I want, hinged link to the gate so I can open it without swinging the tire first, D-ring mounts, reverse light cut outs, etc. my concern is it becoming a rattle trap down the road.

I’d go with a quality tailgate reinforcement kit if I went that route, and my concern is spending the same amount on the mount / relocation and still needing a bumper.


35’s are the biggest Ill go on this Jeep until I do axles….at which point it wouldn’t be a daily anymore, but that’s years down the road. The wheel/ tire combo I’m looking at will be around 110 pounds. Current use for the Jeep is a daily with moderate woodland use. It’s a necessity to access properties I own in northern Michigan, whos access is by forest/ fire trails. Nothing too intense, but definitely beyond simple two-tracks in areas.


For those that have used both, what are your opinions?

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[CarbonSteel]

I started with the Mopar tailgate reinforcement and spare tire location kit, but the studs began pulling out of the cast aluminum on the relocation kit, so I fabricated new ones from stainless steel and back welded studs into them, but that did not stop the tailgate from rattling.

I highly recommend a CavFab tire carrier. I should have bought it from the start and bought once and cried once. It is rock solid with no rattling of any kind and has plenty of adjustment built in. I elected to keep my OEM steel bumpers so I added an LOD Camera Relocation Kit and so I have nothing to remove when I need to pull the spare tire.

 

[Viking Jeeper]

I have swing out tire carrier on my LJ with 35's, not attached to the gate so its a separate operation. There are times its a little cumbersome opening three things to get to the back when I have the hardtop on and a lock box blocks the tailgate opening but I like how it will never stress my tailgate off and if it falls off someday (not likely) it will be as simple as replacing it with another one.

On the JL, I have the teraflex reinforcement and carrier with 35's. I went through all the options before going this route. I thought about the AEV bumper and carrier but it got pretty expensive. What I have now works great.

 

[Fuel Fire Desire]

I have swing out tire carrier on my LJ with 35's, not attached to the gate so its a separate operation. There are times its a little cumbersome opening three things to get to the back when I have the hardtop on and a lock box blocks the tailgate opening but I like how it will never stress my tailgate off and if it falls off someday (not likely) it will be as simple as replacing it with another one.

On the JL, I have the teraflex reinforcement and carrier with 35's. I went through all the options before going this route. I thought about the AEV bumper and carrier but it got pretty expensive. What I have now works great.

I keep eyeing the AEV bumper/ carrier, but that $2500 price tag hurts. The westin, albeit a lower product, is a much more attractive $1500, and includes everything I want. I just fear having to powder coat it in a few years or the carrier hinge becoming loose.

 

[Fouts]

I have been looking as well, anybody have the Rockhard, Expedition one, Hauk, or LOD. They all are in the $1500 to $2000 range. The AEV nice but way too much and the Weston seems a bit cheap.
Seems like you could get to those prices by adding a hinged carrier and bumper.

 

[Chotaling]

We did the Westin bumper with the integrated tire carrier for the reasons you stated when we went to 35s. We did it a couple of years ago and haven't been able to keep the squeaking out of it and have tightened as much as possible. I would think twice before using this one - its the only mod I made to the jeep so far that I'm unhappy with.

 

[Fuel Fire Desire]

We did the Westin bumper with the integrated tire carrier for the reasons you stated when we went to 35s. We did it a couple of years ago and haven't been able to keep the squeaking out of it and have tightened as much as possible. I would think twice before using this one - its the only mod I made to the jeep so far that I'm unhappy with.

I liked the Westin since it had all the features I wanted, but was still very skeptical about it considering how it was on the affordable side. I ended up going with the Teraflex Alpha hinge and carrier. Rock solid unit. I like that the tailgate is now essentially just a body panel with no load on it at all. My 110 lbs spare doesn’t move around at all like my 33’s did on the factory mount.

 

[STW]

I have swing out tire carrier on my LJ with 35's, not attached to the gate so its a separate operation. There are times its a little cumbersome opening three things to get to the back when I have the hardtop on and a lock box blocks the tailgate opening but I like how it will never stress my tailgate off and if it falls off someday (not likely) it will be as simple as replacing it with another one.

On the JL, I have the teraflex reinforcement and carrier with 35's. I went through all the options before going this route. I thought about the AEV bumper and carrier but it got pretty expensive. What I have now works great.

+1
Really happy with the Teraflex reinforcement and carrier.

