Rear bumper with tire carrier recommendations

My problem is the weight of the spare and getting it onto the carrier and then as others have pointed out it is a lot of weight hanging off the back of your rig. I can't put the spare in the tub so that isn't an option and I'm getting to old to lift my spare up there. The only carrier I can think of that will work would be a GenRight fold down style.

https://genright.com/products/tj-lj-swing-down-rear-tire-carrier-steel.html
 
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Old school Warn bumper/tire carrier. It works, came with the Jeep so I wouldn’t say this is what I’d buy...but it works. I’d like to go with aluminum front and rear bumpers eventually. I like the savvy stuff.
 
I've been very happy with Garvin EXT tire carrier with bumper. It has held up strong for over ten years. Not cheap at just over $1,300. It's f-ing quality, though. I have a tab welded to the center of the tire plate that I use for a rear camera. It can easily be used for lights. Or, if you get the cargo carrier add-on, you can attach to that.

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That’s the first one I used on my Jeep. It was on for about ten years. Loved it but it was heavy as hell
 
Ditching my Lod. Purchased Savvy rear bumper and the exogate. Just waiting for it to arrive
 
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That’s the first one I used on my Jeep. It was on for about ten years. Loved it but it was heavy as hell

I feel like there are times you have to bite the bullet and bear the load. Yup, it weighs a bit. (about 140lbs) With no offense intended toward other manufacturers, I don't think that I could have got the same versatility from a mostly aluminum setup. Even the aluminum rear bumpers and tire carriers use carbon steel in some areas.

It's worth noting that the newer version of the EXT has aluminum end caps that wrap the corners. The older version that I have weighs about 40-60lbs more than a smaller aluminum rear bumper and smaller tire carrier. UCF or Genright equivalent, for example. The EXT offers a wide array of options for add-ons and the plus side is that you can weld or build your own bolt-on add-ons should the need arise. It is beefy enough to hold a 37" tire as well. Plus...it's made in America.

And I matchy matchy with their roof mounted cargo carrier too!
 
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Definitely extend your bumpers a touch. That will keep anything moving even a minute amount.

My upper link has play in it, and I know @strumble8 also had this issue. He put another nut on his and said it removed any play he had. I've been meaning to do it too, just havent yet.

I tightened mine up...I think this why it cracked. It seems to be rock solid. I'll keep an eye on it for a month or 2 and see how it's holding up! I think if you get something that heavy bouncing around with any setup something is gonna give.
 
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This should probably be tight?



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Inside bracket


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See the crack?

Does yours fit tight? I can shake that tire pretty good. It does move. Other than the damage it is doing, I like it pretty well. Maybe the rubber bumper needs replaced?

Thanks in advance.

Jeff
Take that crack, and drill a hole maybe 1/4” in diameter at each tip. Then hide it with some Bondo and paint if you want.

Drilling the tips of the crack is a common way of stopping fatigue cracks from growing. It reduces the point stresses at the top of the crack. The bigger the radius, the lower the stresses.

Drill stopping is called out in this article:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatigue_(material)#Dealing with fatigue
 
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Old school Warn bumper/tire carrier. It works, came with the Jeep so I wouldn’t say this is what I’d buy...but it works. I’d like to go with aluminum front and rear bumpers eventually. I like the savvy stuff.

I just cut off my tire carrier from the Warn bumper that came with my TJ. The pivot was completely shot and there was no way to fix it.

I am using a Rusty's Offroad tire carrier now. I am very happy with how it is working. Holds up to a 40" tire and has replaceable oilite bushings. If I end up having to service it at a later date, I should be able to with some fairly off the shelf parts.

I used to have a YJ that I built a custom swinger for. I had all these dreams and aspirations of mounting all kinds of stuff on it. Gas cans, shovels, Hi Lift, etc. I was going to go full Mad Max with that thing! But the reality of it was that I never ventured further than a half a tank of fuel would take me. Never needed the extra fuel. Never needed a shovel. Never needed the Hi Lift. But it looked cool though!

What is really cool is the ability to open and get into the rear of the TJ with only one hand without having to set down whatever you are carrying in the other.
 
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I feel like there are times you have to bite the bullet and bear the load. Yup, it weighs a bit. (about 140lbs) With no offense intended toward other manufacturers, I don't think that I could have got the same versatility from a mostly aluminum setup. Even the aluminum rear bumpers and tire carriers use carbon steel in some areas.

It's worth noting that the newer version of the EXT has aluminum end caps that wrap the corners. The older version that I have weighs about 40-60lbs more than a smaller aluminum rear bumper and smaller tire carrier. UCF or Genright equivalent, for example. The EXT offers a wide array of options for add-ons and the plus side is that you can weld or build your own bolt-on add-ons should the need arise. It is beefy enough to hold a 37" tire as well. Plus...it's made in America.

