Basslicks

OP, I understand your desire and need to make this work, but it's just not going to. It's not safe, and your hatch is going to weigh a ton... PLUS even if you did get something rigged up with enough strength to withstand the weight and forces of the tire, your hatch handle isn't going to handle the strain of you lifting the hatch with the tire on it.

I think what would be easier at this point would be to modify your subwoofer box to be able to put the spare in the factory location where it belongs... seriously man, how much bass do you really need?

That's stupid. Most delivery trucks have obstructed rear views. Semi trucks have zero rear view. Rip your rearview mirror off and, guess what? You can use your side mirrors to see behind you.

Rogue4x4

Funny, that's EXACTLY what it sounded like to me...



Accept the fact that it's a bad idea. It's okay.

aj2494

With regard to the video posted, that's incredibly illegal. It's not illegal to block your rear view (I move every three months and do it all the time), but obstructing any exterior light is. The third brake light isn't visible at all, and that's definitely illegal.

Also, just because a semi/delivery van isn't required to meet certain standards does not mean that passenger vehicles aren't either. That's a very bad assumption to make. Passenger vehicles are treated way differently than DOT vehicles and have a whole slew of different requirements. That being said, passenger vehicles still don't need rear visibility.

Basslicks

You just repeated my entire point, within your counterpoint to my point.

odgreen

Alright. Time for a completely relearn post and the end to your idea.
Let's take the case of a wrangler. The hatches are made to Cary a spare. The surface area is a lot smaller than an xj. The bracing is a lot better than an xj. It's made to specifically carry a stock spare.
Now let's go to the case of a larger tire on a wrangler. The hatch will crack. In multiple spots. 90% of wrangler owners will buy a swing away bumper. The remaining 10% will leave the spare at home and carry AAA.
Now take a hatch with a large surface area. No internal bracing what so ever. Top to bottom. Left to right. The only attachment points are the berry top and bottom. You would have to brace from hinges to latch. There is something that makes that impossible. Can you guess what that is? Yep it's called a window. Guess what wrangler don't have attached to the hatch. Yep a window. So the bracing can go from latch to hinge.
Your hatch would fold in the center, blowing the glass out every single bump you hit.

Another stupid side would be adding the 85-105 lbs of a tire and say 50 lbs of metal to even make it work short time. Go pull both struts off the hatch and add like a 40 lb bag of cat food to the hatch. Lift it a few times. Tell me how easy it is.

Do yourself a favor and the safety of other drivers a favor. Go buy a roof basket. They are under $100 at Wal-Mart.

aj2494

Not true at all. Don't assume that a passenger vehicle doesn't need something just because a DOT vehicle doesn't. I agreed with your statement that obstructing the rear glass is legal, but your reasoning makes zero sense. Finally, I pointed out that it is illegal, but for other reasons. I don't see much repetition there.

TLDR for the last few posts: Obstructing rear view is not illegal, but blocking a tail light is. That design is not legal nor safe.

Fred/N0AZZ

That should have said "Full of WIND" it does have that lol.

Basslicks

My original statement:

Speaking of assumptions, you made the assumption that I was saying a passenger vehicle has the same requirements as commercial vehicles.... let's recap... I said:

The only one making assumptions here... is you. I never assumed anything. I only said it was stupid. Whether or not a commercial vehicle is governed by a different set of rules regarding what they can or can't do as far as visibility goes, the fact that there are states that have a statute against a rear window being obstructed, up to the point of giving citations for it... is stupid. I made the comment about commercial vehicles solely to make the point that you can in fact drive without being able to see out the back window.

So I don't know who you're talking to that's assuming anything.... the only person I see that's making assumptions is you.

Maple__Man

you have obviously never been to other states, i however have been to almost ever state there is, i travel a lot and in certain states it is Illegal to obstruct the rear view in a vehicle. you ever wonder why old cars came with only one side mirror and ALWAYS a rear view mirror, its because they didnt see the need for a side mirror on the one side, then years later they added them as a safety feature that was standard.


case in point, i used to live in washington state

View Obstruction
(Visors, stickers, hood scoops, mud, and all other after market items.)
No items except the hood ornament and windshield wipers, identical to those originally installed by a recognized manufacturer, shall project more than 2" above a line from the top of the steering wheel to the top of the front fenders or hood. WAC 204-10-024

No person shall drive any motor vehicle with any sign, poster, or other non-transparent material upon the front windshield, side wings, or side or rear windows of the vehicle that obstructs the driver's clear view of the highway or intersecting highway. RCW 46.37.410,

the law states you cant have ANY non-transparent material on the rear window, including a bracket and a tire. they will fine you, ive been fined and ive had friends fined for it, so don't ASSUME to know everything about every state.
the law also extends to things inside the back window as well, i was given a ticket for driving a car that had a speaker box in the back window, so yes some states do not allow obstruction of your window in the back.

aj2494

The only thing I assumed was that your response was relevant to the post you quoted. Maple_Man was not questioning the ability to drive without a rearview mirror. You specifically said "That's stupid" in response to a statement about the legality of blocking rear view, and then justified your insult with the fact that semis and delivery vans have no rear view like a passenger car does. So either you're now backpedaling or you chose to address something that had nothing to do with the post you quoted. Maple_Man brought up a valid concern and you acted like an *** in response. As it turns out, he's right too in some states.

I checked, it's illegal in NJ, the OP's state.

Basslicks

I never said anything about whether or not it was illegal... I said it's stupid that it is illegal.... see my original post below. I'm very well aware that not all vehicles have sideview mirrors, and I'm aware that in some states, a rear-view mirror inside the vehicle is required.

I'm not bashing YOU!

...nor was I bashing YOU! Until you starting taking things out of my post that I didn't say. I'm not back pedaling anything....

I never made in insult, except to the lawmakers that have decided it is illegal to obstruct the rear view of a vehicle. I said it's stupid that people are getting ticketed for obstructing their rear view... you guys are acting like I'm attacking you personally.

Are you a lawmaker? Did you make state statutes requiring rear-window visibility? I kinda doubt it.. so why are you taking it so personally?

Read again what I said below... I never called anyone stupid, or said anything to the implication of "you're wrong by saying that's illegal"... READ THE POST FFS!!!!

aj2494

I never thought you were bashing me or bashing anyone for that matter. I hate how difficult it is to pick up on tone on forums, because I certainly didn't mean to sound defensive. Frustrated, yes. I thought you were calling Maple_Man stupid for saying it was illegal. Completely misunderstood you, and I apologize for insinuating you're an ***. I need to get off forums where everyone just yells at each other. I'm starting to read everything with a nasty tone, so I thought you were being rude to Maple_Man.

So, we've come to the conclusion that it's a bad idea and illegal in the OP's state.

Basslicks

lol... sounds about right.

Rogue4x4

I'm closing this abomination of a thread.