XJ Custom Bumper with Swing Down Tire Carrier

**Cruzin Illusion** · 06-29-2007, 07:43 PM

This is really not so much of a tech thing as it is a "What I have been doing the last five days to get Brandon ready for Moab." I get a phone call last Wednesday night saying that the individual that was going to build his bumper backed out and he needed a bumper before Moab "So I won't taco my rear hatch." I went back and forth on whether I sould do this job or not. I had planned that I would not have anything major to do the week and a half before we left. I finally decided that I would help him out and would probably regret it. So here is some of the pictures I took of the bumper I just finished for him. I actually really like it except for the way the tire carrier swings downward. (THE TIRE CARRIER WAS NOT MY DESIGN)

It has a hitch built into the bumper that attaches to the frame so you can tow with it. (WHY? I DON'T KNOW) THe only problem I had was with the design of the way Brandon mounted the tabs on his quarter guards. They were mounted horizontal to the vehicle so when you took the pins out you could not swing the tire carrier down. After a few hours of sleep I came up with a design for a swing out type attachment set up. I was lucky that we where not busy and I could get in the machine shop to get the pieces I designed made. Here is the final product:

**Cruzin Illusion** · 06-29-2007, 07:45 PM

By the way he wanted the tire mounted that high. I would have personally droped it about another 6".

LEAD_NOT_FOLLOW · 06-29-2007, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cruzin Illusion

This is really not so much of a tech thing as it is a "What I have been doing the last five days to get Brandon ready for Moab." I get a phone call last Wednesday night saying that the individual that was going to build his bumper backed out and he needed a bumper before Moab "So I won't taco my rear hatch." I went back and forth on whether I sould do this job or not. I had planned that I would not have anything major to do the week and a half before we left. I finally decided that I would help him out and would probably regret it. So here is some of the pictures I took of the bumper I just finished for him. I actually really like it except for the way the tire carrier swings downward. (THE TIRE CARRIER WAS NOT MY DESIGN)

It has a hitch built into the bumper that attaches to the frame so you can tow with it. (WHY? I DON'T KNOW) THe only problem I had was with the design of the way Brandon mounted the tabs on his quarter guards. They were mounted horizontal to the vehicle so when you took the pins out you could not swing the tire carrier down. After a few hours of sleep I came up with a design for a swing out type attachment set up. I was lucky that we where not busy and I could get in the machine shop to get the pieces I designed made. Here is the final product:

Click Free...

LEAD_NOT_FOLLOW · 06-29-2007, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cruzin Illusion

By the way he wanted the tire mounted that high. I would have personally droped it about another 6".

Click Free...

BS87 · 06-29-2007, 07:48 PM

IMO: Stupid mounting of the tire. Completley blocks the rear window and very dangerous. Wouldn't be surprised if the police came after him.

Feorge_Goreman · 06-29-2007, 08:16 PM

looks sweet, great job man.

dudeinatj · 06-29-2007, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BS87

IMO: Stupid mounting of the tire. Completley blocks the rear window and very dangerous. Wouldn't be surprised if the police came after him.

I guess we need to get those 'stupid' box trucks off the road too.

Nice lookin' tire carrier.

**Cruzin Illusion** · 06-29-2007, 08:42 PM

I built the tire carrier to the specs the owner wanted. I spoke with him on the tire carrier design and tried to talk him out of it. He already had the tabs on the quarter guards and want this design. I also told him that the tire should be lower on the carrier than what it is and he actually wanted it higher. The design is cool but the functionality has something lacking. He says he does not get in the back much and it would be o.k. I had to design the out mounts for the tire carrier due his design would not work. Because the tabs were mounted on the quarter guards where they ran horizontal to the vehicle the tire carrier would not hinge down. So I went to work and had to machine some pieces to make them pivot out then the tire carrier could fold down. If he would have mounted the tire where it should have been then you could not have angled it back towards the vehicle. If I knew that it still would have had such a gap I would have put a couple of more bends in the carrier so that the tire would match the angle of the rear window.

There were a couple of things I would have done extra if I had time, but the Moab trip he is going on is this week. When you build things for others sometimes you just do it their way unless it is not safe.

wil badger · 06-29-2007, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BS87

IMO: Stupid mounting of the tire. Completley blocks the rear window and very dangerous. Wouldn't be surprised if the police came after him.

all you need in almost every state that i know is two working mirrors.doesn't matter if its side view and rear view or both side views.now i don't condone blocking the rear view just to make it easier for backing up in tight spots.

that being said most times it has to go that high.this one is mine i mounted it that high so i could run my winch on the rear with the tire still in place.

as for the angle

ya i think it wouldn't look so bad if it matched the angle of the rear glass

wil badger · 06-29-2007, 08:49 PM

oh ya he also needs to move his plate to the swing

stylinxj · 06-29-2007, 09:14 PM

i thought of an idea like that to for a tire carrier, putting the mounts on the side panel, now that i look at it i'll stick with a swing out bumper..but you can always work out with the tire now.

NMLJ · 06-29-2007, 09:34 PM

Very cool looking, but it looks like the tire would be very hard for one guy to lower/raise.

Yekcid · 06-29-2007, 09:37 PM

Those are the sweetest tube fenders I've seen on an XJ. Does he have a write-up w/ pics? Are the fronts tubed also?
Oh yeah, nice lookin bumper. Just not sure about the swing down. Might be kinda hard to handle the heavy tire when swinging down, unless I'm not understanding how it works.

Crap, you beat me, nmxj78.

**Cruzin Illusion** · 06-29-2007, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stylinxj

i thought of an idea like that to for a tire carrier, putting the mounts on the side panel, now that i look at it i'll stick with a swing out bumper..but you can always work out with the tire now.

I designed the the bumper and I built the carrier to what the owner wanted. I tried to talk him into something different but that is what he wanted. Like I said before when you are building something for someone else sometime you just do it because thats what they want unless it's unsafe.

JoJo97XJ · 06-29-2007, 09:45 PM

Sweet bumper you built, tire carrier, not so cool, but if thats what he wanted...