Some things that can prompt you to remove the tire carrier of your Jeep include the presence of a crack on the spare tire carrier and the need to upgrade the tire carrier to run bigger tires. In other cases, people remove the Jeep JK spare tire carrier to do a deep cleaning and clear out the detrimental dirt and rust silently harming the automobile’s body.
Minimal tools required for the Jeep JK spare tire carrier removal include the tire iron and locking nut to get the spare wheel off. You also need a T-socket readily available in most Jeeps to remove some components from the spare wheel light. The 14-mil socket will help remove the remaining bolts from the spare wheel carrier.
Why Do You Need a Jeep Spare Tire Carrier?
Despite your vehicle now looking more durable than ever due to your investment in large, sturdy tires, you’re not sure what you can do with the spare tire.
A large wheel designed for off-road and rock climbing would not fit in the factory mount, which is designed to hold a small spare tire. Fortunately, some producers have thought about the issue and created a solution—or numerous solutions—for it. There are plenty of ways to carry your large off-road spare tire out over trails.
Jeep JK are designed in a way that the spare tires can be mounted at the rear tailgate. The tire carrier and tailgate hinges are somehow thin and light. Therefore, they are not able to bear heavy loads. Sometimes the spare tire carrier can crack because of mounting a big and heavier tire than recommended.
The spare tire carrier on a Jeep JK is among the design features that distinguish it from other automobiles. The Jeep is the oldest vehicle to have a rear tire carrier, even though it’s not the only automobile today that proudly displays a spare tire carrier on the tailgate.
Regardless of the year of your Jeep JK, engineers intentionally created that tire carrier to support the weight of stock wheels and factory-sized tires, up to approximately a 33-inch tire.
Therefore, as you begin fitting bigger tires and rims to your Jeep, the load of the new spare tire will begin to exceed the capacity of the stock tire carrier.
The rear tailgate will be put under more stress as you carry additional weight, and eventually, you might discover that the latches don’t line up whenever it closes. In severe circumstances, hinges will begin to droop, and the mount can break and leave the spare tire rolling down the road.
People who consider getting bigger rims and tires may find this to be terrifying. Don’t worry if you fall into this category; the Jeep industry has been providing solutions to the issue for several years by creating sophisticated rear-mounted spare tire carriers.
Types of Spare Tire Carriers
There are two main types of tire carriers: models with bumper mounting and versions with tailgate reinforcement.
With bumper-mounted tire carriers, you will attach a massive full-size spare tire without concern for damaging your tailgate.
With tailgate tire carriers, weight is transferred from the tailgate hinges to a significant pivot point, typically on the right side of a bumper.
Some spare tire carriers have separate latches that keep them closed, while others—more frequently seen on Wrangler JK models from 2007 to 2018, have a turnbuckle mechanism that keeps them flying at the same pace as your tailgate. Therefore, you only need a single handle to reach the back storage.
Whichever route you take when picking a tire carrier, be mindful to read the product details to ensure it is compatible with the tire size you have in mind.
How To Do Jeep JK Spare Tire Carrier Removal.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How Much Weight Can Jeep JK Spare Tire Carrier Hold?
50 lbs. A Jeep Wrangler’s spare tire carrier is intended to support up to 50 lbs. when the trail is normal to moderate. The spare tire carrier or the tailgate could get damaged if the Jeep is overloaded and the vehicle drives through rougher terrain.
How Do You Secure A Spare Tire In A Truck Bed?
Utilize a spare tire bracket. The bracket is made to slide somewhere under the truck and use bolts and nuts to secure the spare tire. A qualified fabricator can also assemble a functional under-truck spare wheel carrier or mount for you.
How Do You Keep A Spare Tire From Dry Rotting?
Even if the vacuum-sealed bags are out of your reach, storing spare tires in sizable, thick plastic bags and taping them tightly with duct tape will slow down the wear rate, particularly tire dry rot.
How Long Can You Drive On A Spare Tire?
50 miles. If at all possible, limit your use of a spare tire to no more than 50 miles. Avoid traveling more than 70 miles on it unless you must go farther than 50 miles. A spare tire’s essence is to get you through until you’re able to replace a flat tire; it’s not to replace a flat tire.
What Is A Doughnut Tire?
A donut tire is similar to a spare kept inside the vehicle if you need to change a flat tire. A donut tire, however, is smaller than your vehicle’s standard tires. Therefore, it’s easy to fit inside your car, unlike a standard spare tire.
Do All Jeeps Have Spare Tires?
The Jeep Compass doesn’t have a spare tire. Nevertheless, some models come with a tire repair kit. Other trim levels include a spare tire as part of the package or as an add-on.
How much weight can a jeep spare tire carrier hold?
Jeep spare tire carrier hold 50 pounds.
Is it difficult to remove Jeep hard top?
No, It’s not impossible to remove jeep hard top.
Conclusion
Reasons that may compel you to remove the tire carrier from your Jeep are a crack in the spare tire carrier, or you may need to replace the tire carrier so it can accommodate larger tires.
Other times, individuals will remove the spare tire carrier from the Jeep JK to perform a thorough cleaning and remove damaging grime and rust that is silently harming the car’s body. Some tools needed include a tire iron, locking nut, T-socket, and the 14-mil socket. Click here for step-by-step guide on how to do Jeep JK spare tire carrier removal.