Spare tire carrier

[pajombre03]

So about a year ago, was the last time we had our 03 Gen III at the tire shop. And as the shop finished up work and we were off, all seemed fine. Well about 2 months ago I went through one of those fancy car washes, with the heavy duty air dryer at the end. While driving through the dryer, the spare tire COVER blew off and cracked, being plastic, I was not too shocked, just a little mad. A few days went by and a buddy of mine pointed out that I only had ONE lug holding holding on the spare tire,( aside from the one that the rim just slides onto). My first thought was to buy some lugs and be on with it, the I found the lugs in the cargo space on the inside of the rear door, and figured it would just be a quick screw in, a little frustrated with the tire shop's laziness. Any way, I soon find out that two of three holes for the lugs on the spare tire carrier are completely stripped. So the shop stripped me, said to hell with it, threw me in the door, and covered it with the tire cover....


Anyway, my question is, does anyone know, do the spare tire carriers from the previous generations match up with the same bolt holes on the rear door? Because it'd save me a lot of money just going to the salvage yard, BUT they have no Gen III's... I know it'd be a bit of work taking off the rear plastics, to bolt on the new carrier, but I just know the work would be worth the money saved doing it myself.

Thanks.

 

[LaOutbackTrail]

The studs on the carrier, are they pressed in or are they welded in?

 

[off-roader]

Have you considered just retapping the holes?

 

[Monterorider]

Indeed all you need is M12x1.5 tap, driver and couple minutes. Inspect those holes. Usually there would be some threads left on the inside, facing rear door. Take carrier off and start tapping from the back. That will restore threads nicely. I've done that to mine.

 

[LaOutbackTrail]

My impression is that it is the lugs missing and stripped that hold the spare to the carrier, not the carrier to the truck. His idea is to swap the carrier from a 2nd gen to the third gen. I'm questioning whether the studs are pressed in like on the axle or if they're welded to the carrier.

 

[off-roader]

My impression is that its the lugs missing and stripped that hole the spare to the carrier, not the carrier to the truck. His idea is to swap the carrier from a 2nd gen to the third gen. I'm questioning whether the studs are pressed in like on the axle or if they're welded to the carrier.

Both the gen II and III spare tire carriers use lug bolts not lug nuts, so no, there is no stud attached to strip out or press in like there is on a Gen I carrier.

 

[pajombre03]

Yes, my initial idea was to just swap the whole carrier. The "screws" seem to be fine, it is the threaded hole on the carrier that are screwed up.

 

[zukrider]

tap! would be a better start! no knowledge of gen III's though, sorry.

 

[nckwltn]

I just tapped the holes (from back first, then a pass from the front), as well as used a die on the bolts. The bolts can now be easily put in by hand.

not sure how mine got boogered but, for the $12 I spent on a tap and die is about as cheap of a fix as you can hope for!