Very nice and cleanly done!

 

Great job... one of the best tire carriers I've seen.

 

Thanks - many of the ideas came from others (cutting out the rear X-member and sliding the mounts inside was one), so I can't take all the credit.

I've put some miles on the Jeep (all on pavement, unfortunately) since the tire carrier was installed and it has been solid and rattle free so far. Since I don't go into the hatch very often the T-bolt "latch" works fine for me, but if I were using this as my daily driver I'd probably go with some kind of toggle latch that is easier to use.

One thing I do notice is that the Jeep drives a little differently with the change in weight at the rear, even with just a 30" tire and the longer wheelbase of the XJ. This was the main reason I kept the spare on the floor of the tub of my TJ unless I had to have the back seat in....

 

Definitely like how this turned out. I've been looking at a few designs for my own (hopefully to be built soon) and will probably use a few of your ideas (like the uni body tie-ins). Great job!