JL JOURNAL : Mounting a 37" Spare Tire on a JL Wrangler Tailgate

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Now that we're running a set of 37x13.50 Cooper STT Pros mounted on KMC XD231 beadlock wheels on JET Li, our brand new Jeep JL Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited, we've had a lot of people ask us how we planned on carrying a full size spare. Of course, being that the JL is so new, there really aren't a whole lot of options available or at least, not as of yet and while we were hoping to install a Mopar tailgate reinforcement kit, they were on back order and so we were forced to start looking at different solutions.

One of the biggest problem we were facing was the lack of space there is between the 33" factory spare tire and the top of the rear bumper. With a 37" tire, we would need about 2" space between the two and all we had to work with was about 3/4". Fortunately, we were able to address this problem with the help of an LoD Offroad JL Wrangler Destroyer Riser/Spacer bracket and that not only help us to raise our spare tire enough to clear the bumper, it also helped to accommodate its 13.50 width. Another problem we faced was how to extend the rubber isolators so that that they would still press firmly against the sidewall of the spare. This is critical to do as it helps mitigate jiggling of the spare as that's ultimately what causes damage to the tailgate. Fortunately, a set of hockey pucks is all we needed to take care this and in this episode of the JL JOURNAL, you'll find out how.


WHAT YOU'LL NEED
• (2) JK Spare Tire Isolators
• (2 or 4) Hockey Pucks
• (2) 1/2" Well Nuts
• (2) 10-24 x 3" Machine Screws or 4" Bolts if stacking 2 pucks
• (4) 10-24 Washers
• 5/16" Drill Bit
• 1" Spade Bit
• Utility Knife
• Phillips Screw Driver
• Drill

New JK Wrangler spare tire rubber isolators can be purchased here:
http://amzn.to/2G7gWBY

Affordable hockey pucks can be purchased here:
http://amzn.to/2IDcoSb

Please note that this modification will only allow you to carry a 37" spare on your JL Wrangler tailgate. It will NOT prevent damage caused from the spare catching on a ledge or large obstacle while off-roading. Measures should be taken to prevent that from happening. Please let me know if you have any questions.
 

Cozdude

Guy with a Red 2-Door
Looks great! Thanks for the video write up!! Always loved the idea of doing the hockey pucks to extend the spare. I would prob still be running the stock carrier on my jk if I saw this years ago before I got the or fab carrier. I have about 5k hockey pucks laying around my house is why lol!
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Pretty clever. Looks like you are enjoying the JL.

LOVIN it :yup:

Somehow I’m feeling like this isn’t the end of the story for Jet Li’s spare....

As I've said before, this wasn't our first choice in how to carry a full size spare, just the only option that seemed viable at the time.

Looks great! Thanks for the video write up!! Always loved the idea of doing the hockey pucks to extend the spare. I would prob still be running the stock carrier on my jk if I saw this years ago before I got the or fab carrier. I have about 5k hockey pucks laying around my house is why lol!

LOL!! Definitely a simple mod that gets the job done. :yup:
 

BillArnett

New member
I have the SmittyBilt 7721 spare tire relocation bracket. It's built slightly differently from the LoD one in that it has a pair of tabs for the isolators that space them out by the same amount as the tire carrier itself. Unfortunately, with the smaller backspacing of my 37x13.5 STT Pros that's still not enough. I intended to use Eddie's hockey puck fix but I was in a hurry for my first bit of off-roading so I came up with this hack:
IMG_0652.jpg
It's just a piece of scrap lumber I cut into a wedge shape, hammered into place until it is tight and secured with cable ties. It would be pretty easy to use a flat piece of wood with a bolt thru it like Eddie did (though the tricky well nut would not be required). But since this seems to be working I think I'll leave well enough alone for now.

It survived a trip to Hollister Hills SVRA and 150 miles of freeway back and forth with no apparent difficulty. When I slam the tailgate I do see some vibration of the tire+carrier but the amplitude is small and it damps out quickly. IMHO, the LoD/Eddie fix is better in that it spreads the load onto a larger area of the tailgate. But I'm confident that my hack will suffice until I get a frame/bumper mounted carrier.
 

ncbmx64

New member
Does your tailgate sag/drop at all when open with the weight of the larger tire and beadlock wheel? I have the mopar reinforcement bracket and spare relocation kit running the same wheel but with a nitto trail grappler 37" when i open the tailgate its sags/drops slightly so when i shut the tailgate i have to lift up a little to get it to close.
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Does your tailgate sag/drop at all when open with the weight of the larger tire and beadlock wheel? I have the mopar reinforcement bracket and spare relocation kit running the same wheel but with a nitto trail grappler 37" when i open the tailgate its sags/drops slightly so when i shut the tailgate i have to lift up a little to get it to close.

While I don't have to lift up on the tailgate to shut it, I can clearly see there is a bit of sag going on. There is evidence at the latch that I can see and going over bumps, I can hear the tailgate bumping in and out. You should be able to add a bit of preload to your tailgate to help compensate for the weight.
 

ncbmx64

New member
While I don't have to lift up on the tailgate to shut it, I can clearly see there is a bit of sag going on. There is evidence at the latch that I can see and going over bumps, I can hear the tailgate bumping in and out. You should be able to add a bit of preload to your tailgate to help compensate for the weight.

Sorry if this is dumb question but how do I add preload to the tailgate.
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Sorry if this is dumb question but how do I add preload to the tailgate.

There should be just enough space in the hinge mounting holes to allow you to loosen up the bolts and rotate the tailgate up just a tad. Once the weight of the spare is on it, the sag should make the door close more normally.
 

ncbmx64

New member
There should be just enough space in the hinge mounting holes to allow you to loosen up the bolts and rotate the tailgate up just a tad. Once the weight of the spare is on it, the sag should make the door close more normally.

Thanks I’ll give that a try
 

BillArnett

New member
Does your tailgate sag/drop at all when open with the weight of the larger tire and beadlock wheel? I have the mopar reinforcement bracket and spare relocation kit running the same wheel but with a nitto trail grappler 37" when i open the tailgate its sags/drops slightly so when i shut the tailgate i have to lift up a little to get it to close.

My experience is similar to Eddie’s. I can close the tailgate without lifting but it doesn’t latch properly if I close it very gently; I have to give it a good shove. I think it’s sagging just enough to misalign the latch a bit but not so much that a little extra force carries it thru OK. I don’t hear anything amiss when driving but then any noise it might be making would probably by masked by the tools rattling in my toolbox that sits next to the tailgate.

I’m not worried because I intend to get a bumper/frame mounted tire carrier as soon as a good one is available.
 

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