Downfalls of Swing away tire carriers

I know a rear bumper mounted swing away tire carrier can block the view out of the rear window and you have to re-mount the license plate somewhere. I have also heard that they can rattle a lot, and it seems like I have even seen in some post that somebody has had their "frame" start to crack with the weight of the tire on the rear bumper once.
But how common of a problem is it to have cracks form due to the tire carrier?
Are there any other problems with rear mounted tire carriers that one should be aware of?
:read:
Thanks for the info,
GroversXJ

You have listed the most common problems. Some guys have reported cracks in the unibody near or around the bumper mounts supposedly due to the extra weight of tire and carrier on the bumper. It could be easily reinforced though. There is another thread going on right now that is comparing mounting points for spares, some good info is in there.
Buck.

The only other drawback is that if someone parks up close behind you, you can't swing out the carrier far enough to open the rear tailgate. It's a bit of a PITA if you've got something to load in the back and you can't get the damn thing open.

Dr. Dyno said:

The only other drawback is that if someone parks up close behind you, you can't swing out the carrier far enough to open the rear tailgate. It's a bit of a PITA if you've got something to load in the back and you can't get the damn thing open.

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I hadn't thought of that, happening. I live on 2.5 acres and work is out in the boonies but I suspose trips to the get groceries and other odds and ends in big parking lots could be a problem.
has anybody ever drug their spare steep decents and caused problems with the mount or pushing it into the hatch and causing damage that way?

The recent JP reported that their Daystar rear tire carrier would smakc the tailgate during prerunning and ended up craking and tearing the welds on the carrier.

I was really liking my Wilderness rear mount bumper, until I opened it all the way, and drove a notch into the rear taillight....

I think the biggest problem is having to open and close them all the time to use the hatch. I practically stopped using the hatch when I had a carrier out back. Removing it was one of the best things I've done - I'll never put a tire out back again.

Wouldn't be a big deal if you have a good latch mechanism that is easy to operate - I had Tomken's hitch pin design, what a PITA.

Nay

If the bumper mount includes the brackets that mount to the hitch mounting locations (as they should) as well as the stock bumper mounts you shouldn't have any frame cracking problems. The main reason I chose the BPI bumper, other than I love the way it looks, is the the carrier has a pin to lock the gate open so it doesn't swing freely on a hillside. It makes it a little harder to close, I can handle it. There is also a position for that pin to lock the gate closed (in addition to the actual latch) which I could do without, but it would be easy to cover the hole.

Someone blocking the carrier isn't a problem in a parking lot, only if you parallel park and someone is to close.

you and Dr Dyno have covered all the major downsides. The extra weight being added has to be considered. Other possible downsides have alot to do with user error, that is; attempting to open or shut the hatch without making sure the swingout is fully clear first. driving off without securing the swingout etc.

The only other downside I can think of is finding one that has "the perfect features". All of them seem to have a compromise somewhere.

I love my Bulletproof. as far as the swingout goes, it has a really solid mount that holds tight against the hatch and a good adjustable latch that is easy to use, there is no way it can open too far, can be ordered with all the accessory options. The bumper solidly mounts to all of the hitch and bumper points, there is no shaking or frame flexing that I've noticed in any situation, all in a close fitting low profile package. The compromises are a high price, and poor rear quarter protection. The bumper does not extend down as far as the lowest point of the exposed body, and cosmeticly it doesn't fill in the gaps under the taillights like the stock endcaps do.

p.s. one other downside consideration, the bumper may interfere with other things, mainly gas tank skids come to mind

so those of you that DON'T use a swing out carrier, what are you doing with your spare now?... besides the obvious roof mounting.:dunno:

I guess what info i'm really looking for is if you place the spare inside your rig, how are you mounting it in there so its not bouncing all around? would the spare holder that mounts them vertically in the back hold up to a 33 or 35? i've never gotten a good look at them.. if they can't can you modify them so they can? has anyone ever done that and if so, please post some pics!! :thumbup:

thanks!!!

Weasel said:

The recent JP reported that their Daystar rear tire carrier would smakc the tailgate during prerunning and ended up craking and tearing the welds on the carrier.

