TaylarsJK

So I'm getting a lot of rattling from my spare and its only due time until the welds start to break on the stock tire carrier, what would be my best bet on a replacement? I'm currently looking at the rampage replacement Rampage Part 86610 - Rear Tire Mount Kit

Or the bestop replacement http://www.4wd.com/Jeep-Bumpers-Jeep...n=BST61961-01#

Thanks

river2c

IMO, the Teraflex HD hinged tire carrier. Lightweight, rattle free, and opens with the tailgate.

Invest2m4

The Smittybilt Oversized Carrier is essentially the same as the Bestop, but can be had for close to $100. There is a good thread on here somewhere about it with a lot of people using it.

Some others will chime in on this, but I am not certain that those options you have listed solve the problem. If you are running a larger than stock tire, you probably need to bite the bullet and go with an option that takes the weight off the tailgate (e.g. OR Fab, TF hinged carrier).

Yellowfin

GenRight. Nuff said.

SBEII

I've been using the bestop one you listed for about a year with a 35" Bfg on a stock wheel. It's holding up well. I hope to get the new poison spyder bumper/carrier but $1,500 is tough to swallow right now. The smittybuilt looks exactly the same and is about half priced. If your money is tight like mine right now, that's a good choice. It is also height adjustable to give you maximum visibility out the rear window.

r3cluse

Which welds are breaking?
Is it the nut welds that hold the tire carrier to the tailgate?
Or is it the tailgate spot welds that hold it to the hinges?
What size tires are you running with?
What's their weight?

The stock is only rated for 80 lbs, and that's the hinge ratings for the tailgate. If you have larger thank stock tires then I would avoid anything that doesn't mount to the tub. After that, it depends on what kind of look you're going for. If you want close to stock I'd say the Tereflex carrier. I personally have an OR-FAB and love it. It took some finessing but I was able to install it by myself.

I knocked out the welded-in nuts and got reinforcing plates a 'la Off Camber Fabrications 130903 - Off Camber Fabrications Spare Tire Reinforcement Kit for 07-13 Jeep® Wrangler & Wrangler Unlimited JK - Quadratec. The tire carrier was secure to the tailgate but the hinge welds are super weak. My 35" MTR Wranglers are about 100 lbs a piece and it bent the heck out of my tailgate because the bumps stops created a pivot point. Most of the roads in Anchorage are like constantly driving over railroad tracks.

Food for thought.

SBEII

Please explain more about this. Your tire was pivoting on you bump stops?

MudBather

I have been using the MBRP tailgate reinforcement kit from Quadratec and have no signs of stress or fatigue on any of the welds thus far. Its been installed for going on two years now. I am running 315/75R16 Duratracs. Not sure on the weight but I know its more than the stock tires.

r3cluse

Yes, the bump stops were in the dead center of the tire (on each side). Instead of bracing it they created a pivot point. I tried a relocation bracket for the tire but it didn't change anything. The way the tire sat there was just no good place to put the bump stops in the tailgate.

My only other option was to drill a hole into the bumper and put another bump stop there to prevent any movement. Doable, but it gave me an excuse to buy a tire carrier which can also carry jerry cans. I replaced the tailgate from the junkyard.

It's possible Pedro was half asleep while he spot welded my tailgate and I got unlucky with it. I've had no other issues with the stock Jeep since I bought it.

If I had a tight budget then I would have done the hole-in-bumper option and hoped my tailgate could last a few more years. On the other hand, if I was on a tight budget I'd probably have a Dodge Neon.

SkinFan

Expedition One ..... really nice, solid bumper. It will outlast the jeep for sure.