Right Rear Tire Mount, The Right Stuff?

I want to put my tire where it was stock. Can you all tell if I still have all the bracing? Seems there was a large carriage bolt in the dip on the quarter above the tire (on my 1973 25 years ago). Ignore the bad patch job, not my work. So is all I need the outside mount and maybe the carriage bolt? Any pics of your set up would be great. Thanks

 

The large carriage bolt is a bumper / damper for the tire. Your brace is in decent shape, most common place to find a lot of rust.

I have an extra side mount carrier, looks new so probably a reproduction, but if I can't tell from looking at it then I doubt anybody would know. Yours for $25 plus the ride.

 

Even OEM, they were delicate, even with skinny tires. Mine is getting all wobbly after only 65 years.

Give it any reinforcing you can.

 

Thanks for the reply. I can weld it back together. The tire is a 235-75r15 so not too heavy. I had to grab a pool filter and it was rough getting it in the back. I needs the spare out of the cargo area.

 

It appears your outside body panel was repaired by “glueing” the repair panel? You have the structural baffle and brace under there, but they should be welded at all sides. I see some huge gaps (in excess of 1/2”) that need to be addressed. The spare tire is heavy hanging out there, and even when new from the factory, the mounting area was marginal for carrying the weight.
Back in the day, many owners bolted the tailgate loops where the chain hooks in.
-Donny

 

I have a 215-70R15 on mine. The meat of the tire Rubbed a tiny bit on the paint due to being a bit wider than factory so I had to add 1/4 spacers to the lugs on the carrier. I also made a dampener out of some scrap oak. Helped keep it steady. Just a heads up since your tires are a little fatter than mine are too.

 

It’s bondo poking through, not glue. It’s stitched it from time to time with weld. I will cross brace it to make it stable. I’ll fixe the panel correctly eventually

 

There was also a piece of wood in the hat channel to help keep it from collapsing that has probably been removed. You might be able to fish a piece of uhmw in there instead of wood so you don’t have to worry about it holding moisture.
Tim

 

When you go to drill the holes for the side spare tire bracket, use the inner large baffle brace as the template. Drill the two vertical holes first that are on the large baffle. Then you can go and mount the side spare tire bracket temporarily on to mark the horizontal holes. No mistakes this way for correct orientation.

Most side spare brackets are mounted with the studs facing this way. Early cj's had a wooden dampener block to help with vibration, which was replaced with the "mushroom"bolt

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Thanks again!!

 

Has anyone used a spare tire mount from a Samurai? Same bolt pattern, I believe. I picked one up to mount on a trailer I have that uses the 5 X 5.5 pattern. If you are not concerned about it being original, and since it is hidden behind the wheel, it might work. If I am wrong, someone please correct me. I have not mounted it yet... was going to clean it up and paint it first.

 

In case you scrap the side idea, I built this rear carrier using the draw bar and if I use pins in place of the upper bolts, it folds down for access through the hardtop hatch.

 

so what kind of gap am I shooting for between the tire and the body? I have everything reinforced and I’ll make a spacer to get the gap correct

 

More than that, if your tires/wheels are not OEM, I'd be checking the clearance versus the right rear tire at full flex.

 

You may have to use a spacer if not using the factory 5.5” x 15 rim! The wooden block is an inch thick, and the side spare tire touches it when mounted. You may have to make a custom wooden block, but if you’re using the later “mushroom” dampener, it’s an easy adjustment. Here’s a better pic showing the side spare tire. Tires are 235 75R15. No contact issues with suspension travel.

 

Thanks. Stock rim with a 235. I’ll shoot for an inch

 

The square factory mount has the correct spacing built in. Bolt it on, and a 5-1/2” or 6” stock rim’s backspace should give you between 5/8” and 3/4” clearance to the sidewall of the tire. Either a wood block (early) or mushroom bolt (late) is needed to steady the spare tire.
If your wheels/tires (on the ground) are wider than stock, the tires will likely rub (or worse) the spare tire hanging on the quarter panel. Spacing the spare further off the quarter panel adds a lot more leverage on the inner-body mounts that usually leads to failure. You have to remember that this whole spare tire location was marginal at best for even stock size/weight spare tires.
-Donny

 

I did a custom 'Thru Bolt' on my Lefty . Used 1/2" all thread, some 1" Nylon tube over that, with backing plates at the outer wheel well skin & inner tub. It's very solid & holding up well . In my case, the paint job wouldn't have liked any welding. I put a rubber gasket between the mount & the skin of the outer wheel well for good measure.