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crap! i have this bumper... good thing i just carry the spare inside

Nay said:

I think the biggest problem is having to open and close them all the time to use the hatch. I practically stopped using the hatch when I had a carrier out back. Removing it was one of the best things I've done - I'll never put a tire out back again.

Wouldn't be a big deal if you have a good latch mechanism that is easy to operate - I had Tomken's hitch pin design, what a PITA.

Nay

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just wondering. What size tires do you run? I started with 31s then went up to 33s. I could always carry the tire inside no problems. Now I am running 35s I have no place to put a tire except on the back. I think its way too top heavy to have that much weight on a roof. Personaly I would much rather put up with the downfalls of a carrier on the back then try to put a 35 incher anywhere else.

I weighed up the pros/cons and cost of the tire carrier - but decided against it in the end.


As it's a 31" tire and wont fit in the usual place, I just have it strapped down in the back. There's still enough room for me....

Mark

Dr. Dyno said:

The only other drawback is that if someone parks up close behind you, you can't swing out the carrier far enough to open the rear tailgate. It's a bit of a PITA if you've got something to load in the back and you can't get the damn thing open.

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Wouldnt you just pull forward?

Fergie

Anyone ever tried making a carrier that conencts directly to the hatch like in the yj/tj? This would just stay on the hatch until it was to be removed. Also, what can you do to strengthen the unibody?

if im not mistaken the XJ hatch is just SCREWED into the sheetmetal.... also.. u'd need a hydraulic strong enough to lift a tire..... i'd hate to think what would happen if the hatch hit someone on the way down with the weight of a 33" tire on it... :wow:

formatt said:

so those of you that DON'T use a swing out carrier, what are you doing with your spare now?... besides the obvious roof mounting.:dunno:

I guess what info i'm really looking for is if you place the spare inside your rig, how are you mounting it in there so its not bouncing all around? would the spare holder that mounts them vertically in the back hold up to a 33 or 35? i've never gotten a good look at them.. if they can't can you modify them so they can? has anyone ever done that and if so, please post some pics!! :thumbup:

thanks!!!

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Hey Formatt,
There was just a super long thread a few weeks ago about this topic. Some good insight and pics in that thread. A search should get you the info you need. HTH

DBenz said:

Anyone ever tried making a carrier that conencts directly to the hatch like in the yj/tj? This would just stay on the hatch until it was to be removed. Also, what can you do to strengthen the unibody?

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Someone does make those. I've seen them on ebay before, but I have no clue of the brand. They're pretty ugly because the tire sits so far behind the hatch. I bet it's noisy too.

SimpleXJ

I was faced with the same dilemna of using a tire carrier or not. So I made mine completely removeable from my bumper. When I need the space for traveling, camping, etc. I put the tire carrier on and move the tire from the cargo area to the swing arm. When I'm not in desperate need of space, the tire resides in the cargo area. For a while I left the carrier on all the time and because of it I rarely if ever used the tailgate. It was just too much of a PITA. Now I only put it on when I need it and it takes me all of 5 mins to take it off or put it on. The way I did this was to utilize a trailer spindle that had a 1.5x1.5 square base that is approximately 3.5" long. I then integrated a piece of 2x2x .250 wall into my bumper(vertically) so that I had a 1.5x1.5 hole in the corner of the bumper. Then, I just slide the carrier down in it, and gravity and a snug fit hold it in place. For the latch I've just got the typical toggle latch with the green handle. I'm not in love with this latch, but I couldn't come up with anything better at the time. I plan to redo a couple of things on my bumper this summer, and when I do, I will try to go with a latch similar to the kind on the tailgate, where you just pull a handle to open it and slam it shut to close it. Here's a pic of the "hole" in my bumper. There's one at each end because I have two swing arms, one for the tire and one for jerry cans.

"hole" in corner:


other side:


whole bumper w/o carriers:


whole bumper w/ carriers(before paint):


HTH

Ary

Fergie said:

Wouldnt you just pull forward?

Fergie

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You could if you had enough space but if someone parks in front of you at the roadside and is very close to your front bumper, you won't be able to move far enough forward to make space behind you to open the swing away carrier and open the tailgate if another person's parked up too close to your rear.
Your only hope then is that the car behind you has a stick shift and the handbrake's off so you can try to push it backwards.