During my spring cleaning and rust mitigation ritual on my new to me '05 Rubicon, I removed the stock spare tire. Replacing on the mount turned out to be a more Herculean task than necessary. And my neighbor laughing as I struggled to line up the lug holes didn't help. My old Pinzgauer had a spare tire mount with a lip to hang the center hole onso you could spin it to line up the holes. Is there a Wrangler spare tire mount out there with something similar? I've looked all over the infowebs and can't find anything similar. If nothing else I'll spark up the welder and get to work.
User Friendly Spare Tire Mount
- Thread starter jrcotner
- Start date
As the rims and tire size increases on your TJ; so does the weight you are lifting and difficulty to align the wheel holes to the studs.
When I went from the 215/75x15 to the 255/75x17; the tire size and weight increased where I would need to hug the tire while lifting which creates a problem seeing the studs to align with the holes.
What works for me is to stack a couple items near the spare tire mount so when I lift the tire; I can place the tire on top and then align the studs to the holes.
IF and when I use the spare in a real flat tire situation; I will have my ride along help me while reloading the flat on the spare mount. Otherwise reloading on the mount will probably take a while.
For those of you that are taller; you may not have the problems that us vertically challenged Jeep owners do....
When I went from the 215/75x15 to the 255/75x17; the tire size and weight increased where I would need to hug the tire while lifting which creates a problem seeing the studs to align with the holes.
What works for me is to stack a couple items near the spare tire mount so when I lift the tire; I can place the tire on top and then align the studs to the holes.
IF and when I use the spare in a real flat tire situation; I will have my ride along help me while reloading the flat on the spare mount. Otherwise reloading on the mount will probably take a while.
For those of you that are taller; you may not have the problems that us vertically challenged Jeep owners do....
Start lifting weights.
My spare weighs over 100 lbs and I'm skeleton-like. 
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My spare weighs over 100 lbs and I'm skeleton-like. .
Not much muscle tone there! Need to eat more carbs!!
My 35s are about 93lbs assembled and I weigh 170 and haven't set foot in a gym in close to a decade, and this technique gets it on without much struggle.
I start by standing sideways to the tire, put each hand around the tire to the rim, pull it high enough to get my knee under the tread and then use my leg to help get it up to where the rim can start over the carrier. I can't see to line up the lugs from this position, so I rest the rim on the carrier (it won't stay, I have to keep a hand on it to keep it from sliding/rocking off), and move around to the back where I adopt more of a hug grip, but far enough out to see the lugs. Then lift it, again using my knee to help lift and my hands for positioning, the rest of the way.
I start by standing sideways to the tire, put each hand around the tire to the rim, pull it high enough to get my knee under the tread and then use my leg to help get it up to where the rim can start over the carrier. I can't see to line up the lugs from this position, so I rest the rim on the carrier (it won't stay, I have to keep a hand on it to keep it from sliding/rocking off), and move around to the back where I adopt more of a hug grip, but far enough out to see the lugs. Then lift it, again using my knee to help lift and my hands for positioning, the rest of the way.
To add... I used to start with the hug grip when I had 32s but once I went to 35s that was just too hard on my lower back. The sideways approach lets me swing the tire up barely even having to bend over.
Krusty_tub
Member
Start lifting weights.
I 2nd this. And use your knees to lift
That technique works great, but if you have a lift and are vertically challenged it doesn't work so well....
I have short legs for my height, but I'm still 6'0", so it sure doesn't hurt. I have 5.25" total lift.
Thanks for the tips. I need to try some of these techniques and see what works best. I still may end up doing some mods on the spare tire carrier, just for kicks.
Just like when putting a wheel on an axle, my technique is to line up before lifting. Pick a specific wheel hole to go on the top stud, and slightly tip the wheel so that's what hits first. Still not supper easy but better than lifting and realizing you don't know where the holes are.
My last tire carrier I had a piece of tuning welded in the center of the attacking studs. I would lift the tire up onto the tubing as a rest then align the studs and puts the tire on.
My DirtWorx bumper/tire carrier has a great design. Tire bolts to a plate that has a tube coming out the back. The tube inserts into the tire carrier. This way I can bolt the tire to the plate, then I only have to insert the tube and lock it in place. MUCH easier than trying to align bolts while holding it.
I don't have a personal photo handy... but this link should show how the wheel/tire mounts:
https://www.thedirtworx.com/copy-of-cherokee-and-xj?lightbox=dataItem-ksz75voc4
Remove the bolt that's vertical and the plate comes off.
I don't have a personal photo handy... but this link should show how the wheel/tire mounts:
https://www.thedirtworx.com/copy-of-cherokee-and-xj?lightbox=dataItem-ksz75voc4
Remove the bolt that's vertical and the plate comes off.
biggrigg49
Member
If I am at home I have a little stool that I put on the floor jack then the tire on top of the stool. That makes it a lot easier to get it up to the right height.
@NashvilleTJ 's tire carrier is the best solution I've seen. Multi function so it swings down when accessing the tire or it swings out when accessing the tailgate. But, he built and designed it, it's in his build thread, you can't go buy one.
Post 511, unless you want to search his thread. Which in all honesty is a pretty good use of time.