Found limits of departure angle, need new tailgate

[freedom_in_4low]

Well this sucks...dropped into a hole with a steeper entrance than I expected (knew I messed up when the front bumper landed about simultaneously with the front tires but didn't have time to stop) and caught the spare. I can address the minor tub damage but need a new tailgate.

1. Confirm my understanding that a 97-02 gate is interchangeable? My understanding has been that the only differences are the vent and a couple of extra snubbers.

2. Crown Automotive makes a new shell, is it of decent enough quality? It's comparable in price to an original gate with rust in the lower edge and less expensive than a straight, rust free original.

Also considering rigging up some sort of vertical interior spare tire mount so I can keep it inside on these long distance wheeling trips without the kids (and without the back seat) and just don't carry a spare when I'm around town.

 

[tworley]

Join the club!

 

[Abendage]

I too, am under the same understanding for number 1, the later hinges aren’t interchangeable with the early tub, but otherwise anything else is interchangeable.

I feel your pain, I lightly tagged my spare tire in Moab in March and just slightly tweaked the tailgate and was able to mostly get it back into shape, but I promptly added my “tailgate saver” in the receiver hitch. It’s just a standard hitch that I cut the lip off of the top so it was smooth and flipped it upside down. I had stitched in 1/4” plate to the rear crossmember and added gussets from the crossmember to the frame when I welded the receiver in this bumper, so I’m confident it won’t bend, but even if it does, I can fix bent crossmembers and bumpers a lot easier than I can do body work and paint.

 

[macleanflood]

I've got a white 2000 tailgate off a Jeep I'm parting out if you need it.

-Mac

 

[bbaldwin237]

I never thought about how vulnerable the tire/tailgate would be until I installed my plate rear bumper a few days ago and looked from the side. Hoping that by the time I add corner and tailgate armor it'll be safer

 

[freedom_in_4low]

I too, am under the same understanding for number 1, the later hinges aren’t interchangeable with the early tub, but otherwise anything else is interchangeable.

I feel your pain, I lightly tagged my spare tire in Moab in March and just slightly tweaked the tailgate and was able to mostly get it back into shape, but I promptly added my “tailgate saver” in the receiver hitch. It’s just a standard hitch that I cut the lip off of the top so it was smooth and flipped it upside down. I had stitched in 1/4” plate to the rear crossmember and added gussets from the crossmember to the frame when I welded the receiver in this bumper, so I’m confident it won’t bend, but even if it does, I can fix bent crossmembers and bumpers a lot easier than I can do body work and paint.

View attachment 638817

I'd be interested to see what you did to reinforce the crossmember.

Where in Colorado are you? My tailgate incident happened east of the summit of Tincup Pass on a completely optional obstacle. Two mud holes in a row, the first really modest but what I didn't realize was the second hole had been severely dug out by SxSs trying to go UP it, to the point that the entrance was close to 5 feet tall and almost vertical. I guess in some ways I'm lucky that it was dirt, I'm sure rock would have been even less forgiving. I'm usually pretty conservative about getting out and looking at stuff but I guess I was feeling spicy after starting this trip by going up the Devil's punchbowl in the rain at dusk.

 

[chudlet]

LOL been there.... Done that. Found that tank trap and maybe even a tree to pause my backward momentum down a hill.

A little torque and mechanical persuasion and it closes and seals pretty good again. ;-)

 

[freedom_in_4low]

Could have been worse I suppose and maybe it'll close better if I loosen up all the hinge bolts, realign it and compress the latch assembly back into place but it's never going to sit right support a 35 and I'm not the type to just live with it.

I was looking for an excuse a couple years ago for an early (ventless) tailgate anyway...not exactly the excuse I was looking for but it is what it is.

I was too perturbed about it to think to take a photo of what I went off of, but while I was assessing the damage, sure as hell a SxS came up from the other direction and tried to climb it and no doubt dug it out some more for the next guy.

 

[BlueC]

I promptly added my “tailgate saver” in the receiver hitch. It’s just a standard hitch that I cut the lip off of the top so it was smooth and flipped it upside down.

Looks effective, but a little small. I bought a few of these for similar reason, they're about a foot wide, and the one on my Jeep has taken a few hard hits just fine. https://www.extremeterrain.com/body-armor-4x4-backbone-hitch-step-5136.html

 

[JMT]

Can’t believe y’all are still running spares. Where I wheel I’d destroy the tailgate every single time I went out.

