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Tire carrier

3K views 30 replies 20 participants last post by  sherfjeep 
#1 ·
So I got a set of 315 and I have a tight budget now, has anyone reinforced there tire carrier instead of buying a new one? Any good kits you guys can recommend? I have a 2013 jk
 
#2 ·
Honestly the biggest concern. The tire not supported by the factory bumps with less backspaced wheels. The added weight bouncing around in the gate can pop the welds.
Buy some $15 Daystar stops or make your own extensions. You should be fine with a 35" as long is its supported.
 
#4 ·
Don't waste your money on Daystar bumpers. The compound is too soft to do any good at all. Cut a piece of heater hose the correct length and insert it into the existing bumpers. I also added to a trailer hitch that I flip upside down in the receiver to support the spare from beneath. Very simple and cheap fixes.
 
#5 ·
Did you see the OP wants a budget option, he's probably not interested in a $500 new tire carrier.

I used 1" ID semi hard sprinkler pipe. Home Depot sells a 2' section for a few bucks. Slide that into the openings on the stock bumpers and cut to length. If you want to really finish it off, buy a bag of 1 1/4" plastic caps to finish off the ends. Total spent under $10. Works like a charm.
 
#9 ·
I always felt it was an investment in rear gate hinge protection to have a quality tire carrier installed. I like the design of the AEV because it places the load on the frame, not the bumper or tail gate hinges. Some don't like the "offset" look, I could care less. It works better than the stock one when opening and closing the gate, and for holding my spare/shovel/fuel caddy,etc. I know it is an expense, but no more so than a saggy gate repair! When I mod my Jeep, it's usually to do an upgrade.
 
#13 ·
I wasted $ on Daystars. Tore the sh!t outta the foam trying to install nice and snug. I ended up cutting discs from the Daystars and jamming between the factory stop/spare, but I'm liking some of the other cheap solutions suggested here.
 
#16 ·
It also serves as a guard to keep from ripping the spare off if you go off a sharp drop. The trick is to build up the hitch height to the exact height needed to support the spare while making it easy to open and close the gate. Never bothered to take pics but I will if anyone cares.
 
#18 ·
While I would agree that $500.00 might not be what many would consider a budget option, there may be other issues that preclude the other fixes from working. I currently have Duratrac 33's on 15" TKO's (which are actually a bit less than 33" in height) on my factory carrier. I am going to 35" AT2's next week on the same wheel and initially wanted to try the stock carrier or perhaps just the HD hinge from TF.

Problem became apparent when I took a look at the distance my current 33 sits from my factory bumper. There is no way, in my case, the 35 will clear my OEM bumper. The Duratrac is just under an inch away from it. AT2's measure very close to 35 so will net me close to 1-1/2 inch of increase.

I ordered the TF hinge and adjustable carrier to allow me to move the spare up.

I know OP stated his tire is 315, but not sure what aspect or wheel so maybe his will clear more easily.
 
#19 ·
an inexpensive option as a short term solution...

Smittybilt 2743 - Smittybilt Oversized Tire Carrier in Black for 07-15 Jeep® Wrangler & Wrangler Unlimited JK - Quadratec

i ran this carrier for about a year with a 315/75r16 wheel and tire on it. wheeled okay... just need to check it on occasion to ensure it's not loosening up. the carrier gets the tire a little closer to your tailgate, the closer the better (same principle TeraFlex uses - this is what i switched too btw, and i have it holding a 40" tire)

as others have said, eventually - if you're not cautious and meticulous about checking, your welds will pop. so think of this as a short term solution. not a permanent fix.
 
#21 ·
I have a 35 mounted on the stock carrier. it is tight, it slightly rubs the stock bumper. on the bright side the bumper is supporting some of the weight of the tire. I did have to cut some hose to put in the bump stops just to firm up the tire. the tire measured 34 in and any bigger it would not have worked.i figured I would try it first before ordering aftermarket carrier.
 
#26 ·
the TF carrier comes with a bracket for the third brake light.

you could buy the TF hinge first, your stock carrier will work with the hinge just fine. if your aftermarket tire isn't setup on the bumpstops, you could either throw some golf balls in the ends, or buy some daystar bumpstops (i'm not a fan of the daystar bumpstops)...

when you could, i really would do the TF mount though. it works best all together.
 
#27 ·
Yeah, I know TF hinge and mount work well together. Nice product. I finally was able to get some new wheels with 4.5" backspace that pushed the tire out. Liking all the posts here for the bumpstops. Will probably get tire mount first, so that I can move it in closer. I only have 32s right now, so the hinge is probably not needed yet :)
 
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