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GX460 spare tire carrier options - bumper, hitch, swingout, etc? (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter Roody
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- Thread starter
- #122
r2m
Richard
I can attest to that! With a 35" tire, 5 gal Jerry, HiLift and an ammo can full of recovery gear, I must be swinging at least 150 lbs.
The little gas strut that MetalTech uses is absolutely useless. I'm always careful to hold onto it when I open it so it doesn't swing out hard and shear the locking stud. Ask me how I know about shearing the locking stud...
Once or twice I've been pointed slightly uphill and standing on some slippery ground, it was hard trying to get footing to pull the swing-out back into place.
Also since you are in the rust belt....any feedback on rust?? Might help my original question like 50 posts ago lol. Still in the market. JW apparently are releasing a frame mounted carrier, but if it's not tethered to the door then I see no benefit.
I think I've said this before in this thread but if you're worried about rust JW is not the company for you. I bought their roof rack and it lasted less than a year before completely rusting over and both side rails snapped in half with my tent on top. Their customer support was also worthless really. All I got in response when I reached out was an "oh well" basically. I live in Tennessee too so snow is not an issue here.
Yeah I have their sliders. I painted them myself with like 6 coats and just getting rust now LOL. But to be fair I have to pretty much treat everything every year in Michigan. I don't care too much about surface rust; I just corroseal it and touch up when I find more. Regardless there is not another company coming out with similar solutions, so it is what it is. Roof rack wise...those modular racks are all junk thin steel to begin with, they hold no more weight than crossbars. Gobi/Gamiviti is where it's at. I've hauled 600+lbs on my roof and it barely flexes under the weight. Problem with the modular racks is the harsh 90* corners are nearly impossible to powdercoat. All my rust on my sliders is at weld points where the paint is nearly impossible to adhere to. I'd expect similar results from their tire carrier regardless if you paint it or they do. Catching the rust early is key, just annoying to deal with. One day I will leave the union rust belt...
Rust belt problems LOL. I moved from WA to MI and I can't do any DIY work on any vehicle without the top line impact anymore. I spent all last summer grinding, sealing and painting the frame. Still can't get everything. That said PB blaster has a new competitor to fluid film that lasts 2 years supposedly. Going to clean, paint and coat everything that's not a stepping surface once the snow stays away. The woodchuck said spring is coming early this year, so whatever junk science that means...
Just wanting some feedback on the JW one, but if CT is doing fine 1 year out that's probably good enough for me.
Found this bomb the other day:
Garage Alpha Rear Door Conversion
- Thread starter
- #129
That looks killer. Wonder what the biggest tire you can fit in the cutout is, that looks like a 285/70/17. Doesn't look like the window can open though?
It's a prado knock off basically, all OEM-like parts. Says in description 33" stock, 35" with spacer on the bracket.
re_guderian
SILVER Star
Another $2,500 solution to an extra inch problem...
Now now. It is only a $1,250 solution.
re_guderian
SILVER Star
Plus shipping, plus paint, plus install, plus camera relocate, plus...
To be fair it's a new offering and is similarly priced as jw solution and cheaper than every bumper solution by a lot. Paint doesn't cost much and you can do it at home for less than $200. Also shipping was $12 to Michigan when I checked lol. Cameras just need wiring.
I just got a metal tech hitch and shoved my spare where it goes and reinflated it. It's not coming back out easily lol. Whoever said 32s fit underneath lied, there is "fit" and then shove it in so it's stuck. But I have space now so I guess it's worth it.
Hiluxforever
SILVER Star
While the parts may have a similar cost, installation will be massively different once you throw all the prep and paint time in.
re_guderian
SILVER Star
"... Shipping runs between $400-$600 to the continental 48 states..."
"... Paint and install cost vary widely. But we usually use $300-$500 per body panel as a rough estimate for paint cost... "
and we haven't even talked about the extra stress of putting 80-100 lbs of 35" off road tread on a "spacer" hanging off your back door.
I've tried doing automotive paint at home. Best I could ever do was a rear view mirror with the orange peel in a "less conspicuous" spot.
Shipping quoted me $12 on checkout unless they are planning on a chargeback after the fact, I highly doubt it, but I inquired regardless to see what the real answer is.
Update: The $500 quote is accurate, so add that on, so $2k minimum cost of getting it on your vehicle
Paint is $200 max cause I would just paint it in my garage, it's a rear door that is already primed who cares what the final quality looks like, it's not a ferrari.
Spacers literally installed on every prado in AU running 35s. Could say they same thing to the JW carrier that drills to your oem door, people do it and they haven't failed yet.
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Hiluxforever
SILVER Star
That's awesome if you have the means.
Quality bodywork is an art, and hanging a door that size is not my idea of a good time.
re_guderian
SILVER Star
It IS good to have options, and I dislike having to deal with a swing-out (been there, done that) for the overwhelmingly vast majority of the time that I'm not off-road, yet still want to get into the back. For that, the JW and Prado options would top my list. But still, at $667.00 or more per 1/2 inch of spare tire ground clearance, I'm a hard pass. For not much more, you could go Expedition One, and get a bumper and swingout tied to the door, and have rear armor as well as "just" a spare. Personally, I'm also fighting garage space clearance issues, and a Prado/JW solution are the best for that.
Not sure what others use their vechicles for....
Just curious how well the door hatch mounted tire carriers will hold up to the abuse of desert trails? My 80 takes a beating going over these roads at 50-60mph. The shakes and vibration is violent.
My intended use of my GX470 w/315 tires will get abused the same way as my FZJ80. And will be used for these trips and swing outs(Dissent offroad) to me is more stout.
Saving my pennies to mod the GX470(once I get it back). Was gift to my daughter last yr.
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