Building a tire carrier for a 35 inch tire

myjeep3 · Mar 15, 2025

basedbb69 said:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C3J98QJ?tag=wranglerorg-20 Tie in brackets

Skimmed over this thread so I might have missed it, but if you don't have tie in brackets make them or get them. I put them on my homemade swing bumper. What's bad is these brackets were like 20$ a few years ago so it was honestly better to buy them instead of making them.

Here's my tire carrier. The axle shaft that holds the spare is a dana 35 shaft I broke

View attachment 600994
View attachment 600995

I have those installed. Thanks. Are the other 2 inner bumper bolts needed? The metal at the crossemember is thin there

myjeep3 · Mar 15, 2025

AirborneTexasRanger said:
Honestly, sleeving is the easiest option since the bolt holes are already there. You just need to drill the holes a bit bigger so you can slide some tube/pipe all the way through, then weld both sides. If you grind the tube & weld flush you'll see if there's any lack of penetration & can add more weld until it solid.

I did just that. Wasn't too bad. Should I weld these flat pieces at the badck and front of bumper? Is that needed?

jjvw · Mar 15, 2025

myjeep3 said:
I have those installed. Thanks. Are the other 2 inner bumper bolts needed? The metal at the crossemember is thin there

Mine has a lot less going on than yours. Are fourteen attachment points too many?

myjeep3 · Mar 15, 2025

jjvw said:
Mine has a lot less going on than yours. Are fourteen attachment points too many?
View attachment 601012

I can put the first 2 inner bots without sleeves? I feel like the 2 outer, and bottom bolts are doing all the work.

Also not sure if these plates welded at the front and rear of bumper are needed.

jjvw · Mar 15, 2025

myjeep3 said:
I can put the first 2 inner bots without sleeves? I feel like the 2 outer, and bottom bolts are doing all the work.

Also not sure if these plates welded at the front and rear of bumper are needed.
View attachment 601015 View attachment 601016

This is where you need to understand what you are designing and why it may need to be a certain way.

What does the bolt sleeve accomplish? What is the purpose of the plate?

myjeep3 · Mar 15, 2025

jjvw said:
This is where you need to understand what you are designing and why it may need to be a certain way.

What does the bolt sleeve accomplish? What is the purpose of the plate?

Trying to understandnas as I go.

was going to use the plates cause am thinking that the metal (1/8) where i will weld the pivot bracket next to the outer sleeved bolts isn't strong enough. May be wrong that's why I appreciate everyone's inputs on here.

jjvw · Mar 15, 2025

myjeep3 said:
Trying to understandnas as I go. was going to use the plates cause am thinking that the metal (1/8) where i will weld the pivot bracket next to the outer sleeved bolts isn't strong enough. May be wrong that's why I appreciate everyone's inputs on here.

Reread what Blaine said in post 21. That encapsulates this entire endeavor.

In all my mulling over of this project, everything keeps moving back to a big hinge pin extending above the top of the bumper where the full height and length of the bumper tube does the work of constraining the hinge. Otherwise, the face attachment ends up getting bigger and bulkier and more elaborate. And I lack the empathy to see any reason to pursue that in a functional bumper mounted tire carrier that is less likely to shake itself apart over time. My old swing away did that, btw.

Apparition · Mar 15, 2025

Although I’ve since sold it my metalcloak tire carrier bumper was very solid and rattle free. It was also expensive, overbuilt and heavy as hell.

But here’s how they did their connection. Maybe you can get some ideas that will help you. IIRC it was about a 3/4” or 1” bolt with bearings top and bottom.

Tire always supported

Pictures from here
https://modernjeeper.com/metalcloak-tj-lj-jeep-wrangler-rear-bumper-tire-carrier-and-gas-tank-skid/

jjvw · Mar 15, 2025

Apparition said:
Although I’ve since sold it my metalcloak tire carrier bumper was very solid and rattle free. It was also expensive, overbuilt and heavy as hell.

