Tire Carrier for 37inch tire

[BCalvin]

Here's my 2 cents on the tailgate reinforcement carriers, which the Metalcloak Sportgate is one of:

The stock carrier is bolted to just the tailgate panel. The Metalcloak, Mopar, etc. not only use the tailgate panel, but also tie the carrier into the hinges. By this distribution of weight and force, it naturally is stronger than the factory tire carrier. I feel very comfortable with my 37" spare on the Metalcloak carrier/tailgate reinforcement due to this. The JL hinges are not the same as the weak JK hinges. With the tailgate being closed 99.99% of the time, the hinges aren't bearing the full weight of the spare and anything else you have attached to the tailgate. I can see it being an issue if you drove around with your tailgate opened all the time, but who'd do that??

What I've seen from some carriers (and how some are mounting their spare), is the spare isn't pressed against the spare tire bumpers, whether the stock ones or longer/modified ones. By not having the spare against and compressing these bumpers, the spare will shake, rattle, and move, which can/will fatigue whatever tire carrier installed and the tailgate/hinges itself. It is very important to have the spare tightly against the bumpers.

Yes, rear bumper mounted tire carriers are the best, but also the most expensive solution. If I were to move to 38-40" tires with heavy beadlocks, I'd then think of going this route, but would still be comfortable with my Metalcloak carrier. The longest part of my install was adjusting the back/forth of the wheel mounting flange to ensure the tire was compressing the bumpers.

This nails it from my perspective.

The forces that a 100 pound lever jarring up and down on the tailgate panel is the concern, not opening and closing the door (those hinges are beefy). Think- washboard gravel roads. The forces and fatigue of that panel are high.. Stiffening the pannel and being absoulutly sure the rubber bumpers are tight is key.

I have had both types.

I will not take the weight or departure angle penalty of a bulky integrated bumper carrier. I know there are different ones than the one I had on another Jeep, but it was a pain in the ass.

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[BCalvin]

Jump to 12:40, this guy, a member here drops his jeep on the spare coming off a ledge.
It's a great set-up.

 

[OffroadArsenal]

Those wheels look great! Let us know which tire carrier you go with and how it works out for you.

I’m still trying to figure out which setup to go with. I got the 17x9 Fuel Covert Beadlocks and probably chose too much offset (-38 offset/3.6in BS) so my spare sits really far from my tailgate. They offer the same wheel with -15 offset/4.5in BS which I should have gone with, but too late now. Does anyone else have this issue?

 

[word302]

Jump to 12:40, this guy, a member here drops his jeep on the spare coming off a ledge.
It's a great set-up.

lol. He dented/cracked the tailgate and is now replacing it with a bumper mount. It’s also like 8” away from the tailgate. What a joke.

 

[Roky]

Hey guys im new to the forum and the whole Jeep community. I am replacing the stock tires and wheels from my 2018-4 door JL Rubicon with 37 inch tires on 17X9 Fuel wheels. What do you guys recommend for the tire carrier? Thank you for your time.

I’m late to the party, but I’ll throw my .02 in..... I went with the evo tire carrier. It’s a hinge replacement not a reinforcement carrier. Solid as a rock, no movement, rattles or noise at all.

I’m not saying it’s better than any of the others mentioned on here, it’s just what I decided to go with. I like that it’s high and tight, it adjust up and down and in and out.

If I was going to go with a bumper mount, it would definitely be LOD.

 

[Notorious]

What a joke.

No.

 

[Halstem1]

I’ve been really happy with my Mopar setup. Like many have said, the weight is not specifically on the hinge when closed. I’m probably going to add 10# more with a Mopar beadlock so we’ll see what that does. I’m planning on just pairing with the teraflex alpha mount to keep it tight to the gate. If I go to 39” KM3s I might need to re-evaluate.

 

[redracer]

I have been researching this as well. My factory rubicon KO2's are wearing down, so it's time to replace and upgrade.

In my opinion, from my research, an upgrade does seem like a good idea. Like others, I think that a bumper mounted carrier is best, but with not only a weight penalty but also visibility issues. Every one of the bumper mounted carriers that I see completely destroy your rear view area.

I have therefore chosen to go for a reinforcement option. And, out of the given choices, I find myself liking the Rusty's system the best, as they seem to offer the most support. Their hinges and mounting brackets look and are reported to be very beefy.

https://www.rustysoffroad.com/jeep-...-tire-carrier-2018-and-later-jl-wrangler.html

 

[RubiSc0tt]

I think the,...... shit, Kevin and Brit you tube guys (forgot the channel name) had a 38 on a beadlock on the stock tailgate with no aftermarket kit on it and they showed no (or minimal) sag on the gate.

