Rear Hatch Tire Carrier???

[GREATWHITEJEEP]

Did what they said couldn't be done. Trail tested and it works beautifully. Hatch has not ripped apart yet, the mouse trap has not sprung. No carrier rattles or spare tire jiggles . Just easy access to cargo .only thing Id do differently is maybe go lighter on the carrier rack . its solid as as can be but heavier than I anticipated. Good thing the dual struts work so well otherwise the critcs would have o
won. Beefyness did payoff on the trail when I backed up into a big tree and than rock wall with no damage to carrier or hatch mount.
http://m1076.photobucket.com/albumview/albums/Greatwhitejeep/20120714_131305.jpg.html?o=10

 

[GREATWHITEJEEP]

Did what they said couldn't be done. Trail tested and it works beautifully. Hatch has not ripped apart yet, the mouse trap has not sprung. No carrier rattles or spare tire jiggles . Just easy access to cargo .only thing Id do differently is maybe go lighter on the carrier rack . its solid as as can be but heavier than I anticipated. Good thing the dual struts work so well otherwise the critcs would have o
won. Beefyness did payoff on the trail when I backed up into a big tree and than rock wall with no damage to carrier or hatch mount.
http://m1076.photobucket.com/albumview/albums/Greatwhitejeep/20120714_131305.jpg.html?o=10

 

[sunburned]

Gonna need a few more pics. Can't really see much in that one anyway.

 

[GREATWHITEJEEP]

There are a few more pics in the photobucket album. . I suck at taking photos. I have some video of the heap wheeling Fordyce Creek Trail where the carrier can be seen at all angles. When I get home Ill post to youtube. Need wi-fi on this phone . As far as the opperation of it, no secret open and close hatch as normal . there is a liitle more effort required intially but once the struts begin to expand the effort is minimal. I wont lie and say my carrier looks super cool . My fabrication skiils are very primitive and this is my first attempt at welding . But the desired result was achieved effectively. trust me I have been beating on my jeap and so far it hasnt failed. At least I had the balls to try and do this . Nearly everyone who expressed an opinion said it wouldn't work and shouldn't be attempted. Glad I thought otherwise. So cool to not need Fuss when i need a cold one from the ice chest or need to grab tool from my cargo area . Imagine needing some tools when you're wedged against a rock . A swing out can be a major PITA . If i got room to open hatch I am good to go. Covered the vissabilty issue with a license plate mounted back up camera and a
mirror monitor.

 

[XJEEPER]

Well done. Glad your were able to engineer a solution to achieve your goal. How did you attach the tire rack to the top of the hatch?

 

[GREATWHITEJEEP]

I welded brackets to the carrier made from angle iron . Matching brabkets with four angled studs welded in attach through the upper frame of hatch. Two 6 " long pieces of flat bar on the inside of the hatch to prevent nuts from pulling throug and spread out load . The carrier angle iron brackets overlap the hatch brackets and have trough bolts to secure. The bottom of cariier is mounted similarly with four 10" overlaping angle brackets . .on the inside of hatch matching pieces of angle iron reinforce the sheet metal and spread out the load. All of it is installed with grade 8 bolts washers and Nylock nuts. . Its very solidly mounted . The rack weights about 50 lbs and with a 35" tire It can suppport another 250 lbs of deadweight with little to no deflection of the hatch. Yes i did hang off the the back to test it out. It would certainly fail if we got hit by a Mack truck ,but what carrier wouldn't. I was a little concerned when I backed it into a tree . but it didnot fail and i observed no dammage whatsoever. BTW I used the the spare tire carrier mount off a Bronco II . it unbolts from the Ford swing out and I simply spaced it out additional 1" to accommodate the 35 and welded it into place. Studs require 1/2x 20 lugs. Finished with Duplicolor Bed Liner Spray.

 

[dbperformance96]

I'd like to see some more pics myself. I built a swingout carrier for mine and when hooked up to my Jeep trailer it can be a major pain in the rear to get in the back when something breaks.

This might be something to look at down the road assuming it continues to hold up as well as it has for you.

Good job man...

 

[GREATWHITEJEEP]

Ok Ill snap more photos when I get home. Just remember I am an amateur builder. I think.there is a lot of room for improvement. If you commit to it like i have you can basically say good by to your stock hatch . you must drill holes in it to attach the carrier. . ld make the carrier portion lighter and keep the struts they are perfect match. I boogered up my interior panels a little to allow struts to pass through ,could have done that better. The basic concept is working great. I think the fact that our junk doesn't rust here in California is another factory. If you live somewhere were the roads get salt it may adversely affect the hinges and latch mechanisms ability to handel the additional weight.

 

[yenkoz]

I installed a set of hanson offroad bumpers this spring and I love them. And the tire carrier swing arm is tight and makes no noise at all, and they look great in my opinion too. The only downside is the way they are made you need to install aftermarket fender flares for the front bumper to look right.

 

[bcmaxx]

that looks good yenkoz! your flares need more tire though haha

 

[bluejeepkid]

that looks good yenkoz! your flares need more tire though haha

Lol x2

 

[yenkoz]

Yeah I hope to have some mickey thompson classic locks and some 265/75/16 tires on it this spring. I wasn't planning on the bumpers until I was rear ended, which only messed up the rear bumper. And after I ordered the bumpers I realized the front wouldn't fit right without the fender flares. She is def a work in progress lol.

 

[DavidXJ98]

I know it has been 4 years since the last post on this thread, but I've been searching for an example of someone who has made a lift-gate mounted tire carrier for about that long. I've always been annoyed that as far as I could tell the only way you could mount a rear spare on a Cherokee was a swing-away, bumper-mounted carrier. That would mean that every time I wanted to get into the back of my Cherokee I'd have to open two things and the carrier arm would always be in the way. I use my Jeep as a daily drive and camping vehicle, not just a rock crawler, so the swing away thing bothers me. Great White solved this problem with off the shelf parts I can get from a junkyard or Autozone. Now I'm going to try this whereas before I was hesitant to give it a go.

So thank you, Great White, for having the confidence to give it a try and for putting the photos onto photobucket for us to analyze! Your cojones to try this has inspired me!