Seeking Spare Tire Solution (1 Viewer)

[PappyVan20]

I am seeking advice / recommendations about relocating my spare tire. I don’t want it under the truck anymore and I hope I can have my cake and eat it too, or at least a bite.

Current set up: I run stock bumpers, 2” OME Suspension (I believe light duty coils/shocks). The reason i did this (other than it looks amazing) is that my transfer case got hung up on a stump with stock set up.

Use cases: Main off road activity is woods/forest trails and electric line spaces. Can get pretty muddy, stumps, ruts, big rocks, etc. While I feel macho saying that, I would say that is only 2% of the use case. I also use it as daily driver, so we have the Whole Foods parking to contend with (be careful out there). We also use it to haul crap now that we’ve sold the pickup (We take garbage/recycling to the dump at least once a week). I am planning on increasing my use of truck off road, eventually building up for me to join group and learn some actual skills.

I am not flush with cash at this present moment, so i can’t go nuts. Thus, if I get a swing option, I would like it to be very easy / fast to get out of the way.

Is there a good option that does not also require a rear bumper that is also very stable? If not, is there a lighter weight rear bumper that won’t require me to invest in new coils/shocks (as that just happened last year)?

In another thread I may ask people about rock slider suggestions. In fact I think one could argue I should do this first and just put spare in back (though I know people said this isn’t great daily option unless you like the smell of rubber, which wouldn’t bother me, but I am not the only person to have a say, if you know what I mean.)

Thanks in advance for your suggestions and I hope you all don’t rip me too hard. (I shop the sale items at Whole Pay Check…)

 

[BILT4ME]

I am seeking advice / recommendations about relocating my spare tire. I don’t want it under the truck anymore and I hope I can have my cake and eat it too, or at least a bite.

Current set up: I run stock bumpers, 2” OME Suspension (I believe light duty coils/shocks). The reason i did this (other than it looks amazing) is that my transfer case got hung up on a stump with stock set up.

Use cases: Main off road activity is woods/forest trails and electric line spaces. Can get pretty muddy, stumps, ruts, big rocks, etc. While I feel macho saying that, I would say that is only 2% of the use case. I also use it as daily driver, so we have the Whole Foods parking to contend with (be careful out there). We also use it to haul crap now that we’ve sold the pickup (We take garbage/recycling to the dump at least once a week). I am planning on increasing my use of truck off road, eventually building up for me to join group and learn some actual skills.

I am not flush with cash at this present moment, so i can’t go nuts. Thus, if I get a swing option, I would like it to be very easy / fast to get out of the way.

Is there a good option that does not also require a rear bumper that is also very stable? If not, is there a lighter weight rear bumper that won’t require me to invest in new coils/shocks (as that just happened last year)?

In another thread I may ask people about rock slider suggestions. In fact I think one could argue I should do this first and just put spare in back (though I know people said this isn’t great daily option unless you like the smell of rubber, which wouldn’t bother me, but I am not the only person to have a say, if you know what I mean.)

Thanks in advance for your suggestions and I hope you all don’t rip me too hard. (I shop the sale items at Whole Pay Check…)

Moving your spare will not help with getting high centered on the transfer case on a stump.

What size tires?

Keep the tire underneath until you're ready to make a change.

Watch the Classifieds above for either swing out or swing down tire carriers. Most are still $1K new no matter what version.

Sliders: WKOR. Period.

If you insist on having the spare out from underneath, throw it in the back, secure with a strap.

The thing about a swing out is that you MUST move it EVERY time you want to get into the hatch. It's a PITA.

I DD mine (about 15-20K/yr) and I have my spare underneath. If I plan on doing something rough, I can take it out during that time. Otherwise, I drag on the hitch long before I drag on the spare. (I run 33's - 285)

Be different: Hang the spare on the LR fender. Just because.

 

[PappyVan20]

Moving your spare will not help with getting high centered on the transfer case on a stump.

What size tires?

Keep the tire underneath until you're ready to make a change.

Watch the Classifieds above for either swing out or swing down tire carriers. Most are still $1K new no matter what version.

Sliders: WKOR. Period.

If you insist on having the spare out from underneath, throw it in the back, secure with a strap.

The thing about a swing out is that you MUST move it EVERY time you want to get into the hatch. It's a PITA.

I DD mine (about 15-20K/yr) and I have my spare underneath. If I plan on doing something rough, I can take it out during that time. Otherwise, I drag on the hitch long before I drag on the spare. (I run 33's - 285)

Be different: Hang the spare on the LR fender. Just because.

