Rear mount spare tire carrier for a early CJ5?

I like the side mount spare tire carrier on my CJ5 but it gets in the way alot when I'm on the trail. I would like to look into a rear swing out tire carrier/fuel can mount. I just cannot seem to figure out a good way of making one or mounting it. I was thinking about using the draw bar on the back to mount it. I was also thinking about using the tailgate off of a M38 but I am unsure if it will fit on a early CJ5?

 

Kaiser actually made an optional swing away carrier that was about a $ 20.00 or so extra and no one bought them. I called a bunch of yards and believe it or not found one. It had backing plates on the corners abd just bolted to the passenger rear corner. The side carrier of course had to go. I never did install it because I sold the Jeep and threw that in like an idiot. If you look around on line for old advertising for Jeep or Kaiser you should find some pix of it. I also found a lay out/schematic to make a copy but this was all a few years ago. It was really a nice piece but they must of sold about 10 because I never see them.
JPLUG2007

 

I made one for mine that swings down instead of out. Bolts on the drawbar area,so the load is on the frame, not the body. It has 2 pins that attach through the tailgate chain holes to hold it upright. No holes needed to be drilled through the body that way. No gas cans, as I've never liked the idea of gasoline hanging on the back of the Jeep. If you use the tailgate a lot, this isn't a good set-up, because it's in the way when opened.

 

The M-38 tailgate will fit a CJ-5.
Might look at Cross Enterprises as well.


Sent from my iPhone

 

A word of warning if you're planning a swing out with oversize tires.

My Jeep has a swing out that bolts to the passenger side rear quarter and latches into a bracket on the driver side rear. With the 33" spare, it managed to break all the spot welds that keep the inner fender wells attached to the bed floor. The passenger side rear corner of the body was laying on the bumper before I noticed what was happening.

My future plans include fabbing up a swing down that attaches to the frame.

 

Personally I would avoid any tire carrier that depends on the body for support.

My (long gone) '73 CJ-5 had the factory solid back panel. An oversized tire broke out the welds between the back panel and the fenders. Apparently this was not an unusual occurrence.

The Kayline carriers from back in the day (Jeep Approved Special Equipment) are probably your best option if you have to have a rack that bolts to the body. These racks have big contact plates that sandwich the body steel over a large area. And expecting the carrier to support even more weight (cans, cargo) only makes the situation worse.

The tire carriers that attach to the frame seem like a better bet.

 

Here is a single point mount that a lot of guys are now using.........It's a shaft that is machined to receive standard spindle bearings and is welded to a "Good" strong bumper. You weld your swinging tire / gas can mount to the outer sleeve. I'm building one now using a 2"x 4" square tube for a bumper.......pretty bullet proof............check on this site I believe Pielut did a write up a while back using a similar mount.............or check comp4x4.com they also sell them.
http://i1337.photobucket.com/albums/o661/tarry99/IMG_3497_zps40aec32f.jpg

The Inside

 

M38A1 had a rear tire mount, and you could use one of those brackets. But the "tailgate" was not functional, it was a solid body panel. I totally agree with timgr, that any tire will over-stress body metal, even the factory side mount.

 

The solid back panel ('72 Renegade, factory option from '73 on) is the same as the M38A1 back panel and tire holder. Should be able to buy repops of those parts. I put a piece of angle iron across the inside of the back panel, bolted down through the wheel well tops. This stopped the panel from breaking out due to the tire weight.

 

If I'm able to find a M38 tailgate or make one will the tub have to be reinforced where the tail gate bolts to the body? Because of the increase in weight from the fuel can and spare tire? I'm running 235/75R15 tires.

 

A lot of newer SUVs use a swing out spare carrier. Maybe one of those could be adapted to work. I actually fabricated for my Jeep but found one on an Isuzu Rodeo might have worked just as well with only a few modifications.

Scott

 

Years ago on my folks jeep my father made a rear spare tire and gas can carrier which was supported on the bottom by custom brackets bolted to the rear crossmember using existing holes. The top attached to the tailgate holes with bolts instead of the chain. It pretty much made the tailgate useless but held the spare tire and two full gas cans with no trouble.

 

Have you considered a front mount for the spare? On my old 59, I used a couple of brackets added to the front snow plow frame work.

Reese and others manufacture a front spare tire mount that plugs into a 2"square hitch, much like a bike rack. I'm planning on putting on a 2" square hitch adapter to both the front and rear of my current jeep, fabbing up a spare tire mount as well as a plate for my winch. I can then use the winch on either the front or rear as need. I also have a 2" plug in which is attached to a bench vise, as well as a 4" grinder attached to another plug in.

Easy remove what you don't want to carry when you don't need it.

You can search for front mount spare tire carrier on amazon.com for ideas.

My $.02

 

"Have you considered a front mount for the spare?"

I tried that once, for a day. Cop told me it obstructed the turn signals/running lights.

 

Referring to my prior post, the prior owner had moved the parking/directional lights from the grill to the front of the fenders. You could also hang a couple of christmas lights on the spare to satisfy the cop Having a plow on the front of a jeep requires you to get creative with directional lights and auxillary headlights. I mounted a second of lights on the windshield hinges.

 

I have a oversize front bumper on the front. That I really don't want to cut up it came with the Jeep. I'm thinking about building a tailgate I'm just unsure if the M38 tubs were reinforced where the tailgate bolts to the top of the body where the tailgate chains would go.

 

I would add reinforcement. It could probably be concealed underneath the inner fenders.

 

I've seen people adapt 1990-1995 pathfinder tire racks to TJs and CJ5s.

 

Ok this I like its a Whitco

http://imageshack.us/a/img62/8688/dscn7269e.jpg

 

I ended up reinforcing the rounded rear corners on my rig with some 18 (or 16) gauge steel. They were damaged and it was easier to cover them up instead of doing body work. This allowed me to mount the spare tire carrier to the rear of the body. It's been on there for many years and it's still very solid. I used 5/8" bolts for the pivots. Like most of them it's triangular shaped and I made it so I can take it off and put it on the front bumper to use for flat towing. The latch is the ball and coupler. This works well because I can draw it up tight to keep it from rattling.