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teraflex tire carrier and hinge - reviews welcom

29K views 76 replies 45 participants last post by  jadmt 
#1 · (Edited)
ok, so i just spend the last bit installing my teraflex carrier and hinge combo. I've got some comments to share with the community.

first of all - this is on bad a** hinge... i cannot imagine anything better constructed for this purpose than this. it appeared lightweight at first, then i mounted it up... wow. if the frame it mounts to is as strong as it's engineered to hold, then you've got no problems with this - worth the money.

then comes the tire carrier. i'm sure you, as i, have read sorted reviews of past performance and excellence. having just installed, i can't comment on the long term performance. what i can say is that I've got some initial concerns.

the cylindrical tire carrier's grip on the actual mounting bracket is based on friction, much like a thule carrier's grip is based on the downward pull against the cross bar. given, there is no way the mounting bracket can actually come off of the mounted carrier due to the retaining bolts - that said, there is still some movement in my tire against the horizontal axis.

the instructions call to push the carrier in 3-4mm after dry fitting. i was able to move my carrier in almost a full inch to get a "movement free fit". i'm no engineer, but I'd rather see a vertical, hardened, carriage bolt assembly to supplement the current design.

i'd do this myself, but as i said teraflex has engineering beyond my years that say this will work. i'm no lightweight with the spare (104lbs), so i have my concerns. we'll see what time has to offer. (other setup info - cragar wheels have a 5 inch rim offset and the wheel/tire measurement was almost 8 inches that i used to get an initial setting point for the tire mount, see instructions...)

until then, i'm snugly fit against the oem rubber stopper and hinge, with a bit of vertical movement when i push on it. in the rear-view, everything seems solid.

also to mention to all who are mounting this up, i'm running 35s, i opted to use the 37 inch lug holes. it has virtually no visual difference - and gives me more clearance for a non-stock bumper.

looking forward to years (the rest of my life at this price) of carrier excellence for everything i can throw at this thing.

please let me know if you have any questions, or trepidations before dolling out the massive scratch on this thing. install or quality questions, that's why this is a forum!
 

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#2 ·
I too have this hinge and carrier setup. I give it five stars in terms of ruggedness, mu spare weighs in at 115 lbs and there is no movement what so ever to the tire when securely bolted in. The tailgate is heavy but shuts solidly and show no signs of sag or unnecessary movement.
 
#9 ·
Are there any other competitors? Rugged Ridge is apparently selling (or about to sell) something very similar.
I can only imagine that anything else would have a "junky" feeling compared to this. I've seen them, but they certainly aren't as heavy duty as the TF.

I just had a few tweaks and first hand info that I wanted to share with this thread.

thus far - this IS worth the bucks if you want to keep an oversized tire on the tailgate.
 
#5 ·
the cylindrical tire carrier's grip on the actual mounting bracket is based on friction, much like a thule carrier's grip is based on the downward pull against the cross bar. given, there is no way the mounting bracket can actually come off of the mounted carrier due to the retaining bolts - that said, there is still some movement in my tire against the horizontal axis.

I had the same problem. No matter how much I tightened the lower carriage bolts there're was still movement between the receiver cylinder on the tailgate and the cylinder on the adjustable bracket on the tire side, allowing the bracket and tire to move up and down. I think the cylinder was slightly out-of-round. Had a annoying popping noise from the movement every time i went over a bump.
I ended up adjusting everything like it should be. Then removing the spare and pushing the bracket in slightly. After getting everything where I wanted it, tightened the carriage bolts and drilled through both the cylinder on the tailgate side and the cylinder on the bracket side at the same time, tapped the hole and installed a S.S. bolt, washer and lock washer to pin them together. No more movement or popping for the last 9 months. Also trimmed down the factory rubber bump stop with a hacksaw to work Better with the wheel offset.

Auto part Footwear Rim Disc brake Wheel
 
#6 ·
I had the same problem. No matter how much I tightened the lower carriage bolts there're was still movement between the receiver cylinder on the tailgate and the cylinder on the adjustable bracket on the tire side, allowing the bracket and tire to move up and down. I think the cylinder was slightly out-of-round. Had a annoying popping noise from the movement every time i went over a bump.
I ended up adjusting everything like it should be. Then removing the spare and pushing the bracket in slightly. After getting everything where I wanted it, tightened the carriage bolts and drilled through both the cylinder on the tailgate side and the cylinder on the bracket side at the same time, tapped the hole and installed a S.S. bolt, washer and lock washer to pin them together. No more movement or popping for the last 9 months. Also trimmed down the factory rubber bump stop with a hacksaw to work Better with the wheel offset.

