Rear Spare Carrier Idea...

[Nd4SpdSe]

Well, it's not an original idea, but I came across this a while back on sale at a local dealer. I don't this would be done on an Xterra, but the Pathy's with the factory carrier could use those as mounting points.

[the x kid]

Can't see much out off that back window.

[nige]

it's nice for the extra departure angle, but it would also be a pain in the ass for daily driving. unless it also swung to the side like the honda ridgline tailgates but it suits the jeep just fine. they have a good departure angle already and i doubt yj owners put stuff behind the rear seats very often

[dududuckling]

You have to swing down the spare tire before being able to open the rear hatch, am I right? Or am I seeing it the wrong way?

[sandor]

You got it...swing down the tire carrier so that you could swing up the rear hatch.

Looks cool, but not practical.

[Scotto]

The guys who do this generally are running 38" or more on their Heeps. The idea is that the tire is so heavy there's no hope in hell you'd ever be able to pick it up, so the carrier can swing down for lever-action help. Well-designed carriers also swing out (parallel to the ground) for access to the rear (not that you need that with a Jeep, you just go in from the side.)

As an added bonus, if the carrier is built high enough, the top of it will work with the roll bars, and in the event of roll-overs provide a little more protection. Saw a CJ somewhere get saved because the carrier actually took the brunt of a rollover.

Anyways, that's the point of these carriers.


Scott

[AlexJet]

Nice option, but for hatch access you'd need to drop the tire and stand on it. Some people do fine with it, others don't. The design is simple and can be easily reproduced in the garage condition. I've done a few similar designs with swings down and sideway in the past.