Daily Driver, Go Where I Want To Build

I’ve spent way too long reading your terrific thread, very informative. I like what you’ve done to your Jeep. From small mods to big mods and you don’t mind experimenting. My Tj/Cj build hopefully will look like what their offspring would look like if a Cj8 and a Tj hooked up in the parking lot of a honky tonk and had a kid. I also did the mirror movers to get them off my doors, good idea. You mention using a Cj tailgate, could you hang your spare off the roll-bar like a scrambler? I also wanted to say your pix are great. This is my favorite [I cropped it a bit and got rid of the two guys, hope neither one was you] but I did enjoy the ‘you lookin at me?!’ sheep photo.
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Thanks! The two guys were there with a larger team doing some maintainance and repair to the buildings on the property.

From what I understand, there used to be sideways paddle wheel at the base of the tower. It was used to power an air compressor which supplied air the mining camp.

Regarding the spare tire and CJ tailgate, as much as I would like a drop down gate, I don't see it happening. Any spare I will run needs to be either on the gate or in the bed. I won't give up the bed, so the spare will hang off the tailgate.

On that front, after much thought I have almost certainly decided on the Exogate tire carrier. And the bumper will be a modified SWAG Big Hit bumper. This may be a Fall/Winter project. I think could lose at least 150lbs of weight behind the rear axle as well as shrink down the physical size the Jeep occupies back there. I can't get hung up on things that aren't there.
 
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Though expensive, the ExoGate is a good product. I haven't had any experience with the bumper in question, although I've often thought about trying one and modifying it in one way or another.

Nice trail you got yourself into, there.
 
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Thanks! The two guys were there with a larger team doing some maintainance and repair to the buildings on the property.

From what I understand, there used to be sideways paddle wheel at the base of the tower. It was used to power an air compressor which supplied air the mining camp.

Regarding the spare tire and CJ tailgate, as much as I would like a drop down gate, I don't see it happening. Any spare I will run needs to be either on the gate or in the bed. I won't give up the bed, so the spare will hang off the tailgate.

On that front, after much thought I have almost certainly decided on the Exogate tire carrier. And the bumper will be a modified SWAG Big Hit bumper. This may be a Fall/Winter project. I think could lose at least 150lbs of weight behind the rear axle as well as shrink down the physical size the Jeep occupies back there. I can't get hung up on things that aren't there.
I wonder if you could modify a stock CJ 7 tire carrier to fit on the TJ. I used to carry my 35” spare on my modified CJ7 swing out tire carrier. That way you could do your drop down gate.
 
The CJ wheel bolt pattern is different. At this point, I want something that is known to work and work well without having to modify it. And I think I can get a tighter fit onto the body with the Exogate.
 
Exogate tire carrier 46lbs
Swag Big Hit bumper 38lbs
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84lbs total

My records show that my Nate's 4x4 bumper and carrier together weighs 150lbs.

That's a 66lb difference, plus the overall weight including the 85lb spare tire would be shifted forward 3-5".
 
Exogate tire carrier 46lbs
Swag Big Hit bumper 38lbs
====
84lbs total

My records show that my Nate's 4x4 bumper and carrier together weighs 150lbs.

That's a 66lb difference, plus the overall weight including the 85lb spare tire would be shifted forward 3-5".

That is a significant weight savings. Having the tire closer to the tailgate won't hurt either.
 
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Does anyone in the Denver area have factory spare tire mount they are willing to part with?