View attachment 2290041
this is what I was thinking I was going to need to do. but like I said, I pushed the carrier mount in another inch or more and tighten the bolts - once I started drawing the tire into the rubber bumper and hinge the movement settled significantly.

also, I mushed the rubber bumpstop in about 25% more than the stock tire did - I didn't have to force anything, just add some more pressure. like I said, I think that it's the directional pressure that holds the carrier in more than those 2 bolts.

took it out for a ride today, thing didn't move a mm and there's great feel to the weight of the tailgate.

5 stars for now, we'll see in a year if it stays quiet.
 
#7 · (Edited)
I have this system, working out fine, so far. I have 35s and check it every time I go out, very secure! Most of my running is desert roads, fire roads not anything really abusive. I just checked and I've put 10K on since the install.

 
#8 ·
so I'm 3 removals of my spare and a couple weeks into this installation and I think I finally have it - although there was no obvious movement, when you pushed on the top of the tire (or went over a bump) there was a very loud and annoying squeak coming from the cylinder.

so, I took everything apart and found where the rub was, I reinstalled the tire carrier into the cylinder a little bit deeper than I had originally measured - I added a 3rd hex bolt, installed new second washers on both the nut and head sides and tightened the living crap out of all 3 bolts.

I think the torque spec for the bolts was like 47 pounds - which left the tire carrier rattling in the cylinder. I've got no deformation of the cylinder where the bolts are, but I just kept going from bolt to bolt, 1/8th of a turn at a time until there was zero movement from that carrier.

got a good depth on the tire itself, with a small tire indentation from the hinge, as expected in the directions.

this is a great carrier - I'm sure it will last for a very long time, I just think the engineering of the carrier would've been better with an augmenting carriage bolt thru the cylinder from top to bottom at an angle. it would've still accommodated all tire sizes and 100% secured the carrier to the cylinder at the prescribed depth.

either way, this carrier rules, better than a $1500 bumper mount or crappy fill in.

(oh, and the hinge is still totally BA and bomb proof- perfect feel on tailgate swing!!)
 
#12 ·
#14 ·
I was planning to go with the Teraflex set-up, since I wanted to keep the stock bumper AND keep weight to a minimum on the rear of the Jeep.

Then I read a thread on here about one of our members (sorry, I can never keep his name straight -- JSherm, maybe?) who designed a greasable HD tailgate hinge. He is a thorough and innovative man, best I can tell from his various threads on here, but he doesn't ever produce or market his designs. He sells or gives them to a manufacturer.

In this case, both GR8Tops.com and Extreme Terrain are carrying it. I have one. It is magnificent. Extremely heavy duty steel, real bearings, grease fittings, good mounting hardware. No stiffness whether the tailgate has a spare on it or not.

http://www.extremeterrain.com/barricade-hd-tail-hinges-j102515.html

I am coupling that with one of the inexpensive adjustable spare mounts, a 3rd brakelight extension from Teraflex, and a pair of Daystar bumpstops. But I haven't mounted all that because I haven't mounted my 285/75-17 KM2s yet, because my KMs only have 10,000 miles on them and I am a man of supreme discipline. (I keep telling myself that, but those damn KM2s keep sitting in my basement staring at me, pleading to be installed and get out on the trail, and I don't know how much longer I'll be able to resist. :()

Anyway, if the carriers work well, I'll be all in for under $250, and the hinges are outstanding. We'll see how she goes once I cave and mount the big tires.
 
#23 ·
Noob question ...

I was planning to go with the Teraflex set-up, since I wanted to keep the stock bumper AND keep weight to a minimum on the rear of the Jeep.

Then I read a thread on here about one of our members (sorry, I can never keep his name straight -- JSherm, maybe?) who designed a greasable HD tailgate hinge. He is a thorough and innovative man, best I can tell from his various threads on here, but he doesn't ever produce or market his designs. He sells or gives them to a manufacturer.

