91XJMudMan

So my jeep needs a fullsize spare tire mount, like every other jeep should. I dont want it on the roof, and dont want it in the cargo area. I want to keep the COG nice and low, and keep my cargo area clear for camping gear, tools, etc. That leaves me with one real option, a swinging style carrier on the back.
I dont want to be like everybody else and have the tire leaning with hatch, or have the tire spaced far off of the hatch. with conventional swing away mounts the tire tends to be about 5-6+ inches off the hatch, and I personally dont like how it looks. And the tire leaing with hatch just doesnt fit my tastes.
I thought about a swing down type, but dont like that it will still kinda be in the way, even when its open. I like to sit in the back of my jeep to chill out on the trail, and it would just be easier with a swing type carrier to load and unload camping gear.
So! I saw pictures and read about the OFFROAD EVOLUTION tire carrier for the Jeep JK. It mounts to a set of corner guards in 4 places, so strength is no problem and rattling is not even a factor. The tubes wrap around the tire getting it as close to the jeep as possible, and offer a bit of protection to the tire itself. I also like how it does not interfere with the bumper at all.

So here is my jeep to get an idea of what im working with. I have JCR corner guards that will be modified for the tire carrier. I will be filling in the rear light holes, and recutting a single light hole in the center to be a brake/turn/parking light. Then welding on mounts for the tire carrier to attach and pivot on above and below the lights.

91XJMudMan

Here is what the OFFROAD EVOLUITION tire carrier looks like that i will be copying. Mine will look almost identical when done, except I would add a license plate mount in the center, a CB/flag mount on one side, a vertically standing hi-lift mount on the other side on the inside blank area next to the tire, and possibly a couple lights mounts. Also, when I build mine the tire will be as close to touching the hatch as i can get it. Probably within a 1/4''!!

Here are some pics...

91XJMudMan

Nobody has opinions? lol

Rogue4x4

Simple design, I like it...will you be fabbing this yourself?

ktmracer419

i did something similar. worked fine. I just opted not to have the entire weight of the carrier on my 1/4 panel and to put only one mounting point there, while having the other on the sturdier bumper.

1/4 panel guards are sturdy, I just don't think they are sturdy enough to have an entire 35+" tire, a steel wheel, and a bunch of tube hanging off it.







I'm also gonna reccomend getting it as high as you can if you play in the rocks. I made mine high enough so it didn't go above the roofline, and a 35" spare still made contact with the rocks/ground from time to time. but if its sturdy enough and tube is what makes contact with the rocks I suppose it wont be an issue to drag it anyway.

and if you don't make the mounts in a perfect plane when mounting to the bumper and 1/4 guard, it will swing down and out. (which is what i was going for anyway)

PocketsEmpty

Good luck! I'm also probably going to opt for a rear tire carrier/swing type setup with my build. I'm looking to go with 35's but I dislike the fact that most of the rear windshield will be blocked, and defnitely don't want to put that big of a tire on a roof rack. But what are ya gonna do, lol.

The Garvin Wilderness bumpers look amazing to me, but they are insanely pricey especially with accessories. I like the idea of the little rack above the spare.

http://www.rustysoffroad.com/jeep-bu...umper-systems/

Red82

Looks like a great idea. I have concerns about all the weight on the quarter panels but it may work out. Make.sure and make a good write up!

91XJMudMan

I have never seen this type of tire carrier on an XJ, or do I know of a comapny that produces them for XJs. So im pretty sure my only option is to either have it made custom, or make it myself.
I can weld and have fabbed up little things before, but bending tube, notching, and all that jazz will be new to me. But at least it will give me some practice before I tackle making my cage!

91XJMudMan

I figured the quarter guards would be more than enough to hold a tire. But now you got me wondering. I didnt think of the extra forces it would out on them when i hit the tire on a rock, which will happen for sure. Also with bouncing, sudden hits, and jumps of prerunning I guess it could cuase some damage somewhere.
Im goin to try to rethink my desing a bit so it can mount to the bumper and quarter guards. I will probably still use 4 mounts though just to make myself happy, and angle mine upward similar to the Gen-Right version to get the tire higher and more departure clearance.

By the way!!! I see you Jeep at least every other day on Facebook, ever since I liked the page "I hate it when I take the doors off my XJ and the unibody folds in half" Great looking, and very well built rig sir!!!!

Rogue4x4

If you are new to the tube bending game, do yourself a favor and spend the money on a good bender and/or die...it costs more upfront, but you get what you pay for...I tried one or two "budget benders" before I ended up just spending the $$$ on a good bender, and it was worth every penny. Also check out the Bend-Tech software, an immense help in planning your design as well as helping with cutting and notching your tube

EDIT: Side note...100th post WOOT

91XJMudMan

What would a good brand for a tube bender be? Something that does mandrel bends and could possibly come with a multiple dies like 1.5'',1.75'', and 2.0''?

and this tire carrier would be made from 1.5'' or 1.75'' tube to match my bumpers, sliders, and future tube fenders, and cage

ktmracer419

its when swung open i would be more worried. I would expect cracking around where the armor mounts pretty quickly, and expect sagging.

Rogue4x4

I went with a JD2 bender, model 32 and a 1.75" die...you can get multiple dies, but they are expensive if you want multiple dies, each die costs around $300, you get one when you buy the package. Get the size that makes sense for you, for me it was 1.75. There are also kits available to go hydraulic or air over hydraulic, I have a HF air over hydraulic jack, just haven't gotten the conversion done yet. Looking forward to getting that done, but it's not too bad doing it manually.

91XJMudMan

That would make sense. When its open, it would have more leverage on the mounting points. Im still unsure though, it really seems that they would have enough mounting points over a big enough area to spread and share the load nicely. I just dont want to be the lab rat with a cracked up XJ lol

ktmracer419

when closed mine was as rigid as could be, but when swung open the body moved ever so slightly. it might work out fine, but i would be a bit cautious. why not tie the lower mount to a bumper? you could make them perfectly flush if you wrap the bumper around a bit.

The reason the evo is solid enough is because the 1/4 guards mount in 2 planes. Along the side and around the back. Xj armor is just one plane.