Running 33’s.

Thanks for the input. FYI: The 2” suspension upgrade was great to address the issues I normally face on the current trails I ride.

I read a bunch of different threads on this issue as well. I really like the following product shown on this thread:

GGM Bolt-on tire carrier Install + Accessory panel pics

Full video here Hope this helps out. I am truly amazed with this product. Lots of passion and dedication to this product. Matt from GGM has really put his time into this.

forum.ih8mud.com

Though, it won’t address the PITA issue….

 

[80t0ylc]

I run a swingout, but that’s purely personal. Long ago I realized that’s not the easiest path for frequent access into the rear, but we choose our poison. Wife and kids won’t like it-ask me how I know…lol. I’ve gotten used to it, so most times I don’t even notice it. Many swingout choices available - even with a stock bumper. Some consider a spare tire to be a “ball & chain“, but to me, it’s necessary and all things considered, it works best for me.

 

[PappyVan20]

I run a swingout, but that’s purely personal. Long ago I realized that’s not the easiest path for frequent access into the rear, but we choose our poison. Wife and kids won’t like it-ask me how I know…lol. I’ve gotten used to it, so most times I don’t even notice it. Many swingout choices available - even with a stock bumper. Some consider a spare tire to be a “ball & chain“, but to me, it’s necessary and all things considered, it works best for me.

Thank you for your reply.

 

[leonard_nemoy]

For your uses I would buy a good air compressor and a tire patch kit and keep the spare down under. I would also save your money on the sliders based on your described uses.

 

[leonard_nemoy]

What no one considers with a swing out spare carrier is the difficulty in mounting the spare up high. Especially with bigger tires. It takes everything I got to get my 315 up on the swing out, I will probably slip a disk doing it one day

 

[Rusty Marlin]

What no one considers with a swing out spare carrier is the difficulty in mounting the spare up high. Especially with bigger tires. It takes everything I got to get my 315 up on the swing out, I will probably slip a disk doing it one day

Ain't none of us getting any younger, this is the biggest reason I haven't gotten a swingout yet.

 

[PappyVan20]

Ain't none of us getting any younger, this is the biggest reason I haven't gotten a swingout yet.

Great points. Hmmmm….

 

[jpoole]

I've had a few trucks with swingouts and for the way I use my 80 they are not an option. I appreciate that everyone's needs and use cases are different on this point though.

If the overall diameter of your tires is small enough I would try to keep the spare underneath unless you have clear reasons to move it out (long range tank, you need dual spares you can access in any conditions, similar). A few ideas that can make storage underneath work better:

• Raise the spare up via one of the many ways that this can be done. This is a common mod and relatively easy and cheap to implement with hardware store parts or other solutions. Here's one thread of many on the subject:
  • FJ/FZJ80 Spare tire lift (5" the easy way) - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/fj-fzj80-spare-tire-lift-5-the-easy-way.778554/
• Consider using a skinnier tire for the spare, that is close to (or matches) the rolling diameter of the 4 primary tires. Bonus would be to make this an aggressively treaded, studded or similar tire so that you could mount it for extra traction in extreme situations and also use it as a way to get home. You'll have to do your homework on alternative/skinny tire and wheel options but keep in mind that you can change wheel size, etc. to try to make this work.
  • If you have the Viscous Coupler in the transfer case you need to be close on the rolling diameters. If you don't have the VC you can allow the spare to vary a little more and I'd go smaller, not larger with the spare.
• Add protection for the spare tire. I've seen lightweight skid plates below spares on other vehicles. You'd likely have to fabricate this which could be relatively easy as a steel disk cut to size would go a long way towards achieving what you want. Some rolling of the edges to reduce snagging and drilling for drains would be smart though.
  • Mounting the skid plate as a hinged "clamshell" that you open/close to access the tire is how one of my previous vehicles was setup. This worked great and was really secure. I also found it much easier to access the tire vs chain driven raise/lower mechanism. More fabrication would be involved here but if you had a really skinny tire on a clamshell mount like this it could be a very sweet setup I'd think and could likely tuck away so that it's a non-factor off-road.

If you took the above steps you should be able to dramatically reduce how low the spare hangs while also almost eliminating the risk of damage to the spare while wheeling. If you have fabrication skills and are resourceful you should be able to achieve all of the above for well under 1k.