 

[Woodrow]

Can’t believe y’all are still running spares. Where I wheel I’d destroy the tailgate every single time I went out.

Yep. No spare on the gate. If you must, air it down to nothing so the tire can collapse when it hits something.

 

[bbaldwin237]

Yep. No spare on the gate. If you must, air it down to nothing so the tire can collapse when it hits something.

That's actually a good point. With onboard air, there's no real need to have it at street pressure other than maybe making it more stable against the snubbers. Not sure how much of a difference it would make for shaking and wobbling.

 

[Apparition]

Spare in back in front of my refrigerator, under the cover. If a rear seat is needed it stays in the tow rig.

 

[chili_pepper]

Info on tonneau covering the rear?

 

[Daryl]

Ditch the spare and carry glue tread. If you tow, leave your spare with your tow rig.

GlueTread Full-Size 4x4 Sidewall Tire Repair Kit | Sidewall Tire Patch Kit Puncture Repair Kit for Off-Road 4x4 Vehicles | Improved Rubber Formula No Accelerator Needed 10 Minutes Curing Time https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CVC2RZFY?tag=wranglerorg-20

 

[Woodrow]

Spare in back in front of my refrigerator, under the cover. If a rear seat is needed it stays in the tow rig.


View attachment 639004

Is that Cliffhanger at the @JMT roll spot?

 

[freedom_in_4low]

Can’t believe y’all are still running spares. Where I wheel I’d destroy the tailgate every single time I went out.

Me and the guys were talking about that after this and while at the offroad parks this is an easy option (and one I will probably go with simply out of convenience and not carrying 90lbs on the tailgate all the time), this particular trip is backcountry where we often go 20-30 and even as much as 45 miles between towns where the most technical sections are brief but almost always in between and as far as possible from start and finish. We through-wheel and set up camp in a new place every night so there's no place to stash a spare. Slicing a sidewall without a spare could easily kill an entire day out of a 3 day trip that we've all planned for, taken PTO, made arrangements for childcare (one guy is a widower with 3 kids under 10), and driven hundreds of miles for. I know anything can happen but I just can't see screwing it up as the only person not carrying one.

I am looking into Gluetread to see if I can talk myself into believing in it enough to go spareless.

The other TJ's were about to follow me in until I called out on the radio not to. Their tailgates would have fared better because they both run bumper mounted spare tire carriers but with the shorter wheelbase I'm not sure they wouldn't have hit bumper first and tumbled over onto their roofs. I dug mud out of the bottom with my fairlead.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

Spare in back in front of my refrigerator, under the cover. If a rear seat is needed it stays in the tow rig.


View attachment 639004

I put mine vertical to one side but that's basically how I finished the trip. Fortunately it was on the last wheeling day so I didn't have to deal with loading and unloading my gear around it every night. I didn't even try laying it flat, didn't think it would, but I guess you prove it does.

Not gonna lie I do love the visibility out the back without a 35 in the way, and gently closing the tailgate instead of having to give it the beans to compress it against the snubber.

 

[Woodrow]

Me and the guys were talking about that after this and while at the offroad parks this is an easy option (and one I will probably go with simply out of convenience and not carrying 90lbs on the tailgate all the time), this particular trip is backcountry where we often go 20-30 and even as much as 45 miles between towns where the most technical sections are brief but almost always in between and as far as possible from start and finish. We through-wheel and set up camp in a new place every night so there's no place to stash a spare. Slicing a sidewall without a spare could easily kill an entire day out of a 3 day trip that we've all planned for, taken PTO, made arrangements for childcare (one guy is a widower with 3 kids under 10), and driven hundreds of miles for. I know anything can happen but I just can't see screwing it up as the only person not carrying one.

I am looking into Gluetread to see if I can talk myself into believing in it enough to go spareless.

The other TJ's were about to follow me in until I called out on the radio not to. Their tailgates would have fared better because they both run bumper mounted spare tire carriers but with the shorter wheelbase I'm not sure they wouldn't have hit bumper first and tumbled over onto their roofs. I dug mud out of the bottom with my fairlead.



View attachment 639010

Makes sense for that scenario, although if you all have stock axle bolt patterns, having a spare in every other Jeep might be an option. I carry gluetread, a plug kit and Colby emergency valve stems in the jeep and my spare in the tow rig. Having said that, I am going to set up an in bed mount (no back seat in my TJ) so I can carry the spare when I feel the need.

 

[Apparition]

Is that Cliffhanger at the @JMT roll spot?

Yes