Spare tire rack for TJ's

Here is the tire rack in the closed position. It mounts directly to the tailgate, using the factory mounting holes for the spare tire rack and those little rubber bumpers.  This particular photo shows the rack painted black, it has been painted Desert Tan to match the Jeep.  It blends in much better when painted body color. The big difference between this design and other is the fact that everything is hinged together.  There is no need to release and open the rack before gaining access to the tailgate.

This photo shows the rack/tailgate in the open position. The factory tailgate hinges have been removed and integrated into a larger, stronger rack/tailgate hinge. The entire assembly pivots on a new hinge and is held closed with the factory tailgate latch and key lock. The spare tire is held by the factory spare tire holder mounted to the back of the rack.

The tailgate is fully functional, the high mounted stop lamp is mounted to the factory spare tire holder, it just had the leads lengthened.  The jerry cans fit nicely in the rack.  Future provisions will include mounts for the high lift jack and bracket for mounting a CB antenna. The bumper portion of the rack mounts behind the factory bumper and offers a mounting point for the hinge mechanism.  The top half of the hinge mounts to a plate that uses the holes that were vacated by the factory tailgate hinges.  No holes had to be drilled in the vehicle.  The corners of the bumpers have small pieces of channel welded to protect the back corners of the tub. All in all the spare tire basically moves back about 8". Here's a closer view of the hinge.

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