In this case, both GR8Tops.com and Extreme Terrain are carrying it. I have one. It is magnificent. Extremely heavy duty steel, real bearings, grease fittings, good mounting hardware. No stiffness whether the tailgate has a spare on it or not.

Barricade Wrangler Heavy Duty Tailgate Hinges JP54-003 (07-15 Wrangler JK) - Free Shipping

I am coupling that with one of the inexpensive adjustable spare mounts, a 3rd brakelight extension from Teraflex, and a pair of Daystar bumpstops. But I haven't mounted all that because I haven't mounted my 285/75-17 KM2s yet, because my KMs only have 10,000 miles on them and I am a man of supreme discipline. (I keep telling myself that, but those damn KM2s keep sitting in my basement staring at me, pleading to be installed and get out on the trail, and I don't know how much longer I'll be able to resist. :()

Anyway, if the carriers work well, I'll be all in for under $250, and the hinges are outstanding. We'll see how she goes once I cave and mount the big tires.
I have 35" tires on the stock bumper/spare mount and the rattle is annoying as heck. There are 4 good reviews on the Barricade hinges (Barricade Wrangler Heavy Duty Tailgate Hinges JP54-003 (07-15 Wrangler JK) - Free Shipping) that claim the hinges solve the rattle I'm experiencing. So my question, is an aftermarket spare tire mount necessary or will the hinges alone solve my rattle problem?

A $150 fix sounds too good to be true but would allow me to put $$$ into other items.
 
#16 ·
I just have the carrier and i love it solid feel the gate stay in place when i open it and any position.i did have a problem with the pins rusting .i emailed teraflex and the told me i could ship it to them and they would send a new one if i paid for the shipping.i thought about it but that would leave me unable to drive the jeep since there would be nothing holding the gate shut.so I decided to take it off grind all the rust down spray rust preventer and then I sprayed it wit rusto bedliner paint.then I took black silicon and caulked the pin around the top.heres the best part I took some pictures and emailed them to teraflex the guy was so impressed in what i did he sent me a bunch a swag .hat,t-shirt and a nice duffle bag.i thought that was very nice of them.he also told me that they did change the pins to a different metal on the newer models.im still happy with it
 

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#18 ·
I really hope this is a good setup as i just orderd this.It is alot of cash,will be here Monday. I am puting a 315/70/17 on it.
It is a good setup. I think you'll be happy with it. Like most things there is room for improvement or just some personal things I would have like to see different. It does look like there are some other offerings on the market now too though. Curious to see how well they compare.
 
#19 ·
You will love the hinges and carrier, it is A #1, five stars!!!!

One question to current owners. Have you inserted any bolts into the accessory threaded holes that are visible? I don't have plans to mount anything else to the hinged carrier and those holes kind of catch my eye every time I walk around the beast.....
 
#21 ·
You will love the hinges and carrier, it is A #1, five stars!!!!

One question to current owners. Have you inserted any bolts into the accessory threaded holes that are visible? I don't have plans to mount anything else to the hinged carrier and those holes kind of catch my eye every time I walk around the beast.....
Lowe's has a plastic plug that is the perfect fit for the 3 drilled holes on the carrier. Super cheap like 0.89 each. They fit perfectly. I cant recall the size, but they fit perfectly.

I have zero issues with mine. I have both the hinge and the carrier. No issues with the cylinder fit or any movement/squeaking etc. I cinched the tire up just so it touches the hinge and removed the bump stop on the other side. No need for it as it is super solid. Made a plug for it.

I have one of the older style carriers that had the old style license plate relocation part that went through the wheel and into the carrier. I since then bought the updated smaller 3rd light bracket kit that now comes with it. So much better looking.
 
#22 ·
My spare tire carrier only came with the third brake light kit but nothing for the license plate. I ended up buying the license plate and light bracket from Teraflex (under $30) and a license plate light kit from ORO (Off-Road Only).

I too took off the bumper stop and drilled a hole in a rubber grommet and used that hole to run the six foot of license plate light wiring through the tailgate, into the cargo compartment and up to the wiring harness in the passenger side brake light (the six foot wiring harness that came with the light kit was just long enough with little extra to spare). I then used a volt meter to find the light wire for the lights versus the backup or brake light. I soldered the connections and taped securely and then used the Mopar license plate delete plate to cover up where the plate used to be. The whole project took about an hour or so. Here is the finished look.
 

