White Elephant

Debating if I want to get a roof rack or a rear bumper rack for my spare

what do you guys recommend?

pics would help

dogger15

depends on if you want to get a tire off your roof while on the trail or not. plus extra weight is up there while wheeling if on the roof and having a tire of the roof will kill your mpg

Ianf406

I personally didnt like mine on the back.. it blocked 75-80% of my vision out the back window... it is a pain to crawl up to get it though... my buddy has his mounted inside where the rear seats used to go (his shocks come up through the floor so seat was gone anyways) it looks pretty sweet if you dont need the back seat

no rdplz

I say but it on back. I've got Detours Tailbone.

Gorillaxj

I like the detours setup. don't have it but have seen it up close. its a VERY good kit. The bracing is pretty intence behind the bumper. I like how hte wheel is mounted behind the driver so you can still look over your shoulder and see out the back, just not as much as before.

I would put it on the back. getting it off the roof is a pain, it makes you more top heavy, it kills mpg, it looks lame IMO...

Rear mount, costs more, blocks part of the rear window.

1FSTREX

This is a question that has been debated time and time again. If you search for it you can find a lot of information as well as pictures.

Both options have their pros and cons. I personally went with the roof mounted spare tire because i have a Thule Bike Rack that goes into my hitch so it wont work with a swinging tire carrier. Also i didnt want to have to swing that damn tire out of the way everytime i wanted to get into my tailgate. I also wanted the extra storage that the roof rack has to offer.

Although a rear tire carrier does have its benefits. There is less wind drag/noise from your roof (can equate to better gas mileage). It make your Jeep less top heavy. And its way easier to get your spare tire when you do need it! As i said its ultimately up to you.

Heres my Jeep with roof rack.

Kargo Master 52x60 with Rack Rail Mounts


Here is the same rack on my old Jeep


My brothers jeep with the same rack and mounting system, just a bit smaller 52x52

White Elephant

Thanks for the help guys. I'll do some more research and post some pics once i get a setup

dogger15

I lucked out on my rear swing out. Was close to ordering detours then came by one at the jy one random day so pulled it and the bumper for only $60

Agent_Oragnge

i personally like the top. MPG's vs. visiblity? how ever some swing out carriers are cool to.

no rdplz

It's more than just mpg's vs visibility. Up top you lose mpg's (especially highway), you're more top heavy, and it's a pain to get it down.

On the back, you lose some rear ward visibility (that's why I like the Detours set up - it's offset so the passenger side is still clear for visibility) and you gotta swing it out to open the hatch. Honestly though, after about a month, it became second nature. I've discovered that the majority of people that think opening it constantly will be an issue have never had a swing out tire carrier, so they don't realize how easily it becomes just part of getting into the Jeep.

Agent_Oragnge

maybe i'll fab up a swing away and try it out. free up some space on the roof rack. if i don't like it the hardware store sells cut-off wheels.

is the weight so far hehind the axle an issue? better to have it center over an axle, or is it just not heavy enough to make a difference?

no rdplz

The weight's not an issue at all. If you design it right, you can get a ton of strength without a ton of weight. It's all in how you do it. Mark (Detours) has an incredibly strong set up with the Tailbone and it's doesn't weight very much at all.

Agent_Oragnge

stay tuned pal, by monday you'll see the same Rig (mine) with 2 pics of 2 set ups. tire up top, tire on hatch.

01erionracing

Here is my roof mount and rear bumper mount spare tire. I ended up selected the roof mounted. By mounted on the roof it saved some weight at least 70lbs on the swing away tire carrier and it easier when open the hatch.
I have mounted the spare tire on the rear bumper before and when I swing the tire carrier outside to open the hatch and left it there for long period of time the RC leaf spring sagged pretty bad. After that I have Alcan custom made the new leaf springs for the weight of the spare tire on the rear bumper but I still dont want it happened again so I decided to moved it to the roof.

brookhart63

A. ^I really like the jeep above this post for some reason

B. I like it on the back for most jeeps. My steel wheels and 31's weigh alot. Im 6'3 250 and have no problem with weights and i still think its a pain. My 5'2 115 pound girlfriend that drives my jeep wouldnt be able to reach or get it down. On the back it would be easy.