LiteBrite, with the Stepchild Jeep. They're members here but i forget the user ID. IF you've been keeping up they're running a Motobilt carrier now that they have 40's and KMC Machetes. In the last vid @ SMORR Kevin hits the front bumper on a ledge, basically "Bunny hops" the Jeep. He was probably at 3-4k RPM's with some momentum and when he made impact with the ledge the entire Jeep shook... including the tailgate, with the spare and Rotopax's. I've seen this Jeep in person, Kevin showed me how well the Motobilt carrier opens/ closes/ swings out- there's zero flex, rattling, etc, but it's the kind of impacts on a trail that I saw in that video that I'm worried about and why it's had me thinking about this again...

No I get that, but the reality is nobody has had a JL long enough for metal fatigue to become a factor. It’s 3-5 years down the line when nothing lines up anymore and you struggle to close your tailgate that people will realize it’s an issue. It’s really pretty simple physics. My issue with the Mopar product is it’s stupid expensive and really does nothing except give people a false sense of security.

I had this happen on one of my TJ's because I was a lazy idiot college kid at the time. I had a swing out, didn't want to bolt it on before going wheeling. 3-4 trail rides later and my gate was warped. Now granted, those hinges were way weaker, but the point still stands. Also a swing out would have saved my OG tailgate from getting horribly mangled when I backed into a tree, but I digress.

Jump to 12:40, this guy, a member here drops his jeep on the spare coming off a ledge.
It's a great set-up.

This is @Jeep Generation. Perhaps he can weigh in?

I've been debating this with a few of my buddies after watching the Bunny hop in the LIteBrite vid mentioned above. My buddy installed a few and says they're fine. Swingouts are only on a 1/4" spindle anyway. I'm not keen on the idea of having your tire carrier on your tailgate (even in stock configuration) with the way I watch that tailgate shudder when I close it. Now, granted: I won't be going as hard with this Jeep as Kevin and Brittany do with the Stepchild, but $h!t always happens: what If you slid into a tree, if you drag your spare coming off a ledge, or climbing a ledge. Yes, a bumper mounted carrier has a breaking point as well- but I'd rather have that swing out break off and have to replace that, than have my tailgate get all jacked up as well, possibly allowing rain/ snow/ ice into the Jeep until I can get it fixed.

That said, I also don't have $2k to spend on a bumper. I get the cost of materials and labor and I'll definitely pay more for something made in the USA, but the cost is getting pretty prohibitive. Still weighing out the option, but so far I like what I've seen from Poison Spyder, Warn, and even some of the cheaper ones. I'm going to have to revisit the Aftermarket Bumper list

 

[Creeker]

My $0.015 worth.

The bumper tire carriers can be tricky.
Often the bearing that holds the whole assembly is not of good design nor quality.
Often the bearing fails.
Often they are noisy.
I could not finding a quality bumper tire carrier.

Went with a Rusty's Tire Carrier.

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/manual-2-door-rubicon-bikini-build.48532/page-3

Works well, no noise, no problems.
E-Coated and Powder Coated.

More information on Rusty's TC can be found at:



Rusty's are made really well.

 

[Halstem1]

That rustys setup looks pretty cool. Not sure how I feel about the extra piece that extends toward the handle with additional drill holes. Even if you don’t drill it, it would rub the paint I would think. Otherwise looks clean and well thought out. Curious of customer experiences with it. I just installed some rustys skid plates and they’re pretty awesome. I was super impressed.

 

[Headbarcode]

Now that suspension, steering, and sliders are done I'm currently zeroed on the Cavfab hinged reinforcement and carrier. Planning to pair it with a Motobilt Crusher rear bumper.

 

[skrubi12]

I second the Rusty's - I haven't bashed it on anything but it's solid. Once you figure out how to set up the carrier to have the tire press against the "bumpstop," no shakes on the tire. I've had it on since March and wheeled a couple times now (nothing highspeed or washboard) and it seems to be very solid for what I've done.

 

[72Blazer]

I went with the @CavFab_mfg setup. Solid setup. I just can’t stand the “stop.” I’m constantly having to touch up the paint in that area. It’s annoying. My buddy has the Teraflex on a JK and it’s solid with a clean stop.

I don’t wheel so I don’t have to worth about it fatiguing the tub.

 

[CavFab_mfg]

let us know if you have any questions about our carrier.
if you decide to go with a fabricated steel unit, ours is a great option as well.


https://www.cavfab.com/CavFab-JL-JLU-Elite-Series-Body-Mounted-Tire-Carrier_p_306.html

thanks,
CavFab

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