XJ - roof rack tire vs. rear bumper mount tire

[katuah]

Would like to ask for opinions on this from the ExPo community, who tend to use their XJs a little differently than the rock crawler/wheeler community. I've been keeping my 31 spare in the rear hatch, strapped down for safety, but I'd like to reclaim the space for longer trips and to build the sleeping platform I've talked about before on here.

I just picked up a nice roof rack for pretty cheap, with spare tire mount, hi-lift mount, light tabs etc. My rear bumper is the OR-Fab XJ tube bumper, which I absolutely love, for strength to weight ratio, corner panel protection, and just plain looks, but it does not come with a tire carrier option. I think I see a way to fab up a tire carrier for it, but I don't weld and I'm sure it will cost a bloody fortune to get something like that custom-made. However, I know I'm going to be seriously eating it in terms of wind resistance with the tire etc on the roof rack. So, I open the floor: Which do you prefer, tire on top rack or tire on back, and why?

 

[FishPOET]

I carried my spare on the roof rack for 6 months or so.

The spare tire is a PITA to get up and down. When disconnected it noticeably increases sway. It is approx a 2 MPG hit on gas mileage.

My spare tire has been mounted on the rear bumper for years now and it is where it will stay. The only negative with the rear bumper mount is limited visibility.

 

[4xdog]

I've had a Kaymar rear swing-out bar on my 1988 XJ for almost 15 years and I've been delighted with it. Moving my spare to the rear bar met my needs for interior volume and tire accessibility perfectly.

Don

 

[irish1371]

does or fab not have a stand alone swing away spare tire rack like they do for the tj? THats the one I plan on getting for my lj, for weight and ease of jerry cans ect.

 

[taggart_lumpy]

had my spare on the roof of my last XJ
I will be putting it on the back of my current rig this winter when i get a chance to start building it

 

[Hill Bill E.]

I built a reciever hitch carrier fir my spare while on the road, to save on milage (yep, I also took a 2MPG hit on average with it on the roof rack)

I designed this so it I could pull a pin, and lay it down. That way I could access the rear hatch while on the road.

Once we set up camp, I switched it to the roof rack for the wheeling. (usually a week in Moab and having a base camp)

I had a very low profile rack, but it still hit the MPG's on the hwy:

For more overlanding type stuff, where dropping of of steep ledges and whacking the rear hanging spare isn't as much of an issue, I think on the rear would be best.

Had I kept my XJ, I was going to fab up a swing out for the spare and Hi-Lift.

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

A really nice option is the Detours USA Knucklebone Tire Carrier. Basically it is a receiver hitch mounted fold down tire carrier. Mark at Detours will custom make the mount to direct bolt on, you name it. They are great and only a couple hundred bucks. If you are on Facebook "Like" Detours USA and check out the photo gallery for the Knucklebone, or do a search on Google and there are some pics installed and so on.

If I hadn't already opted for the Detours Tailbone rear bumper, I would have opted to one of these with a custom mount to bolt to my receiver not insert into the hitch.

 

[Mekcanix]

I swear by having it on a swing away on my XJ the idea of climbing on the roof to get the spare down does not fill me with good thoughts. Also if I have to park indoors the tire would most likely not allow that

 

[DaJudge]

I had my spare on the roof for 5 years. When I had 31s it was OK. I noticed the difference with the 33.
The issues are:
1. Getting it on and off is a pain.
2. Takes up space on the rack
3. Won't go in the garage with the tire on the rack.
4. Probably makes some difference with gas mileage. (I noticed a difference with the 33 but not the 31)

These are just things to ponder. Like I mentioned, I had mine up there for 5 years.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

You couldn't pay me enough to put my spare on the roof again, kills mileage and increases weight above your COG. A 31 inch spare doesn't weigh a lot, but when you add in the weight of the rack, cross bars with gutter mounts, and hi-lift you are adding a total of around 130-150 lbs on top of your roof. Your 31 will fit in the stock spare location, all you need to do is extend the threaded rod a few inches.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

A really nice option is the Detours USA Knucklebone Tire Carrier. Basically it is a receiver hitch mounted fold down tire carrier. Mark at Detours will custom make the mount to direct bolt on, you name it. They are great and only a couple hundred bucks. If you are on Facebook "Like" Detours USA and check out the photo gallery for the Knucklebone, or do a search on Google and there are some pics installed and so on.

If I hadn't already opted for the Detours Tailbone rear bumper, I would have opted to one of these with a custom mount to bolt to my receiver not insert into the hitch.

That thing looks like cheap junk, how large of a spare is it rated for?

 

[cdn_xj]

Currently running 31s with a 2" lift and have for the last 4 yrs. I've just bumped the lift up to 5" and the plan is to ultimately run 33s

I have had the spare mounted both on the roof (Mopar roof-top spare carrier) and on a rear swing away (Custom 4x4 fab rear bumper and carrier) at various times.

Here are my thoughts in the subject:

Regardless of your particular discipline, putting a great deal of weight up high is a bad idea for offoraders. It may not matter quite as much for overlanders as for rockcrawlers in the sense that when overlanding you don't really plan on getting involved in radically off-camber situations whereas in rockcrawling, it's pretty much a given. That having been said, any steps that one can take to minimise the amount of weight loaded up high is a good thing.

Now, when loading up for long trips you will inevitably have to load gear onto the roof, especially in an XJ where space is at a semi-premium. So why take up that valuable space with a spare when you can hang it off the back end?

From a more practical point of view: I'm 5'7" and the thought of wrestling a 70-ish lb 33" tire off of the roof of a lifted vehicle just does not appeal to me.

 

[ADK_XJ]

I know your point was to remove the spare from your rear cargo space, but I've focused on maintaining an Overland XJ with 31" tires for the exact reason that I can still fit the spare standing up in the rear. Placing on the roof opens up all the above mentioned issues with stability, sway and sucking down gas mileage and, just in my opinion, rear mounting options are (for the most part) way too expensive to justify how much it will screw with your visibility, access to the rear and weight distribution.

Now, if you're not going to have 31" tires at all then I think your best option is a rear mount.

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

I am super happy I moved the spare out of the cargo area. A 31" MT takes up a lot of space, but it is possible to do it in an XJ. 32-33 is possible in the stock location, but your seat will not close properly (fine if you dont have kids or rear seat passengers). I wont be putting mine back inside anytime soon. Only had the spare on the roof once... that sucked.

As for the Detours Knucklebone, I do not know what max tire size is possible? I would venture a guess a 33"? It is not junk I assure you. Mark @ Detours does a nice job on the fab and this includes a swing, anti rattle shim, positive latching system and adjustable head for backspace adjustment. It is a great option for people not running 44" boggers and needing a tire mounting option.

Not everyone can afford a $1500.00 rear bumper with a carrier or has the skills to make their own.

edit: I think that is a pic of one of the prototypes...

 

[thexjthatcould]

Up top I got 2mpg less so if its dd, throw it in the back and roof rack can carry more I'm going to make a rear bumper