Will my spare tire crack my tailgate over time… is it already too late?

Will my spare wheel crack my door over time? It already doesn’t want to close after opening it.

A big one yes. They make bumper tire carriers and upgraded hinges that work pretty well.

Chancey said:
Rusty’s makes a tire carrier for the TJ so you won’t need a new bumper.

That price is insane…

Cai said:

Chancey said:
Rusty’s makes a tire carrier for the TJ so you won’t need a new bumper.

That price is insane…

How much should it cost?

I see a lot of people using the stock tire carrier for bigger tires. I’ve read a lot about tailgates sagging, so I didn’t want to risk it. Red Rock makes an affordable tire carrier if you don’t want to spend $500+ on a new bumper/carrier/reinforcement.

My spare is a 33x12.5r15 and has slowly twisted the tailgate. To minimize this, make sure the rubber bumper on the tailgate actually contacts the tire. Or just get a swing-out tire carrier if you can afford it.

There are good quality door hinge pin replacements available.

Just slam it a little harder, it’ll close.

Finn said:
Just slam it a little harder, it’ll close.

Trust me, bro. I slam it hard as heck, I think it misaligns when I open it.

Kai said:

Finn said:
Just slam it a little harder, it’ll close.

Trust me, bro. I slam it hard as heck, I think it misaligns when I open it.

Could always go for the GenRight offroad swing-out tire carrier. In my opinion, it’s the only external tubular carrier that looks good on the TJ.

Answer

Or you can deflate the tire down to 20psi and see if it closes better. If it does, add spacers.

In my opinion, it depends on the tire/rim combo.

You want it to fit snugly against the rubber bumpers on the tailgate and the tub to eliminate vibrations that cause stress and metal fatigue. But if it’s too tight, it can make it hard to close the tailgate and cause it to flex and warp.

If it’s just a little too big, adding washers to the studs under the spare can give it some space. You can also trim the rubber bumpers to be thinner.

It might just be the angle, but it almost looks like the tire is pulling the tailgate up and away. It’s totally possible.

On my old LJ, the 33x10.5’s caused a crack on the carrier. I fixed it with a quick weld, and that was the end of it.

What do you use to polish your rims? I have polished aluminum too, and they shine like a mirror, but the water spots… I just can’t get rid of them.

Teagan said:
What do you use to polish your rims? I have polished aluminum too, and they shine like a mirror, but the water spots… I just can’t get rid of them.

Use ‘White Diamond’ metal polish or Mothers.

Absolutely. First time you back into something…

Leave it at home. Makes daily routines much easier.

The road vibrations will eventually split the door from the weight.