Spare tire under or on the back?

daspes · **Posted:** Wed Nov 21, 2007 12:07 pm

With the tire underneath, the biggest problem I see is if you are on the trail and you rip a sidewall, blow a bead, or such, and your in a spot where ground clearance is an issue. Having to jack the rear up to be able to pull the spare out would be a pain in backside.

KJ Taz · **Posted:** Wed Nov 21, 2007 12:20 pm

toy4everyseason wrote:

Getting the tire down isn't soo bad. Stick the tire tool down a cover in the back and down it comes. Don't know how easy it will be with mud and snow packed up there thou.

It would bite if you were offroad and you couldn't drop it with out jacking the back of the Jeep up high just to get it out, then you have the added danger of it being jacked up while you are trying to get it out. Its really a very bad location as far as functionality goes. Snow up to the axles and you have to change the tire? Man I can think of a bunch of different situations that it would bring the suck to have it under the Jeep. Its a terrible location. I have had to change spares on pick ups that have them under the back, after that the spares end up chained in the bed.

Jeger · **Posted:** Wed Nov 21, 2007 12:45 pm

Get a roof rack and throw it up there....to heck with wind drag :wink:

Of course the better half might not like that solution if they ever get a flat...

mcd001 · **Posted:** Wed Nov 21, 2007 2:35 pm

tommudd wrote:

first thing I always did when I bought a new truck jerk the spare out from underneath, never liked them there never will, still wondering who they interviewed to come up with the results that people like them better underneath

The impression I got from the salesman I spoke to about this was that Jeep didn't necessarily ask people where they preferred the spare be located. Just whether or not they liked how it looked on the rear door. How they phrased the question could produce some varried responses. Like "Do you like how it looks?" vs. "Do you enjoy the utility of a rear-mounted sparetire?" are very different questions.

rickm · **Posted:** Wed Nov 21, 2007 7:35 pm

tommudd wrote:

So you dont change your own flat tire? Oh well I guess a lot of people dont anymore, would never think about calling anyone but thats just me. Nope guess you will never have a problem then about where it is! :lol:

yes, I have changed the tires on all of those vehicles, except the 08 Liberty. I found no problem with getting the tire changed, no matter where the spare was located. In fact, I think it's a bit more of a hassle, if you are doing it yourself, to have to put the spare back on the rear of the vehicle, vs laying it on the ground and cranking it up.

I mentioned the speed of the Chrysler/Jeep service, because they give you the service free when you purchase the vehicle. Whether you choose to use it or not is up to you.

chefdab · **Posted:** Wed Nov 21, 2007 8:46 pm

Well here's a scenario no one mentioned. Your on the trail, climbing over some rocks. Some of them just a little too big and you get high centered. No problem, just a quick strap and your good to go. Later down the trail, you cut a sidewall on your tire. So you go to change the spare out. You lower the spare (you did remember to upgrade to a full size with your sport model instead of the donut?). Only you find out that in the process of sliding off the rock earlier, you also cut the sidewall of the spare underneath. Now what do you do? Two flats and the Jeeps your running with don't have a spare that fits because they've gone and changed the bolt pattern too. How do you get off the trail safely so you can go buy some new tires?

rickm · **Posted:** Thu Nov 22, 2007 2:44 am

chefdab wrote:

Well here's a scenario no one mentioned. Your on the trail, climbing over some rocks. Some of them just a little too big and you get high centered. No problem, just a quick strap and your good to go. Later down the trail, you cut a sidewall on your tire. So you go to change the spare out. You lower the spare (you did remember to upgrade to a full size with your sport model instead of the donut?). Only you find out that in the process of sliding off the rock earlier, you also cut the sidewall of the spare underneath. Now what do you do? Two flats and the Jeeps your running with don't have a spare that fits because they've gone and changed the bolt pattern too. How do you get off the trail safely so you can go buy some new tires?

well, first off, my KK Sport came with a full size/same wheel spare.

If you cut the spare up and cause it to go flat, I'd guess you're gonna have some more problems than just 2 flat tires, that's some pretty heavy duty off roading alright. Take a tank~~!

65thKJ · **Posted:** Thu Nov 22, 2007 8:43 am

There is one benefit to the underneath mounted spare that no one has mentioned - Towing. W/ the rear mounted it is difficult to tow w/ many trailers because the landing gear crank will hit the tire. So, you need a hitch extender or something like it to be able to tow.
On the other hand, I do like the look and convenienve of the rear mounted spare.

