Tailgate swings too far hits light

lanemitchell84

lanemitchell84

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Mar 31, 2020
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31x10.5 on stock tire carrier 2004 tj. since i upgraded to the 31's i had to put the tire on backwards cause it hits the center braker light and lugs dont reach far enough. so the tire doesnt reach the bumpers when its shut. it all was working fine. but now the tailgate is swinging farther and is hitting the passenger side tail light. the door does not appear to be sagging at all. seems to swing just fine as it always has. did something break in the hinge? also, how can i get my tire to fit right? having it on backwards isnt as pretty! thanks im new here!
 
lanemitchell84 said:
31x10.5 on stock tire carrier 2004 tj. since i upgraded to the 31's i had to put the tire on backwards cause it hits the center braker light and lugs dont reach far enough. so the tire doesnt reach the bumpers when its shut. it all was working fine. but now the tailgate is swinging farther and is hitting the passenger side tail light. the door does not appear to be sagging at all. seems to swing just fine as it always has. did something break in the hinge? also, how can i get my tire to fit right? having it on backwards isnt as pretty! thanks im new here!
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Pics of the spare mounted backwards?
 
i think the hinge used to have a stopper in there and it broke off over time. but aside from the hinge, i dont know what to do about the tire carrier.
DrDmoney said:
They make aftermarket brackets you can use or you can modify your existing light with longer bolts and stacks of washers. I wouldn’t leave the spare on backwards because it’s putting a heavier load on your latch and hinges with it so far from the tailgate.
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Your tailgate is not hitting the light the hinge is. It looks like your top hinge is opening further than your bottom hinge causing the tailgate to drop and twist when open and that’s causing the hinge to dig into the tail light. The hinges should swing out evenly and clear the light.
 
I put a limiting strap on mine, to prevent it from swinging too far open, especially on those uphill parking spots.
 
Yes you are correct. The door swings naturally. But if buying new hinges would fix the problem then heck yeah. I just think I need to know if I should replace the hingesand then add an extended to the mount, or just buy a whole new upgraded door and everything together
dla said:
Your tailgate is not hitting the light the hinge is. It looks like your top hinge is opening further than your bottom hinge causing the tailgate to drop and twist when open and that’s causing the hinge to dig into the tail light. The hinges should swing out evenly and clear the light.
Click to expand...
 
I did a few other mods too.
I hated the off center mount, plus I wanted to raise the 33 to better clear the trailer hitch.
So I moved the carrier to center it plus raised it 2". Now the tire bumps the fender, never touching the light.

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Granted, I have a '98, looks the same. But I've got a 31x10.5 on a rim w/ 4" backspace and still have 1 1/4" before third brake light..
[edit] Sorry, BB, I posted this while you were posting.
 
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