Hi all,

I'm putting bigger wheels/tyres on my XJ. At the moment it's carrying 235/75 16s. The spare just fits on the mounting in the boot (trunk) and the tailgate just closes. So the new 31"s won't allow a spare in the boot unless it's on the floor which will be a pain.
So i'm thinking of getting a rear tyre carrier thingy from Smittybilt.

Anyone felt much difference in the way it handles on the road? I'm paranoid about the XJ feeling the need to swap ends on a slippery corner.. (Mind you, would I turn down a Porsche 911?)

 

I don't know if this will help but I have my 35 inch spare mounted laying down in the boot centered about 10 inches aft of the rear axle. This same spare use to be mounted centered directly over the rear axle. Now the front end feels a little light to me, but that's the setup I was shooting for. The pic shows the spare mounted in the more forward position. I lived outside of Harrogate for a couple of years.

 

This is the set up I'm going with.
https://www.wilcooffroad.com/shop/hitchgate-solo/

I use the back cargo area of my XJ for gear and my mutt so I don't have room for my 31x10.5 spare inside. I use a Thule cargo box on top and don't want a roof basket to carry the spare so the Hitchgate Solo is my choice. Plus I don't have to buy a hugh expensive tire carrying bumper and I like the option of being able to remove it if I feel no need for carrying a spare, like around town.

Just an option.

 

A 31 will fit in the stock spare space with a little modding https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f51/ho...7-01-a-210836/

 

Thanks guys for the useful replies! I need all four seats and room for luggage, so the floor is no good for me. The solo carrier thing looks interesting but by the time I've shipped that to the UK it won't be cheap! I'll have a look at moving the seat top brackets... My tyres will be about 30.5" so that may be an answer (and no cost!). Still uses up a lot of the boot though.