Diggerfreek · **Posted:** Thu Nov 22, 2007 2:27 pm

toy4everyseason wrote:

Diggerfreek wrote:

I want mine in the roof

do you still have the stock spare under there?

yeah, i have never dropped it...

chefdab · **Posted:** Thu Nov 22, 2007 11:24 pm

rickm wrote:

chefdab wrote:

Well here's a scenario no one mentioned. Your on the trail, climbing over some rocks. Some of them just a little too big and you get high centered. No problem, just a quick strap and your good to go. Later down the trail, you cut a sidewall on your tire. So you go to change the spare out. You lower the spare (you did remember to upgrade to a full size with your sport model instead of the donut?). Only you find out that in the process of sliding off the rock earlier, you also cut the sidewall of the spare underneath. Now what do you do? Two flats and the Jeeps your running with don't have a spare that fits because they've gone and changed the bolt pattern too. How do you get off the trail safely so you can go buy some new tires?

well, first off, my KK Sport came with a full size/same wheel spare.

If you cut the spare up and cause it to go flat, I'd guess you're gonna have some more problems than just 2 flat tires, that's some pretty heavy duty off roading alright. Take a tank~~!

I read that the base sport models came with a donut unless you upgraded your wheel and tire combo. And remember that where your spare is hanging use to be where the gas tank was on the KJ. I know I slid off my gas tank skid plenty of times and the trails weren't that hardcore. So it wouldn't be too hard to imagine sliding off that spare in certain situations.

Diggerfreek · **Posted:** Fri Nov 23, 2007 12:13 am

to get the upgraded tire, you either had to order the spare separate or get the tow package

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Fri Nov 23, 2007 10:08 am

If someone ends up making a rear bumper for the KK with a swing away tire carrier...that would be the way to go.

I was just thinking...it would so easy to make a spare tire skid that would protect the back end of the KK. Idea for someone!!! It could extend back to protect the bottom side of the rear bumper.

rickm · **Posted:** Fri Nov 23, 2007 3:25 pm

chefdab wrote:

rickm wrote:

chefdab wrote:

Well here's a scenario no one mentioned. Your on the trail, climbing over some rocks. Some of them just a little too big and you get high centered. No problem, just a quick strap and your good to go. Later down the trail, you cut a sidewall on your tire. So you go to change the spare out. You lower the spare (you did remember to upgrade to a full size with your sport model instead of the donut?). Only you find out that in the process of sliding off the rock earlier, you also cut the sidewall of the spare underneath. Now what do you do? Two flats and the Jeeps your running with don't have a spare that fits because they've gone and changed the bolt pattern too. How do you get off the trail safely so you can go buy some new tires?

well, first off, my KK Sport came with a full size/same wheel spare.

If you cut the spare up and cause it to go flat, I'd guess you're gonna have some more problems than just 2 flat tires, that's some pretty heavy duty off roading alright. Take a tank~~!

I read that the base sport models came with a donut unless you upgraded your wheel and tire combo. And remember that where your spare is hanging use to be where the gas tank was on the KJ. I know I slid off my gas tank skid plenty of times and the trails weren't that hardcore. So it wouldn't be too hard to imagine sliding off that spare in certain situations.

you are correct, but on the KJ the fuel tank/skid plate hung fairly low. On the KK, there is quite a bit more room under there..

I don't go specifically on hard core off-road trails, but I do get on some pretty rock/rutted up roads in my job. I don't ever remember scraping the fuel tank skid on my KJ, however I sure scraped up the front skids a bunch.

toy4everyseason · **Posted:** Fri Nov 23, 2007 4:54 pm

DarbyWalters wrote:

If someone ends up making a rear bumper for the KK with a swing away tire carrier...that would be the way to go.

I was just thinking...it would so easy to make a spare tire skid that would protect the back end of the KK. Idea for someone!!! It could extend back to protect the bottom side of the rear bumper.

I was thinking the same idea, quick contact rock lizard. It would have to be easy to remove in case you were to need the spare. I think it is a great idea for serious off roaders.

Jeger · **Posted:** Mon Nov 26, 2007 9:02 am

toy4everyseason wrote:

DarbyWalters wrote:

If someone ends up making a rear bumper for the KK with a swing away tire carrier...that would be the way to go.

I was just thinking...it would so easy to make a spare tire skid that would protect the back end of the KK. Idea for someone!!! It could extend back to protect the bottom side of the rear bumper.

I was thinking the same idea, quick contact rock lizard. It would have to be easy to remove in case you were to need the spare. I think it is a great idea for serious off roaders.

You could make the skid what actually holds the tire in place. Make it so it hinges down...maybe even so it lowers with the same crank that would lower the tire? If someone could make it so it would actually allow easier access to the tire Im sure they could sell plenty.

kj in a tight spot · **Posted:** Tue Nov 27, 2007 5:55 pm

DarbyWalters wrote:

I was just thinking...it would so easy to make a spare tire skid that would protect the back end of the KK. Idea for someone!!! It could extend back to protect the bottom side of the rear bumper.

One little problem...how do yall get your spares outta there when you need it?

The swing out carrier is the way to go IMO...roof works good too Id bet...

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 1:34 pm

Just another thing to think about...The Commander with the same setup can not fit a 31" tire in the space they have...How big a tire will the KK take underneath? Might make it hard to fit anything bigger than a 235/75/16n (~30") without moving the spare somewhere else?

Spare tire under or on the back?

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