New spare mount idea??

Well I was trying to get to sleep and started thinking about where I have to mount a 235x70x17 ( 32" ) spare inside the vehicle some where. I thought of all the ideas that got thrown around on the famous thread they have now locked, for some reason, after 190 replies! http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=19985
Anyway I have this little brain wave ( or fart once you read further ) that will most likely be too radical but thought I would share anyway even at the risk of looking like a twit.
What about removing the bench and fitting two bucket seats instead, which has been done a few time now. Then mounting the spare vertically between them? Then I thought what would be better is to cut out a section of the transmission hump, under the spare, un refit it upside down so you are lowering it twice the height on the hump! There is plenty of clearance under the body that far back not to interfere with the driveshaft or diff. If you want to be a bit fancy, fit in a curved piece like a wheel tub under the floor. Put a nice cover over the spare the same color as the dash to make it match in a bit.
OK, maybe a bit impractical but at least I am thinking out loud. :gee:

ya thats a good idea, it'll look smart, and serve the purpose. the problem many will point out is that when you buy the Cherokee your looking for the SUV part of it to be useful. adding buckets and mounting the tire upright in the middle of the vehicle will mean you lose mucho cargo area for anything bigger than some bags or boxes. Personally I fold my rear seat down atleast once a month to take an oversize load somewhere, sofa, some wood, axles in the future.
now after shooting the idea down, I do really like the idea of it in the future when I don't need to use the Jeep as a part time truck.
I say go for it as it seems every haired brained idea you come up with ends up being a revolution and copied countless times cuz its genious in the end, so do it up and lets see the pics.

Gojeep said:

Well I was trying to get to sleep and started thinking about where I have to mount a 235x70x17 ( 32" ) spare inside the vehicle some where. I thought of all the ideas that got thrown around on the famous thread they have now locked, for some reason, after 190 replies! http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=19985
Anyway I have this little brain wave ( or fart once you read further ) that will most likely be too radical but thought I would share anyway even at the risk of looking like a twit.
What about removing the bench and fitting two bucket seats instead, which has been done a few time now. Then mounting the spare vertically between them? Then I thought what would be better is to cut out a section of the transmission hump, under the spare, un refit it upside down so you are lowering it twice the height on the hump! There is plenty of clearance under the body that far back not to interfere with the driveshaft or diff. If you want to be a bit fancy, fit in a curved piece like a wheel tub under the floor. Put a nice cover over the spare the same color as the dash to make it match in a bit.
OK, maybe a bit impractical but at least I am thinking out loud. :gee:

Click to expand...

I also get bad dreams when I eat spicy food before bedtime............Try and count sheep, it works for me! :jester:

That doesn't seem like such a crazy idea, Marcus. It does have some potential downsides, like most any other new idea. In addition to those cited above, I would expect that getting the spare in our out from such a position would be a hassle. When I'm wheeling, my rig is loaded down in the rear with a tool bag, a recovery gear bag, spare axle shafts and other parts, a storage box full of fluids and other small necessitites, a cooler and sometimes camping gear or other items. To get a spare in and out could be quite a task, whether going through the rear or out through the door.
How about an arm mounted to the rear bumper that articulates and has the spare rolling along behind the rig? Now THAT's a crazy idea!

Thats alot of work.
Heres what Im thinking of doing for my 31, itll probably work for a 32 as well, make seat back bracket extensions so the back of the rear seat is more vertical and allows more room behind it for the spare to stand up in the stock location.

I think that will suck because it's right smack dab in the middle of your sight when backing up.

One similat to this is on my project list, slide the spare under and to the left so I can store recovery/trail stuff on the right below the rack. Plus I'll add headrest brackets for the back seat passengers.

Mine folds down just far enuff to open the rear hatch

Gojeep said:

Then mounting the spare vertically between them?

Click to expand...

What are your thoughts on how to secure it?

Ray H said:

Thats alot of work.
Heres what Im thinking of doing for my 31, itll probably work for a 32 as well, make seat back bracket extensions so the back of the rear seat is more vertical and allows more room behind it for the spare to stand up in the stock location.

Click to expand...

Actually that is most likely what I will do. Tried it out a few times already but would have to tilt it 2" forward. Dont take rear passengers very often now that the daughter has moved out of home. I have already removed the sound bar and am moving it forward to the next roof cross brace just behind the seats. Fitting the original light on a plate covered in some sun shade material the same as the roof lining to blend it in. The hole in the sound bar I am wiring in the original center one with the map lights in it that I took out when I fitted the roof console. Have lengthened the dent in the wheel arch so it still sits on the support bracket.
Had even thought of just cutting and bending forward the part of the seat directly in front of the wheel rather than tilting the whole bench. But the catch is in the way as well as one of my rear head rests.
Even thought of fitting a ZJ rear split seat so only the small side needs to be tilted forward. Roughly tried it at the wreakers and looks like I could get it to fit in. Really thought the body would be too narrow but seems to just fit?
The only other mad idea I had was to fit to hoops in the rear with a hinge down frame between them that you would slide the spare onto and then lift back up. This would have the tyre flat against the roof. Flat on the floor wont work for me as it gets in the way of the ARB fridge I have back there when touring.
But thanks for your comments guys but think simple might be best and tilting the seat forward seems to do that for me. Either that or see if storing there without air in the tyre, and carry a compressor, will still allow the seat to tilt right back? Not sure if leaving the tyre pushed sharply in for years is good for the tyre though?
Always good to chuck around a few ideas as you never know what will come out of it.

Gojeep said:

...they have now locked, for some reason, after 190 replies! http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=19985

Click to expand...

We locked all the old threads that had polls because the first couple pages of the forum were littered with them.
Billy

How about mounting the spare horizontally up against the inside of the roof of the cargo area, on some type of rack.....? (Sorry, Ive eaten four pop tarts, a go tart, and an apple strudel this morning, and I washed it down with a quad mocha)

Wow XJ9140, really like your idea. I like how tight the fit, and accessible it is. Did you build it yourself? Would like more info on this. :thumbup:

yes I built it in my back yard LOL. I'm ading 90 lbs gas springs to help lifting the tire. This design also helps stiffen the uni body substantialy.

Thumpersdriver said:

How about mounting the spare horizontally up against the inside of the roof of the cargo area, on some type of rack.....? (Sorry, Ive eaten four pop tarts, a go tart, and an apple strudel this morning, and I washed it down with a quad mocha)

Click to expand...

Yep, that is what I mentioned in my last reply.