 |
 |
 |
||||||||||||||
 |
 |
|||||||||||||||
|
|
Mounting 32" Tire On Stock Carrier | |
|||||||||||||
|
CONTENTS 1) Critical Vehicle Setup 2) Overciew / Performance Review 3) Installation 1) CRITICAL VEHICLE SETUP BEFORE MODIFICATION There are no critical modifications that need to be performed prior to this alteration. However, verify that the oversized tire will clear the bumper after installation. A 1" body lift is installed on this TJ which provides ample clearance between the rear bumper and the bottom of the tire. 32x11.50 tires are also installed on this Jeep. 2) OVERVIEW / PERFORMANCE REVIEW With the installation of new torsen limited slip differentials in each axle it was long past time to upgrade the spare tire: While still running open diffs I figured a mis-matched spare tire was workable in emergencies but definitely not ideal nor even advised. But with the LSDs installed, all tires need to be the same diameter so it they won't pre-maturely wear out the diff or cause the vehicle to pull to the side. Purpose: Unfortunately the stock Jeep tire carrier was not designed to accommodate larger tires so some modifications need to be performed. Primarily this involves ensuring the wheel studs have adequate thread engagement and the mounting surface of the wheel sits flush against the tire carrier. Additionally the 3rd brake light needs to be raised so it is visible from the rear. Weight Limit: Keep in mind the tailgate of the TJ is only rated for a 50 lb. wheel/tire combination. However, even the stock 30x9.50 tires that came with the Jeep weighed more than this at approximately 57 lb. when mounted on the alloy rims. For this reason tires 33" and larger are not recommended for mounting on the stock tire carrier. However, there are numerous reports that a 32" tire is the max size that could be mounted without long-term damage. For my spare I found a used 32x11.50 Cooper all-terrain and had it mounted on the stock spare Canyon wheel. This saved about 1/3 the cost of mounting a new tire for a spare. The weight tipped the scales to 66 lb. which is 16 lb. more than the rating on the tailgate but only 9lb. more than what Jeep provided in the way of a spare tire. Limit Tire Movement: The key to getting a 32" tire to work with the stock carrier with out prematurely destroying it or the tailgate is to limit tire movement. The wheel must be mounted flush against the carrier surface. Also, the tire sidewall must be firmly in contact with the 5 rubber bumpers on the tailgate. These two elements work in conjunction to brace the spare and keep it from wiggling about and destroying the tailgate. [continued on pg. 2 . . . ] |
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
||||||||||||||
