Installing a Path Finder Spare Tire Carrier into 80 Series (1 Viewer)

[Saliya]

Has anyone tried installing an OEM 1991 era Nissan Path Finder Rear tire carrier in to a 80 Series ?

I am thinking of picking one up from a Salvage Yard and modify it to fit on my 95 TLC, it is hinged with the Latch etc...

Regards,

Saliya

 

[caanuck]

I used to own a pathfinder and the swinging hinges were very tight and got worse as the truck got older. I suspected corrosion and lack of a grease fitting were the cause.
Look for this when picking one from the wreckers and let me know how it goes.

 

[bpassmore]

You will need to reinforce the corners to support the weight.
good luck.

 

[Saliya]

original JDM Tire carriers is very similar

 

[alaskacruiser]

original JDM Tire carriers is very similar

Saliya- the original JDM tire carriers were installed on 80s with additional bracing behind the body panel to support the weight of the carrier. AFAIK, 80s without the tire carrier do not have this bracing.

 

[Saliya]

Saliya- the original JDM tire carriers were installed on 80s with additional bracing behind the body panel to support the weight of the carrier. AFAIK, 80s without the tire carrier do not have this bracing.

Thanks, that's what I thought as well, to support that weight it has to be very strong, so the Bumper mount would be the ideal way for US 80 series or the ARB / SLEE type....

 

[retrofive]

You can source all the part if you want to go JDM. Don't recall who it was on here, but there is a write up on it.

Probably easier do the "add spindle" to factory bumper "mod", .... search

 

[mhanssens]

wow great job on that dude, that looks great i'd want one

 

[finderscuba]

I used to own a pathfinder and the swinging hinges were very tight and got worse as the truck got older. I suspected corrosion and lack of a grease fitting were the cause.
Look for this when picking one from the wreckers and let me know how it goes.

x2 on the Pathfinder hinges getting tight. I used a syringe to squirt oil inside the hinge bushings, but this only helped for a couple of months. I'd have to open it up and re-oil every 2 months. Grease didn't work as you could not get it to penetrate far enough into the bushing.

The Pathfinder carrier would likely be very difficult to modify to fit on an 80.

I have a JDM carrier in my garage. It came on my JDM HDJ81 but rusted through a previous repair and is now in two pieces. I am planning on getting it repaired again so I don't have to carry my spare in the trunk anymore. There is definitely extra reinforcing inside the pillar for trucks equipped with the OEM carrier. Unfortunately, the Toyota carrier suffers from hinge seize as well. I may install grease zirks to this one when it's back on the truck.

 

[charlestonfj60]

I was going to do the same but I found a local fab shop that built me a swing out tire carrier that uses the factory bumper for $350.00. Just didnt want to have to make backets to "make it fit". Check around and they do come up on the OEM diesel section sometimes.

 

[93yotasr5]

Wow 350$ that's. A steal!!!! What did they do altogether?

 

[cody c]

The problem with the pathfinder tire carrier is its latch, it works well, but the reciever part of the latch is on the rear hatch of the path finder, on the path finder there is only a hatch which opens up and no tailgate, also the latch protrudes about 4-5". To mount this on the rear gate would take reinforcement to the rear gate.

Also the problem is that you need to mount the latch on the tailgate, and this will likely interfere with the bumper when lowering it. You may be able to get it to work mounting it high on the tailgate, but I think for the amount of work invovled it would be better to look at other options.

I actually have a pathfinder latch on mine with a swingout hub off of the corner of the bumper, I mounted the pathfinder latch on the rear crossmember and had to trim it and notch the aluminum floor panel to get it to clear the tailgate. I didnt really want to modify this but it is a good latch mechanism and looks fine with the gate closed. However I think it would be mounted to low to use with the original carrier...

 

[johnalex]

VX Limited Spare Tire Carrier

original JDM Tire carriers is very similar

I have a lead on a LC80 VX Limited rear tire carrier.
Do I need to install the lower tailgate?

UPDATE - Have info on tailgate. It is for 1998 and up models. For an 80 the latch receiver gets bolted to tailgate.

 

[greentruck]

Another potential donor would be a 93-95 Isuzu Rodeo. Mine had the factory big tire package and I suspect its carrier is a bit different, beefier than the standard Rodeo tire swingout, although I never did a direct comparison. That's the one to go with if it is different.

I owned the truck from new until sold when we bought the 80 in 2009. The Rodeo served me well, but was showing it's age, mostly gracefully.

The tire carrier was absolutely bulletproof and worked as well when sold as the day I bought it. I gave it a squirt of dry silicone in the hinges and a little oil on the latch and that was it over 16 years. The Rodeo was built in the US, so my guess is a well-regarded and familiar supplier, but I don't know which one. The tailgate catch is built into a formed plated that bolts through the tailgate, so would be easy to adapt, provided the 80 tailgate isn't too low, which I suspect may be the downfall of this idea. YMMV

 

[johnalex]

Mounting hardware pics

Here are some misc parts.

Not to be too dense, the latch is fairly obvious but the other pieces,
are they to reinforce the side mount points?

 

[greentruck]

The middle row is the plate with the support pin that attaches to the tailgate for the carrier to latch to. I'm not sure what the things on the right are, although they look like part of a latch, too. It's possible they are the body side of the pivots.

 

[Douglas S]

The piece on the right it a rubber bumper that the upper tube of the tire carrier sits against. It's bolted into captive nuts on the upper hatch.

 

[B Point]

It's too bad I can't just send you guys all the carriers we have that guys here take off. I'm about the only person in Japan who actually wants one and ironically ..my truck didn't come with one...

 

[jhunhapi]

What about 90s 4 Runners have those carriers too.

 

[NCFJ]

I have owned two vehicles that had a swing out attached to the body. Both with proper backing. Both of them had rust issues where they attach and both sagged.

Pretty much, no matter what you do, a swing out will be something on your maintenance list. That is a lot of weight that wants to bounce loose. I prefer bumper mounted as it allso allows for a latch that is more stout than on a door or tail gate.

On the bumper mount the load is transfered straight down to the bumper, on the body mount the load is transfered to the door in shear as there is no supporting member below it. This load is transfered through the door or gate frame to the hinges and latches. All these areas are put under stress by the weight of the swing out. The body side ofe the hinges and latches then take the weight through the body, body mounts and to the frame. Seems like a long way to go to get the load to the frame any way.

I will be interested to see how your set up holds up. Please post every now and then. Thanks for the time and photos.