And I matchy matchy with their roof mounted cargo carrier too!
The ext?
 
@jscherb

What is the difference between the Exogate and MorRyde, they are both your design right? I have one, don't recall which with a 33 and steel wheel for a couple years and really like it. As mentioned tire has to be tight to the tailgate scrubbers to prevent rattle/play which feeds into tailgate damage.
 
@jscherb

What is the difference between the Exogate and MorRyde, they are both your design right? I have one, don't recall which with a 33 and steel wheel for a couple years and really like it. As mentioned tire has to be tight to the tailgate scrubbers to prevent rattle/play which feeds into tailgate damage.
From about 2011 through 2015 the Exogate was exclusively a Gr8Tops product. The main frame of the Gr8Tops version was made from rectangular tubing. Since the beginning, it was manufactured for Gr8Tops by MORryde - I designed the Exogate for my own use and Gr8Tops wanted to market it but didn't have the manufacturing capability so I arranged for MORryde to manufacture it for Gr8Tops.

In 2005 MORryde decided to expand their Jeep product line and I collaborated with MORryde engineers to design a new version, this one being made from thick steel plate bent to shape and also incorporating the "wide swing" hinge design to allow more space for accessories to be mounted to the hinges. MORryde brought this to market under their own brand name and offered Gr8Tops the option of continuing production of the original Exogate or adopting the new design and Gr8Tops adopted the new design. The Gr8Tops and MORryde new design products are identical.
 
It's now been 5+ years since I installed a UCF rear aluminum hybrid (Steel core with aluminum outer cover) bumper and tire carrier combination. The original bumper/tire carrier combo it replaced weighed in at 96.6 lbs. The UCF combo weighed in at 65.1 lbs, resulting in a total weight savings of 31.5 lbs. I've been running a 35" tire (now with a heavier beadlock wheel) on it for the entire time.

After dozens of wheeling trips and 5+ years I've not had any major issues or complaints with it. The only small problem I had was after the first three years I had to tighten the jam nut that puts pre-load on the tire carrier bearing.

This bumper was on the expensive side ($900 when I purchased it), but as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Also, to be transparent, I have bent the outer edges of the aluminum bumper on large rocks, but nothing that has not been able to be easily fixed.

https://undercoverfab.com/jeep-tj-l...-bumper-with-tire-carrier-for-jeep-yj-tj.html
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Ok. So looking for feedback on guys running swing out bumpers with 35s or larger that have had them for YEARS. I don’t want rattles, I don’t want a flexy pile of crap and am leaning towards the UCF hybrid. @Irun has chimed in and I’m digging his input but would like a few more if possible.
 
Ok. So looking for feedback on guys running swing out bumpers with 35s or larger that have had them for YEARS. I don’t want rattles, I don’t want a flexy pile of crap and am leaning towards the UCF hybrid. @Irun has chimed in and I’m digging his input but would like a few more if possible.
I have had the Rock Hard 4x4 tire carrier for 2 years, and frequently load it up with about 300 lbs of tire, cargo, and cans. No rattles at all. It's got several rubber stops designed to prevent rattle without damaging the tailgate. It also has a two stage latch, like a car door, so you can slam it very tight.

A friend of mine has had his for at least 6 years with no issues.

RH4X4 rates it to carry a 38" tire, two full fuel cans, 100 lbs on the cargo rack, a hi-lift jack, and tow a trailer up to the limit of the LJ (3500 lbs). They claim they've never had anyone tear the bumper off the frame when the frame brace brackets are installed.

It also latches in the open position, so if you open it on a hill, you don't get smacked as it comes back down.

All of the features are adjustable. The spare tire can be adjusted for height, depth, and bolt pattern. The cargo rack can be adjusted for height and depth. The can mounts can be adjusted for height and width. The entire bumper itself can be adjusted up an inch to hide a body lift gap and increase departure angle.

The biggest downside is it is quite heavy, I believe on the order of 110 lbs. (I haven't had any issues with the weight yet.) But that's the cost of heavy steel construction.

https://www.rockhard4x4.com/product_p/rh-2001-c.htm
You must use the frame brace brackets with any tire carrier, including this one. I highly recommend using all of the bolting options provided with the bracket and the RH4X4 bumper.
 
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Ok. So looking for feedback on guys running swing out bumpers with 35s or larger that have had them for YEARS. I don’t want rattles, I don’t want a flexy pile of crap and am leaning towards the UCF hybrid. @Irun has chimed in and I’m digging his input but would like a few more if possible.

If a 33 is large enough, I grew to hate my old swing out. It took about 60k miles to shake itself apart. Beyond that, it's shear physical mass began to just get in the way. Getting rid of it was a performance upgrade. Afterwards, I realized that the Jeep simply behaves better without all that weight hanging off the back.

The last couple years have been focused on reducing the profile and weight of the Jeep. There is no place for a swing out carrier in those efforts.
 
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