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Nov 2004

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Feature > Installation Guides > Jeep Quickies

November 2004 Issue

Take the Weight Off

BesTop Oversize Tire Carrier Install

by Trent Riddle
photography by Jim Ramsey

Here you can see the components of the BesTop Oversize Tire Carrier.

Bigger tires and wheels add a great look to your Jeep as well as increasing it’s off pavement prowess too. Bigger tires are perhaps the most common upgrade made to any 4x4.

While everyone thinks about larger tires, few consider that bigger rubber means more weight too. This added weigh would damage your stock tire carrier and maybe even your tailgate over time. The solution to this problem is to install a new system that can handle the larger spare tire. In the past, this involved a new rear bumper with the tire carrier built in. While this solved the issue of carrying the weight, it also necessitated opening the tire carrier every time you wanted to get into the back of your Jeep for some small piece of gear.

This is no longer a problem with the introduction of the Oversize Tire Carrier from BesTop. This heavy-duty tire carrier distributes the added weight of your larger spare, while maintaining the easy-open tailgate your rig came with from the factory. Installation is easy and can be done in less than a day. The instructions are comprehensive and easy to follow. However, we did make two modifications that we felt makes this tire carrier even better. To eliminate any possibility of rattle, we installed one of our factory bumpers to catch the upper bar of the new tire carrier. Our second upgrade was to install a small bolt to help keep the tire mount from rotating on the arm assembly. These upgrades don’t have to be done, but we tend to modify almost everything we install to better suit our personal needs. Follow along and see how quick and easy it is to upgrade your tire carrier.

Source: BesTop, Incorporated • 2100 W. Midway Blvd. • Broomfield, CO 80020 • www.bestop.com

Buy the BesTop Oversize Tire Carrier from www.4wheelparts.com.

Be sure to completely read supplied manufacturer’s instructions prior to installing any of these product kits.

 

Tools Required:

  • 1/2 drive socket set
  • 3/8 drive socket set
  • 1/4-20 tap & tap handle
  • Drill of correct for the tap
  • Drill motor
  • Torx driver set

Additional tools we recommend:

  • Possibly a floor jack

Wrench Rating:

Ratings Explanation

 

  

1. The first step is to remove you spare tire, the factory tire carrier and the factory bumpers from the tailgate.

2. The upper and lower tailgate hinges are bolted to the factory tailgate per the instructions. If you have a Wrangler built prior to 2003, the holes are already there. On 2003 and up Wranglers a few holes will need to be drilled.

  

3. The link arms are assembled and then installed on the arm assembly.

4. The upper and lower body hinges are installed and the arm assembly is bolted into the four hinge points, two on the body and two on the tailgate.

  

5. The upper and lower body hinges are positioned exactly 6-3/16 of and inch from the tailgate opening.

6. With the body hinges positioned, bolts are tightened. The upper hinge is reinforced with this backing plate that distributes some of the weight to the rollbar mounting bolts.

  

7. The lower body hinge has a support bracket that distributes some of the weight to the lower body mount.

8. If your Jeep has a bumper centered under the tailgate, leave it there. If not, you’ll need to install one of the bumpers you removed in this location.

  

9. We decided to also install a bumper on the tailgate directly above the bumper mounted below the tailgate and behind the tire carrier. This added bumper will, in our opinion, help to ensure any rattles are eliminated.

10. The Bestop instructions say to mount the tire mount flange to the tire and then bolt the assembly onto the tire carrier using the single center bolt supplied in the kit. We elected to drill the tire mount and the boss it slides onto and add a cross bolt. In our opinion, the single mounting bolt could rotate and this added bolt eliminates that potential.

  

11. Here you see the BesTop Oversize Tire Carrier in place and ready for the tire to be installed.

12. The BesTop Oversize Tire Carrier swings open in conjunction with the tailgate, keeping the easy-open features of your Jeep’s original spare. However, the weight is now off the tailgate and it’s hinges.