tire on roof

Is puting a 32x11.50 on the roof with no rack a bad Idea? I thought I read on here you could have up to a 33 with no problems as long as you ratchet strapped It down? I threw my 32 on and ratchet strapped It down....no problem holding It but It seems to cave in the roof a bit and I was thinking that cant be healthy...will the dent Just pop out once the weight of the tires comes off the top?....lol let me know guys If I should take this off?

I know I need a rack but am poor right this minute....any recommendation on racks under 200? that will hold and lock a tire and hi lift?

um yeah I wouldn't do it. Chances are that dent just wont pop out after that tire has been up there a while. Are you saying you have no rack at all not even a factory one? I've never seen anyone put one up there without atleast a factory roof rack. I put my 31 on my factory and use ratchet straps works pretty well the tire dosen't move at all. Oh if you don't have a factory rack how the hell are you ratcheting the tire down? WIth the rain gutters?

tire on the roof = certain noob status

go garage saleing for a yakima or thule setup and you can find gudder mount racks for as little as $50...

YMMV

Puma297 said:

tire on the roof = certain noob status

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Okay except on my heep if you go over a 235 the spare WILL NOT fit in the stock location anymore (speakers on the roof) and I don't particulary (SP?) care for a rear bumper mounted tire carrier (I like to see out of my window) so that really only leaves me one option if I don't want to take up half or more of my cargo space. Which I can't becuase when I go wheeling I use all of my cargo space to take along tools, bedding, ice chest, Spare parts, fluids (all in big rubbermaid containers)

Mine goes up there only when i go wheelin, if i get a flat driving home from work, i'll call the wife to bring the spare.:laugh3:

Puma297 said:

tire on the roof = certain noob status

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what if i put two spares on my roof? am I less noobish then?

no I have the rails on the side with the holes in them (thats how Im ratcheting It down)then theres the 2 cross rails running across them, I moved on on each side of the tire as a brace and put the tire Inbetween then ratcheted the tire down directly to the roof surface....thats how ppl do It right? you dont put the tire on the cross rails do you?

by the way If It makes ya feel beter to call someone a noob thats nice but remember, you were a nooby once too ...I'v been Into Jeeps for over 2 years now and have learned alot but I think you can always learn something new...

until you get a utility rack for the roof put the spare on top of the x-rails... Sooner or later you'll come off a ledge or hop a rock hard enough that 45 pounds of spare trumps 12 guages of sheetmeter.

thanx roll-over...I think Im gonna take It off til I find a cheap rack

YOu don't have to take it off just move the crossmembers for the roof rack to where they are UNDER the tire. then you ratchet it down. If you run the straps right you won't have to worry about the tire moving around. Just play with it for a while. When you ratchet it down get up there (not stainding in the middle of the roof) and try to force it to move it it moves then try another arangement. The stock roof rack is sturdy enough to hold a tire. HOwever a rack that attaches to your rain gutters would be an even sturdier option. A friend of mine picked up a set Yakimia Gutter mount cross rails and then got a rack to go on top of that and that damn thing is not going anywhere it is VERY sturdy.

I would go out and take a pic of how I have it on my rack but I left my digi cam in my parents Truck when I went down to Alabama for a funeral its in the mail though. Here is a better pic than the one above that shows the tire on the rack rails. The tire is a little coceyed but that is becuase I was using one 5klb. ratchet strap from work. Be carefull ratcheting with heavyduty straps its possible to pull the rack out of the roof.

Puma297 said:

tire on the roof = certain noob status

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People that make this kind of comment=imbecile

Puma297 said:

tire on the roof = certain noob status

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This really has nothing to do with what XJ99 is asking, but since you went there...
I'm really new here at the boards, rather than asking the usual questions I've learned to use the seach button. It works great, so I don't have to actually post anything. So I lurk. And Geez, if you don't use it, man, they're all over you. It seems there's a great many here that gets all over another 5#!t, whenever there's post regarding snorkel kits, or tires on roof racks, or whatever.
Personally, I like the spare up on my roof. I can see backing up, I have extra storage, I can pop the back and get tools faster. It's all about preference and how you like your sh!t. My spare is up on my roof. I've been around Jeep vehicles since I was under ten years old. I'm 35 now. I don't think I'm a noob and I have my spare on my roof. Like I said, I've been around Jeeps since I was a tyke. From my dad's 70s FSJs, to the '84 Cherokee. My first vehicle I bought myself was a '74 CJ5. I had a YJ, another CJ, and now XJs. I was brought up Jeep, and I think nothing but Jeep. I have two XJs. One's stock, spare tire is in it's factory location. I guess that sucker's hardcore than.
I think you're a noob. It doesn't matter how much money you spent on your rig, or that you have a foot of suspension, or that you have all the latest equip on your jeep, or even where you keep your spare tire... it's all about the Jeep.
john (jeep purist)
PS Every other vehicle on earth sucks...always been like that, always will be.

In my opinion, he stock roof rack on an XJ or at least my 89 isn't strong enough to hold much at all. I'd say it'd easily dent your roof and possibly come loose (my rack has come off a couple times with stuff strapped to it. It also started leaking badly in the rain). I got a cheap gutter-mount roofrack from another website for-sale board for $50 shipped - it holds a tire great and would hold much more if I had more to put in/on it.

I wish I found one for 50 shipped, or even 150 shipped lol I need a rack

Nobody mentioned this:

http://www.rockratz.com/tcr1x.html

Possibly a more sturdy way to mount a spare tire up there for about $150 shipped. As for the hi-lift, just run some long bolts through the cross rails so they stick up in the air, bolt them to the cross rails with big washers and a locknut, then put the hi-lift on that when you wheel, putting the bolts throught the holes on the high-lift, and tighten the wing nuts(with washers there to cover the hole.) It works for me, stays put well. Here is a pic, let me know if you want a better one, I know it can be hard to understand.

Thats the exact same way I have my hi-lift mount. The only time I ever put it up there is for wheelin' trips when I'm toolin around back home it stays at the house so it dosent' get all mucked up from the weather.

nitrogt101 said:

Nobody mentioned this:

http://www.rockratz.com/tcr1x.html

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Thats what I am using and it works pretty well. If someone wants to see a pic just let me know.