I've got the BIOR step sliders on my '97 80 and think they are perfect for my uses. They keep the sides of the 80 cleaner, help the family get in and out of the 80, make roof access easier and are very sturdy while maintaining the stock look.

Step Sliders For 80 Series Toyota Land Cruiser

Step Sliders For 80 Series Toyota Land Cruiser - Bump It Off Road - Windsor Colorado.

bumpitoffroad.com

 

[PappyVan20]

I've had a few trucks with swingouts and for the way I use my 80 they are not an option. I appreciate that everyone's needs and use cases are different on this point though.

If the overall diameter of your tires is small enough I would try to keep the spare underneath unless you have clear reasons to move it out (long range tank, you need dual spares you can access in any conditions, similar). A few ideas that can make storage underneath work better:

• Raise the spare up via one of the many ways that this can be done. This is a common mod and relatively easy and cheap to implement with hardware store parts or other solutions. Here's one thread of many on the subject:
  • FJ/FZJ80 Spare tire lift (5" the easy way) - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/fj-fzj80-spare-tire-lift-5-the-easy-way.778554/
• Consider using a skinnier tire for the spare, that is close to (or matches) the rolling diameter of the 4 primary tires. Bonus would be to make this an aggressively treaded, studded or similar tire so that you could mount it for extra traction in extreme situations and also use it as a way to get home. You'll have to do your homework on alternative/skinny tire and wheel options but keep in mind that you can change wheel size, etc. to try to make this work.
  • If you have the Viscous Coupler in the transfer case you need to be close on the rolling diameters. If you don't have the VC you can allow the spare to vary a little more and I'd go smaller, not larger with the spare.
• Add protection for the spare tire. I've seen lightweight skid plates below spares on other vehicles. You'd likely have to fabricate this which could be relatively easy as a steel disk cut to size would go a long way towards achieving what you want. Some rolling of the edges to reduce snagging and drilling for drains would be smart though.
  • Mounting the skid plate as a hinged "clamshell" that you open/close to access the tire is how one of my previous vehicles was setup. This worked great and was really secure. I also found it much easier to access the tire vs chain driven raise/lower mechanism. More fabrication would be involved here but if you had a really skinny tire on a clamshell mount like this it could be a very sweet setup I'd think and could likely tuck away so that it's a non-factor off-road.

If you took the above steps you should be able to dramatically reduce how low the spare hangs while also almost eliminating the risk of damage to the spare while wheeling. If you have fabrication skills and are resourceful you should be able to achieve all of the above for well under 1k.

I've got the BIOR step sliders on my '97 80 and think they are perfect for my uses. They keep the sides of the 80 cleaner, help the family get in and out of the 80, make roof access easier and are very sturdy while maintaining the stock look.

Step Sliders For 80 Series Toyota Land Cruiser

Step Sliders For 80 Series Toyota Land Cruiser - Bump It Off Road - Windsor Colorado.

bumpitoffroad.com

Wow, this is amazing information. Thank you so much!

 

[rhc404]

I carry a spare in the cargo area laid flat with a tire cover over it and secured with two yellow ratcheting straps. Planning to build a flat platform soon to sit over it. If you can afford to give up some of the cargo area I think it's the best option since it costs almost nothing and the straps used to secure it have a lot of other uses. I have a rear bumper with removable swingouts and am running it this way until I need the space. Swingouts are heavy and from a handling perspective the cargo area is a better location for the spare tire weight.

 

[CharlieS]

I just recently added a Bellfab inside tire mount and am a big fan. Prior to that I had it strapped to the floor with heavy duty ratchet straps (made to hold a car onto a trailer). My 200 has swingouts on a Dissent bumper and while it is really well made, the swingout is a hassle in daily use.

I went with the White Knuckle Offroad sliders and have been satisfied.

 

[greentruck]

SNIP

• Raise the spare up via one of the many ways that this can be done. This is a common mod and relatively easy and cheap to implement with hardware store parts or other solutions. Here's one thread of many on the subject:
  • FJ/FZJ80 Spare tire lift (5" the easy way) - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/fj-fzj80-spare-tire-lift-5-the-easy-way.778554/
• Consider using a skinnier tire for the spare, that is close to (or matches) the rolling diameter of the 4 primary tires.

Yeah, you can gain several vital inches by tilting the rear of the tire up. With 33s, you're really asking for a lot of hassle and expense considering all the factors, since it still easily fits underneath. Regardless, moving it or not will make no difference in ground clearance where you had your hang up on the TC.

