Spare tire and bumper question

David Jackman

David Jackman

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Apr 9, 2016
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So there I wuz.......I bought the Jeep last August in Colorado Springs and drove it back to Canyon Lake, Texas. I did not check the air in the spare tire, which hangs off back end. Well, today I got around to checking all the tires again and discovered the spare was flat. Plumb flat. So I aired it up to 30 psi and went back to other chores. After a while I needed to put something in the back of the Jeep. When I pulled the latch, it sprang open like had jet assist. Didn't pay much attention to it. When I got ready to close the tailgate, it wouldn't close. After look everywhere my bi-focal's could see, I finally discovered that the spare tire is hitting a "bumper" at the bottom, just under the tailgate door. So, it appears that with the 31'" tire on the back, you can't close the tailgate unless there is NO AIR in the tire. I could not determine what kind of bolt/screw is used to attache the "bumper" to the body. It is not a socket that I own. I almost looks like at bolt/screw with a slot or notch instead of screwdriver slot or a hex head bolt.

Have you, or anyone else out there on the forum experienced this little surprise?

What kind of fastener holds the bumper to the back of the Jeep?

Awaiting direction;

Chief
 
The factory didn't install anything for the spare tire to rest on so it's likely what the spare tire is resting on was added by a previous owner. As requested by Northwood, a photo of what the tire is sitting on would be helpful. Wrangler owners often have a piece of steel added for the spare to rest on to take the stress off the spare tire mount and tailgate hinges.
 
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The rubber snubbers on the tailgate & underneath the tailgate are attached with a bolt with a star head, recessed inside the snubber. Takes a 6 point Torx socket to remove. A 31 inch tire should not cause the issue you are having, but you can solve it with some washers on the studs where the tire mounts. Just try one or two on each stud and see if that allows your tailgate to close.
 
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My 2000 TJ needed washer stacks under the four spare tire snubbers after I upgraded to BFG 31x10.5s on Mickey Thompson 15x8 wheels. The big factor driving the need to alter snubber length was wheel backspacing. I had to dismount and mount the spare a number of times as I adjusted the washers under each snubber, worth it because it remains tight and stable after a number of years.
 
Do you have after market wheels, or a wide 31" tire? Sounds like it is bouncing off the lower rubber snubber, which is mounted to the body in the center just below the tail gate. They are held on with a T30 torx. I wouldn't recommend taking it off as the tire needs it to be mounted stable. Possibly try glwood idea of a couple washers, if that's not enough, you may need an actual spacer.

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Mark K said:
My 2000 TJ needed washer stacks under the four spare tire snubbers after I upgraded to BFG 31x10.5s on Mickey Thompson 15x8 wheels. The big factor driving the need to alter snubber length was wheel backspacing. I had to dismount and mount the spare a number of times as I adjusted the washers under each snubber, worth it because it remains tight and stable after a number of years.
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OP has the opposite problem. Tire seems to be too close, not too far away.
 
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Northwood said:
A picture is worth a thousand words! :)
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Northwood said:
A picture is worth a thousand words! :)
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OK, Northwood and ALL; I'm not sure if I know how to attach the pics, but I have them downloaded and ready. As the pics show, I have only three (3) bumpers; two on the top of the tailgate on either side of the tail light arm, and one just below the tailgate attached to the body. I put some fender washers on the studs and brought it out about 7/32". That was not enough to close the tailgate with air in the tire. Without air in the tire, and with the wheel on the studs just enough to barely touch the bumpers, I have only 1/2" of stud sticking out to put on the lug nuts. I'm thinking that is not enough for safe traveling.

If we can't find a reasonable solution, I'm thinking I can buy a set of 30" tires cheaper than I can buy a $1,000 tailgate.
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That is just weird. I have never seen a set of 31 x 10.50" tires, on stock Jeep wheels, that would not fit the spare tire carrier and allow the tailgate to close. I have had that size tire on numerous TJs previously owned, and never had that issue.

Unless Yokohama Geolander tires are extra wide or there are some sort of spacers behind your rubber bumpers, I don't have an explanation...
 
glwood said:
That is just weird. I have never seen a set of 31 x 10.50" tires, on stock Jeep wheels, that would not fit the spare tire carrier and allow the tailgate to close. I have had that size tire on numerous TJs previously owned, and never had that issue.

Unless Yokohama Geolander tires are extra wide, I don't have an explanation...
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If the stock carrier has sagged, which is common if the jeep has been offroad a lot or even just driven on very rough roads, it may not have enough clearance at the bottom. And I imagine it wouldn't take much to prevent it from closing all the way.
 
Maybe relocate the lower bump stop to the tailgate so the tire is always resting on it, instead of hitting it only when it's closed.
 
sgtjdgelinas said:
Maybe relocate the lower bump stop to the tailgate so the tire is always resting on it, instead of hitting it only when it's closed.
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Don't want to do that. The bottom bumper is the most important keeping the leverage from the tire mostly off the tailgate and transferring it to the body. If you move it to the tailgate just imagine the tire trying to peel the tailgate off with nothing to stop it.
 
Northwood said:
Don't want to do that. The bottom bumper is the most important keeping the leverage from the tire mostly off the tailgate and transferring it to the body. If you move it to the tailgate just imagine the tire trying to peel the tailgate off with nothing to stop it.
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I would think if the tailgate shuts properly it wouldn't pull it. On mine it has four bumpers all on the tailgate.
 
glwood said:
That is just weird. I have never seen a set of 31 x 10.50" tires, on stock Jeep wheels, that would not fit the spare tire carrier and allow the tailgate to close. I have had that size tire on numerous TJs previously owned, and never had that issue.

Unless Yokohama Geolander tires are extra wide or there are some sort of spacers behind your rubber bumpers, I don't have an explanation...
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Well, glwood....I agree. I'm a noobie at the Jeep thingy, so ignorance is my most abundant asset. I bought the Jeep from a dealer in Colorado. The customer traded it in. I have no idea what is stock and not stock, although there does not appear to be any major additions or modifications done to it. The Jeep was a one owner vehicle, purchased new in 2004 in New Braunfels, Texas, about 15 miles from where I live. I went to Colorado Springs to rescue it and bring it home. As far as I know, the tires are the only thing that is not stock. The wheels are Jeep wheels....at least the word "Jeep" is in the middle of the wheel. The three bumpers ALL touch the tire when the tire is flat. The bottom bumper is the one that keeps the tailgate from closing when the tire is inflated. The tires look almost new. I haven't checked the tread depth but there is plenty left.

We don't go off road or rock climbing. We pull it behind a motor home and use it for exploring our beautiful country. I can say that we won't be getting off the pavement very often, and for damned sure not very far. We have AAA for emergencies, so I probably won't be changing at tire myself anyway. Just taking the spare off the carrier was about all this 72 year old worn out body could do. I can always leave it flat and if I have a flat or blowout, the AAA dude can air up the spare and put it on. When I get all I can out of this set of tires, I'll downsize a little bit and make sure the spare will work before I buy a set.

I really appreciate all the help on this forum. It's good to know there is so much knowledge out there and good people willing to share it. Thanks to all you guys for your posts.

I think I'm going to abandon this project and move on to the next challenge. Y'all ride SAFE!

Chief
 
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Last thought... you could unbolt it from the jeep, and sand the back of the bottom one down a bit so it'll fit. Just do a little at a time until you can close the rear gate.
 
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