How Much Weight Can The Spare Tire Carrier Handle?
Whether you want to run 37+ inch tires, haul all of your bikes to Moab for a weekend of mountain biking or plan to use one of the many spare tire trash bags out there weight matters. The Jeeps Wranglers tailgate is hollow steel and prone to drooping under heavy loads or collapsing forward entirely. However this can be completely avoided with proper attention to the stock load limits as well as aftermarket HD reinforced hinges or even an entirely separate spare tire carrier.
So What Are The Weight Limits
We always recommend that you consult your owners manual to confirm, but here are the measurements that we know of.
TJ: 1997 to 2006: 50lbs
JK: 2008 to 2018: 50lbs
JL: 2018 to Present: 85lbs
If 50lbs sounds low… it likely is, in fact your current spare likely weighs more than 50lbs. We have read some tests stating that on the JK and JL the failure weight is at 100lbs. But double check your owners manual, we do not recommend running larger than 33inch tires on a TJ and 35inch tires on a JK or JL.
Solutions:
If you are interested in exceeding those limits here are a few of our favorite solutions.
1. HD Reinforced Carrier Mount:
If you are only planning to exceed the limit by a few pounds, for example adding some 35inch tires that combined with the rims are a little heavy, we recommended a reinforced plate. They help spread the weight out a little further across the tailgate. Outside of extreme circumstances this will be all you need.
2. Full HD Reinforced Tire Carrier With HD Hinges:
Another weak point on the tailgate are the hinges. If you plan to run 37s, or add a cargo rack to your spare tire we highly recommend upgrading to a full HD system. The HD hinges will keep your tailgate from sagging from the extra weight. There are several great systems out there. we highly recommend the following.
A. Teraflex Alpha Hinged HD Carrier:
B. Rugged Ridge HD Tire Carrier Kit:
C. Smitybilt 2843 Pivot HD Oversize Tire Carrier:
3. Replacement Bumper With Spare Tire Swingout:
If you are looking to upgrade your bumper you can purchase one with an independent tire swingout. These bumpers move the weight of your spare tire off of the Jeeps tailgate and onto a sturdy swingout supported by the bumper. If you plan to run 37inch or larger tires this is a must. They can also be very useful if you plan to use the swingout to carry a gear rack or Jerry can holders. While there are hundreds of great choices out there. Here are a few of or favorites. All three come with great reviews.
A. SmittyBilt XRC Atlas Rear Bumper: This bumper is heavy duty, robust and has two awesome integrated Jerry can mounts.
B. EAG Rear Bumper With Spare Tire Carrier: This bumper is one of the most affordable options on the market. But do not let that deter you it has excellent reviews as well.
C. TrailGuard Rear Bumper:
This bumper is definitely a premium bumper and rear tire carrier. One cool aspect is it has a modular tire mounting setup so if you are running topless you can actually tilt the spare forward helping add extra clearance for your spare for technical off-road terrain. See current price at EXT.
Don’t Overload Your Stock Carrier
With so many excellent options on the market there is no reason to overload your stock spare tire carrier. While many Jeepers have been able to get away with running setups that are above the OE recommendations it does catch up them. Fatigued hinges and even collapsed tailgates can happen. If you have a setup you are really happy with share it with us in the comments!