The total added weight of a swingout or tire carrier plus the sliders is more likely to require compensation in the suspension unless you go really heavy in the rear carrier/bumper. I'd wait until then before making anypurchases. I'd wait until the slider install to properly deal with that.

 

[Squeegee]

I keep a spare in the cargo area, I just made a carrier for it. It was cheap and easy to build. It never smells like rubber. I’ve been taking it out for running around montana but I’ll put it in for bigger trips

 

[Funner]

I would not have added a rear carrier if I hadn’t moved up to 35” tires. Underneath with 33” is the way to go. I’ve never needed it anyway so why go through the hassle and expense of relocating it?

 

[surfpig]

I am seeking advice / recommendations about relocating my spare tire. I don’t want it under the truck anymore and I hope I can have my cake and eat it too, or at least a bite.

Current set up: I run stock bumpers, 2” OME Suspension (I believe light duty coils/shocks). The reason i did this (other than it looks amazing) is that my transfer case got hung up on a stump with stock set up.

Use cases: Main off road activity is woods/forest trails and electric line spaces. Can get pretty muddy, stumps, ruts, big rocks, etc. While I feel macho saying that, I would say that is only 2% of the use case. I also use it as daily driver, so we have the Whole Foods parking to contend with (be careful out there). We also use it to haul crap now that we’ve sold the pickup (We take garbage/recycling to the dump at least once a week). I am planning on increasing my use of truck off road, eventually building up for me to join group and learn some actual skills.

I am not flush with cash at this present moment, so i can’t go nuts. Thus, if I get a swing option, I would like it to be very easy / fast to get out of the way.

Is there a good option that does not also require a rear bumper that is also very stable? If not, is there a lighter weight rear bumper that won’t require me to invest in new coils/shocks (as that just happened last year)?

In another thread I may ask people about rock slider suggestions. In fact I think one could argue I should do this first and just put spare in back (though I know people said this isn’t great daily option unless you like the smell of rubber, which wouldn’t bother me, but I am not the only person to have a say, if you know what I mean.)

Thanks in advance for your suggestions and I hope you all don’t rip me too hard. (I shop the sale items at Whole Pay Check…)

What no one considers with a swing out spare carrier is the difficulty in mounting the spare up high. Especially with bigger tires. It takes everything I got to get my 315 up on the swing out, I will probably slip a disk doing it one day

THIS. I weigh about 145 on a good day...



If you're running 33s I would just keep the spare under the truck. There was once a kit available that tucked the spare up there a little better, you might look into that.

 

[80t0ylc]

What no one considers with a swing out spare carrier is the difficulty in mounting the spare up high. Especially with bigger tires. It takes everything I got to get my 315 up on the swing out, I will probably slip a disk doing it one day

You’ve got a point, but I have a trick that’s needed for an ol’ fart like me. I DON’T try to lift from the ground up to the carrier in one move. I grab the center hole on the wheel, squatting to save my back and using my legs, flop the edge of the tire on my bumper. The Tire/wheel is horizontal at this point. Then push tire/wheel up to vertical, still resting on bumper next to latched swingarm. Then it’s easier to muscle it over and on to the swing arm. I was questioning my sanity when I moved up to 315’s first time I put the spare on. I know this sounds like a real negative for a swingarm, but it is what it is. If anyone comes up with an easier way, I’m all ears

 

[SoTexCruiserDoc]

WNOR sliders if you really think you need em (doesn’t sound like it).

With 32-33” tire if no plan or desire to have a rear bumper with swing out, easiest to just keep it under the truck as stated.

Have seen a number of versions of an interior upright tire carrier as mentioned by @Squeegee. Prefabbed or custom, folks seem to be happy with it. Also seen simply ratchet strapping it upright utilizing the 3rd row seat attachment points on the floor. Quite stable. Of course, this just takes up too much interior room for my uses.

Many creative ways to skin the cat

 

[Shipwreck]

I recently switched to a new set of 17" beadlocks which are heavier than my old 15" set. It's enough of a difference that I now struggle to get my 37" spare up on the swing out carrier. I'm working on trying to fit a small winch to do the majority of the lifting.
This guy has come up with a solution that is fairly light weight and compact:
Custom Spare Tire Hoist on a Jeep Wrangler JK with 37s - https://offroadpassport.com/forums/topic/5888-custom-spare-tire-hoist-on-a-jeep-wrangler-jk-with-37s/
I may try to do something similar.
I'm not getting any younger...