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#32 ·
Does anyone make this for my 2006 LJ?
I love to save the hassle and cash of not buying a whole new bumper!

Mine is clapped out even from the stock size spare. Now that I put even bigger tires on I don't carry a spare :-/
 
#35 · (Edited)
I like the hinged/tailgate reinfircement. It solves the issue of having to get a separate, bulky spare tire carrier.

But, as I indicated on another thread, I am not fond of the optional oversize spare tire adapter TeraFlex / Mopar offer as an addition to the tailgate reinforcement.

I have both items on my 2018 JKUR; they came on the Jeep from the factory. The hinged reinforcement works great. But the design of the oversize spare carrier creates more issues than it solves.

For once, having multiple moving pieces makes the entire carrier weaker than the standard one-piece. Their solution is to make the spare tire rest against the tailgate and, thus, avoid putting pressure on the carrier. I got to drive from Discount Tire to my place with the spare tire not touching the tailgate and it was not fun —it didn’t help that the carrier itself came loose from the factory.

Second, the way TeraFlex went about giving it in-and-out adjustment renders the carrier extremely difficult to adjust with the spare tire mounted. You’d be hard pressed to get your hand behind the wheel to loosen and tighten those bolts. You will have to remove the spare tire, adjust the carrier, and mount the tire back on. If you didn’t get the adjustment right, you have to remove the spare tire, readjust, remount the tire, and repeat these steps until you get it right.

Finally, the separate 3rd brake light looks like an afterthought. They took the brake light from a standard carrier, cut off the lower portion and gave it a couple of rings to attach it with the spare tire lugs. But you will not be able to re-mount the 3rd brake light if your new wheels have a deeper dish design than the OE wheels —they all do. I had to add a couple of washers to get the clearance required to be able mount and secure the light. We can all guess what will happen to those washers —and to the light— when the time comes for Discount Tire to do a 5-tire rotation.

It is not that the oversize carrier is useless. It works. IMO it is more that the entire setup looks and feels like it was developed in a garage, without a lot of thought put into it. For the price TeraFlex and Mopar charge for these things, I expect a lot more.
 
#36 · (Edited)
I have had the adjustable mount since they first came out and never had an issue. If you move it in the difference in your backspacing compared to stock ie stock is 6.2 and say AEV rims are 5.2 move the carrier in (two bolts have to be loosened) 1" and you are exactly where you need to be. I disagree I think the stock pot metal carrier is not near as strong as the steel adjustable carrier. That is just my opinion. I find it super simple to adjust. I have run the set up with all types of rims ie Stock rims of every flavor, Raceline raptors, Pintlers, saltas, and savegres. the only ones I needed to run some washers on for clearance between the brake light and the rim was the Saltas and that was no big deal. I did clean mine up tho recently by adding the AEV 3rd brake light which is really clean. The problem with the stock besides being made of pot metal is if you go with rims that have less backspacing you need to make sure you brace the tire against the hinge and add something ie rubber hose, tennis ball etc to the driver side bumper. The OEM brake light set up is just like the TF set up. they just use the light from the stock carrier. My Recon had it from the factory and I have installed many of them and they are identical except the oem uses metric bolts on the carrier adjustment and the TF uses std bolts. That is the only difference.

No spacers needed on these.


couple of washers on these.
 
#37 ·
Does anyone have any experience with the alta add on cargo rack? I really want a tire carrier that is door connected with the option for a rack. The only two I've seen that offer this is the Terafelx hinge and the LOD Door connected bumper/carrier. I want to use my factory tow hitch tho and and the LOD required removal.
 
#38 ·
yes. I had one it worked great but I ended up buying a trailer so I sold it.

 
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#39 ·
Teraflex was the first and the one that all others try to copy.
 
#46 ·
If I go from 35s to 37s, what do I need to do to the teraflex carrier?

When I first installed the Teraflex hinge and carrier, I pressed in the wheel bolts on the 35 inch designated holes, how do I take them out and adjust them to accommodate my 37s?

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 
#47 ·
just press them out or use a hammer and knock them out and then press them back in the proper holes
 
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