But here’s how they did their connection. Maybe you can get some ideas that will help you. IIRC it was about a 3/4” or 1” bolt with bearings top and bottom.

View attachment 601032

Tire always supported

View attachment 601036
View attachment 601037

Pictures from here
https://modernjeeper.com/metalcloak-tj-lj-jeep-wrangler-rear-bumper-tire-carrier-and-gas-tank-skid/

How many miles did you put on it?

Mine had an over-center latch to draw the swing away tight into pocket to rest in when closed. It was never quiet no matter how I tried to constrain the swing away. It took about 80k miles to begin cracking at the tire mount attachment.

Apparition · Mar 15, 2025

jjvw said:
How many miles did you put on it?

Mine had a similar over-center latch and pocket to rest in when closed. It was never quiet no matter how I tried to contain the swing away. It took about 80k miles to begin cracking at the tire mount attachment.

Only about 20k. It would drag on obstacles both the bumper and the tire plus I got tired of having to open it and the tailgate to get in the back.

It had nice tapered roller bearings in it and the latch was solid. Would it have deteriorated over time? Maybe, but I had zero desire to find out.

Apparition · Mar 15, 2025

The one nice thing about Metalcloak is they have an instruction library and it still has the assembly instructions for that bumper, they no longer sell it either.

My memory was wrong it wasn’t a 3/4” bolt at all.

https://images.metalcloak.com/Metal...m/II-2841-Rear-Bumper-Tire-Carrier-System.pdf

basedbb69 · Mar 15, 2025

In my opinion you don't need those extra plates on the hinge, it's gonna add almost no strength and more weight. That's just my opinion as a certified fabricobbler lol. I'm not sure what you mean by inner bumper bolts, on my bumper there's 4 bolts on the the bumper, then the tie in brackets which attach it to another 4 bolts.

Does your hinge have a bearing? You need one. I think it would just jam up without it. When I built mine I bought a kit that come with spindle, bearings and the tube. But you might be fine, I'd just put enough weld on it to see if it opens smoothly or not.

AirborneTexasRanger · Mar 15, 2025

myjeep3 said:
I can put the first 2 inner bots without sleeves? I feel like the 2 outer, and bottom bolts are doing all the work.

Also not sure if these plates welded at the front and rear of bumper are needed.
View attachment 601015 View attachment 601016

I would use the 2 angle pieces & top flat plate like I mentioned before. It's hard to give you a definite answer because this type of project requires test fitting, swinging the tire carrier open and close, watching how everything moves, bends, twists, etc.

jjvw · Mar 15, 2025

basedbb69 said:
.... I'm not sure what you mean by inner bumper bolts, on my bumper there's 4 bolts on the the bumper,
...

Look at my picture with 12 bolts on the face and one under each frame rail. The sets of four bolts surrounding each recovery point are factory and many aftermarket bumpers utilize all eight attachments on the crossmember face. In my case, I added four additional attachments surrounding the hitch receiver.

basedbb69 · Mar 15, 2025

jjvw said:
Look at my picture with 12 bolts on the face and one under each frame rail. The sets of four bolts surrounding each recovery point are factory and many aftermarket bumpers utilize all eight attachments on the crossmember face. In my case, I added four additional attachments surrounding the hitch receiver.

Oh that makes sense. The previous owner of my jeep had that cross member all bent and twisted up so I had to remake it and a rear bumper. I just added the holes that the original bumper was using which was the 4 outside ones. And now that you mention it I do believe I have the bolts on the bottom of the frame rail as well. But I think the reason a lot of these tire carriers fail is cause they bounce too much combined with a weak latch. My buddies smittybilt tire carrier failed like that then the latch fell off on the trail

On mine it's got that large spindle and a double latch. The reason I did double is cause I wanted it to be rigid in 2 directions. Ones a slam latch one is a destaco? latch or something. The slam latch alone is strong enough but with the other one it is rock solid. I also have rubber stoppers on there which don't let it rattle.