I had a separate swingout on my TJ carrying only a 33x10.5 and I got really tired of having to do the separate operation--opening the tire carrier, then opening the tailgate. This depends on preference and how often you want to open the tailgate. No doubt there are some who don't mind this like I seem to. For the TJ I carefully chose a high quality swingout carrier/bumper and paid more to get a latch I liked and that operated one handed. But I still I got tired of it really fast. In fact I removed the tire carrier and was driving without a spare a lot of the time, just carrying a plug kit and compressor. (Didn't have a flat during that time.)

When I got the JLR, one of my valued improvements for the JL series was the stronger tailgate intended for a bigger spare--my JLR came with a stock 33 that on my TJ had required a swingout.

My only regret in my JLR ordering choices was paying for the strangely expensive "reinforced" tailgate option which, as far as I can find, is only a bit of metal bolted to the tailgate. That was a waste because I upgraded to the Teraflex HD which replaces the stock hinges and hinge mounts, brings the spare in a little closer to the tailgate than the stock carrier. Supports it more too.

Because of my established aversion to having a separate swingout, the only two spare carrier upgrades I considered were the Teraflex and the Cavfab, because they replace the stock hinges with something designed for the task of larger spare. Mine is only a 35" but I also carry other stuff on the tailgate (NATO gerry can, etc.).

 

[kah.mun.rah]

I liked the Westin since it had all the features I wanted, but was still very skeptical about it considering how it was on the affordable side. I ended up going with the Teraflex Alpha hinge and carrier. Rock solid unit. I like that the tailgate is now essentially just a body panel with no load on it at all. My 110 lbs spare doesn’t move around at all like my 33’s did on the factory mount.

Great choice!

 

[Fuel Fire Desire]

Great choice!

My one and only complaint with it, is the hardware supplied to instal the studs. The studs wanted 160? Ft/lbs, and they gave two nuts to lock against each other to apply torque. Once the first nut started to spin under load, I put a lug nut on top of the 2 nut stack. I was able to get to torque, but it pushed the nuts down along the threads of the stud. I had to use a pick to unspiral the nut threads that sheared off in the stud threads. Definitely not a deal breaker, but frustrating when that happens when the job is 90% complete.

Everything on the hinge and mount is solid and of excellent quality. It’s disappointing that the installation tool provided (the two nuts) were made of 100% chinesium butter steel and wouldn’t survive 100 ft/lbs. I feel Teraflex pulled no compromises in designing and building their mount, but then stumbled at the very end to save $1 on better throw-away nuts.

 

[Maverick909]

I hate my swing out EAG ( i know you get what you pay for ). I have slowly been transitioning back to the tailgate. Been debating the Teraflex route or Smittybuilt but now interested in the Cavfab. My thing is if your going to add support you better add fresh beef cake hinges with it or you really are in no better place than the stock setup

 

[DavidArmen]

I liked the Westin since it had all the features I wanted, but was still very skeptical about it considering how it was on the affordable side. I ended up going with the Teraflex Alpha hinge and carrier. Rock solid unit. I like that the tailgate is now essentially just a body panel with no load on it at all. My 110 lbs spare doesn’t move around at all like my 33’s did on the factory mount.

Expensive, but I also recommend the teraflex.

 

[C.Sco]

Reading this thread convinced me to finally pull the trigger, just ordered the TF Alpha hinge. (I already have the TF alpha tire mount).

Up until now I was just running the cheapo Rough Country tailgate reinforcement that cost like $80 and wasn't even worth that much, I'm actually not convinced it did anything at all besides just scratch up my OE hinges.

 

[kah.mun.rah]

My one and only complaint with it, is the hardware supplied to instal the studs. The studs wanted 160? Ft/lbs, and they gave two nuts to lock against each other to apply torque. Once the first nut started to spin under load, I put a lug nut on top of the 2 nut stack. I was able to get to torque, but it pushed the nuts down along the threads of the stud. I had to use a pick to unspiral the nut threads that sheared off in the stud threads. Definitely not a deal breaker, but frustrating when that happens when the job is 90% complete.

Everything on the hinge and mount is solid and of excellent quality. It’s disappointing that the installation tool provided (the two nuts) were made of 100% chinesium butter steel and wouldn’t survive 100 ft/lbs. I feel Teraflex pulled no compromises in designing and building their mount, but then stumbled at the very end to save $1 on better throw-away nuts.

My only issues is the rubber plugs in the small holes along the top of the gate support. They keep vibrating up and have to be re-pushed down now and then.

 

[Chile1]

Mopar Tailgate Reinforcement Plate w/Oversized Spare Tire Carrier Bracket + CHMSL....

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