33 spare doesn't fit on OEM tire carrier?

[SteelJeep]

Back in day I had an 03 Sport TJ and ran 33s and then upgraded to 35s. Other than installing a 3rd brake spacer kit I could have swore that both spares tires fit on the OEM tire carrier w/no modifications. In retrospect it wasn't smart, but it is what it is.

I just installed a set of 285/75/16 Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac (on 16inch Moabs) tires on my 04 Sahara last week and decided to install the spare 33 tire yesterday. I thought all I had to do was to remove the 3rd brake light and install it on the OEM tire carrier, but the tire carrier was a good 1/2 too low to fit (Duratrac is a true 33 inch tire). It didn't matter how I positioned the tire it just wouldn't fit on the tire carrier.

BTW, the 04 Sahara still had the never used OEM 30inch spare tire on it. lol

FWIW, I did buy a MORryde tailgate reinforcement kit, along with a 97-02 rust free tailgate to install it on, due to the Sahara tailgate bottom edge being rusted out. Suffice is to say its not going smoothly. I just thought I could install the spare 33 on the OEM tire carrier until I got the new tailgate & MORryde kit installed.

Pic is my old 03 w/35 on stock tire carrier w/stock bumper.

 

[derekmac]

My 33's fit and the tire rested on the top of the bumper. I might not have had it aired up all the way though, but I honestly can't remember.

 

[dan lee]

You will need this adapter, I happen to have one for sale $35

 

[rouxbicon]

Back in day I had an 03 Sport TJ and ran 33s and then upgraded to 35s. Other than installing a 3rd brake spacer kit I could have swore that both spares tires fit on the OEM tire carrier w/no modifications. In retrospect it wasn't smart, but it is what it is.

I just installed a set of 285/75/16 Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac (on 16inch Moabs) tires on my 04 Sahara last week and decided to install the spare 33 tire yesterday. I thought all I had to do was to remove the 3rd brake light and install it on the OEM tire carrier, but the tire carrier was a good 1/2 too low to fit (Duratrac is a true 33 inch tire). It didn't matter how I positioned the tire it just wouldn't fit on the tire carrier.

BTW, the 04 Sahara still had the never used OEM 30inch spare tire on it. lol

FWIW, I did buy a MORryde tailgate reinforcement kit, along with a 97-02 rust free tailgate to install it on, due to the Sahara tailgate bottom edge being rusted out. Suffice is to say its not going smoothly. I just thought I could install the spare 33 on the OEM tire carrier until I got the new tailgate & MORryde kit installed.

Pic is my old 03 w/35 on stock tire carrier w/stock bumper.

View attachment 247957

Definitely a 1" or 1.25" body lift in that picture, which would help a larger spare clear the bumper. I have a 265/75/16 spare, and i don't think it would have cleared my factory bumper without my 1.25" body lift.

is your current Sahara lifted at all?

 

[Camdenst]

I had to air down my 33 to have it sit on the bumper.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

A 33 will fit but the spare tire bracket may or may not survive. My bracket cracked and failed with a 33" spare on it and it didn't take long. That above bracket would make it even more likely to fail due to the added leverage it would give the tire against the bracket.

But there is a way to help the bracket survive a heavier tire like that...

Mrblaine welded a steel support tab to the top of one of his Jeeps rear bumpers and it does a nice job of supporting it.

 

[defenderu]

A 33 will fit but the spare tire bracket may or may not survive. My bracket cracked and failed with a 33" spare on it and it didn't take long. That above bracket would make it even more likely to fail due to the added leverage it would give the tire against the bracket.

But there is a way to help the bracket survive a heavier tire like that...

Mrblaine welded a steel support tab to the top of one of his Jeeps rear bumpers and it does a nice job of supporting it.

View attachment 248038View attachment 248039

Whelp looks like I have to add another thing to my builds list.

 

[72afr]

Definitely a 1" or 1.25" body lift in that picture, which would help a larger spare clear the bumper. I have a 265/75/16 spare, and i don't think it would have cleared my factory bumper without my 1.25" body lift.

is your current Sahara lifted at all?

I can confirm this. I have 265/75/16 KO2's on mine and the rear tire would slide along the top of the stock bumper with the stock carrier and no body lift.

 

[SteelJeep]

Thanks folks. This is the tailgate reinforcement kit I bought. I read good product reviews so I hope it works as good as advertised.

@dan lee I believe my kit includes a couple OEM tire carrier bracket extenders. If not I'll be looking for a tire relocation bracket.

 

[Sancho]

33's with a stock bumper, stock tire carrier, and no BL, may NOT fit. My KO2's 33x10.5x15 did NOT fit.. even aired down.

I have the same Exogate tire carrier... your gonna need to use the offset brackets they provide, and find some spacers for the 3rd tail light "tower".

I ended up using my old body mounts as spacers for the tail light tower.

 

[SteelJeep]

Definitely a 1" or 1.25" body lift in that picture, which would help a larger spare clear the bumper. I have a 265/75/16 spare, and i don't think it would have cleared my factory bumper without my 1.25" body lift.

is your current Sahara lifted at all?

I just don't remember a body lift kit being installed along with the RE 4 inch lift kit. But I do remember installing a radiator fan shroud spacers on it. Here's another angle. I guess it's a possibility, I just wished I could remember for sure.

And yes I just had a OME 2inch lift kit recently installed on my new to me 04 Sahara (thanks Kolac). Pic is pre lift. I took measurement from the DS rear flare and it went from 31 5/8 to 35 even.

 

[72afr]

There's definitely a body lift on the silver one. The bumper and steps typically sit much closer to the bottom of the body than that.

 

[SteelJeep]

There's definitely a body lift on the silver one. The bumper and steps typically sit much closer to the bottom of the body than that.

Yep, mystery solved. I managed to find an old 2007 thread of mine. For the silver TJ I bought a Rubicon Express RE 7000 3.5 springs, short arm lift kit with a one inch body lift for it. Thanks for the feedback.

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