Bike rack with rear mounted spare?

Hey guys. Not really hardcore tech, but didn't seem like OEM discussion either. I am just wondering if anyone successfully uses a hitch mounted bike rack with a rear mounted spare? I Mt. Bike so on the roof is not really an option because of (1) the weight of the bikes, (2) the height of a lifted Jeep, and (3) I'm only 5'-8" 145lbs. I also don't want the spare on the roof since it's a daily driver and it increases wind resistance and raises the cog.

I have seen some hitch extenders that would put the bike rack out an additional 12", but don't know if those are something to trust.

Does anyone have any experience with this? If I can figure a way out to do this, then going to an RE 3.5 and 31's will probably happen. If not, I'll probably stick to 2-3" lift and 30's so that I can keep the spare in the stock location. I also don't want to lay the spare down in the back because I haul my dog around back there all the time.

a 31" will fit inside the cab/

As mentioned a 31 should fit inside if that is acceptable to you.

I been using an 8" inch extender on my TJ for several years without problems. However addiing the extender did double the amount of play in the rack as now there were two connection points.

To counter this I added a 'No rattle' locking pin between the extender and the rack. This reduced the play back to the single connection point.

On my XJ I fork mount my MTB's to the interior. So with the rear seat down I simply fork mount both bikes. They're secure, hidden, far safer and no longer exposed to the weather, etc.

Hope this helps
Kent

xcm said:

a 31" will fit inside the cab/

Click to expand...

I have read this before but right now my 30" BFG Long trail prevents the seat back from latching on that side. Will it fit without doing the Go-Jeep mod to the latch? http://www.go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoSpareWheel32inch.htm

xj4fun
Re: Bike rack with rear mounted spare?
As mentioned a 31 should fit inside if that is acceptable to you.

I been using an 8" inch extender on my TJ for several years without problems. However addiing the extender did double the amount of play in the rack as now there were two connection points.

To counter this I added a 'No rattle' locking pin between the extender and the rack. This reduced the play back to the single connection point.

On my XJ I fork mount my MTB's to the interior. So with the rear seat down I simply fork mount both bikes. They're secure, hidden, far safer and no longer exposed to the weather, etc.

Click to expand...

If the 31 will fit inside, that would be fine by me. I just wasn't sure it would without modification to the latch. And I suspected an extender would add a bunch of play, but a "No Rattle" pin might be the best solution.

Fork mounting the bikes inside is a good idea. But for camping trips I would probably have to still be able to mount them outside. But for 98% of the time, inside will work.


Thanks for the suggestions guys. Does anyone have pics of a 31 in the stock location? And would I need to remove the metal rest/ledge thing that the spare sits on to make more room? Will it fit with a factory rear sound bar back there?

A simpler solution is to buy a bike rack that hangs on your rear mounted Spare. It goes over the top and straps around the bottom. Your bike is on solid. There are plenty of them available