Here's a video I took when I was building it. You can close it with one hand with the tire on it, and it doesn't bounce when off roading like most of these do. Only downside is I wish I could've designed it just as strong but hidden somehow. I got a video somewhere of the finished bumper but it's somewhere within like 12 hours of footage on my gopro so I ain't trying to find that right now

Then the second latch:

Anyways not tryna steal OP's thread just throwing some ideas out there. It's cool there's so many people on this forum making their own stuff.

jjvw · Mar 15, 2025

basedbb69 said:
Oh that makes sense. The previous owner of my jeep had that cross member all bent and twisted up so I had to remake it and a rear bumper. I just added the holes that the original bumper was using which was the 4 outside ones. And now that you mention it I do believe I have the bolts on the bottom of the frame rail as well. But I think the reason a lot of these tire carriers fail is cause they bounce too much combined with a weak latch. My buddies smittybilt tire carrier failed like that then the latch fell off on the trail On mine it's got that large spindle and a double latch. The reason I did double is cause I wanted it to be rigid in 2 directions. Ones a slam latch one is a destaco? latch or something. The slam latch alone is strong enough but with the other one it is rock solid. I also have rubber stoppers on there which don't let it rattle.

Here's a video I took when I was building it. You can close it with one hand with the tire on it, and it doesn't bounce when off roading like most of these do. Only downside is I wish I could've designed it just as strong but hidden somehow. I got a video somewhere of the finished bumper but it's somewhere within like 12 hours of footage on my gopro so I ain't trying to find that right now

Then the second latch:
View attachment 601060

Anyways not tryna steal OP's thread just throwing some ideas out there. It's cool there's so many people on this forum making their own stuff.

Your over center latch is pointed the wrong direction. It should be pulling the swing arm in towards the body against a stop. This was one of the things I needed to fix on mine early on to reduce the rattles and bouncing. Yours is still moving and bouncing because the latch is only holding the swing arm in tension radially from the hinge. The rubber stoppers are hiding this movement.

basedbb69 · Mar 15, 2025

jjvw said:
Your over center latch is pointed the wrong direction. It should be pulling the swing arm in towards the body against a stop. This was one of the things I needed to fix on mine early on to reduce the rattles and bouncing. Yours is still moving and bouncing because the latch is only holding the swing arm in tension radially from the hinge. The rubber stoppers are hiding this movement.

Well it still don't bounce and it's got 3 years of trail testing on it so i'll just leave it alone lol. I'd like to turn this jeep into a trailer princess one day and take the spare off for weight savings anyways

but for now it's my drive it to the trail and drive it back home rig

jjvw · Mar 15, 2025

basedbb69 said:
Well it still don't bounce and it's got 3 years of trail testing on it so i'll just leave it alone lol. I'd like to turn this jeep into a trailer princess one day and take the spare off for weight savings anyways but for now it's my drive it to the trail and drive it back home rig

Ok. Your carrier is still bouncing.

myjeep3 · Mar 16, 2025

basedbb69 said:
In my opinion you don't need those extra plates on the hinge, it's gonna add almost no strength and more weight. That's just my opinion as a certified fabricobbler lol. I'm not sure what you mean by inner bumper bolts, on my bumper there's 4 bolts on the the bumper, then the tie in brackets which attach it to another 4 bolts.

Does your hinge have a bearing? You need one. I think it would just jam up without it. When I built mine I bought a kit that come with spindle, bearings and the tube. But you might be fine, I'd just put enough weld on it to see if it opens smoothly or not.

Yes the hinge has bearings. Here is an image of the bolts am talking about.

basedbb69 · Mar 16, 2025

Maybe that crossmember is different by year. Here's what mine looked like before I replaced it. (hard to tell in this pic but it was very bent up) It doesn't have those inner holes.

Building a tire carrier for a 35 inch tire

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