Up Top or Out Back?

[Greg Davis]

OK, I need your insight.

I drove around the other day with my spare off of the rear door. Man! I couldn't beleive how much better it rode. Not having that huge, 120# combo hanging almost 2 ft beyond my rear axle really took alot of the "bounce" out of my rear suspension. And that really got me thinking.

My original plan was to make a 2nd generation swing-out carrier for my spare, two cans, and my Hi-Lift. But now I'm considering putting my spare up top.

Spare on Door:

Cons:

Pain to fab a swing-out carrier that actually works and looks decent.
LOTS of weight hanging off the rear.
NO visibility out of the rear 'cause the spare will be mounted high for rear clearance.

Pros:

Keeps the weight off of the roof.
Easy to access when rotating tires.

Spare on Roof:

Cons:

Weight is high (but not much higher than carrier-probably only a couple of feet).
Pain to get to when rotating tires.

Pros:

Easy to fab mount.
Looks neat.
Maintains view out of rear window.
Would allow me to make a simple can carrier that bolts to rear door rather than making a complicated swing-out carrier.

Bottom line is: Will the spare on the roof REALLY affect me that much off road? Or am I splitting hairs at this point?

[PTSchram]

Greg:
I am pondering a similar project, the mounting of additional fuel (no, I did NOT run out of gas again). My only fear is the dynamic nature of fuel in cans mounted to the relatively flimsy material of the rear door. I'm fearful the sloshing would exacerbate the damage to the door skin.

I'm leaning toward roof rack with can mounts toward the back, with the can lying on their sides to reduce height.

Peace,
Paul

[Serious One]

FWIW...

I have run roofracks for many many years, most of the time with the spare on the roof. Granted, the CG on a RRC is much lower than on a Disco, or Disco II, especially yours with the 35's on it now.

The thing I don't like about the Disco roof racks is that damn step. It puts everything 6-10 inches higher than on a RRC.

I think you are a good enough driver you'll know what to do when you have the tire on the roof. Personally I like them there, especially because I'm always getting in and out of the back of the truck. Rotating tires? I am not familiar with this term.

[Greg Davis]

Well, if it goes on the roof it will be in the lower section above the driver. I will have to fab some bowed replacement bars for the front of the rack so the tire will sit flat, but I'd rather do that than put it in the higher section.

[Serious One]

have you done a chop yet to visualize what this could look like?

Send me a copy of the side view of your truck.

[lwg]

Do like I did on my Rangie. Remove rear seats and mount big tire flat on floor. Keeps a very low COG, easy to get to and doesn't impale your vision. The only con to this is that when you and the lady want to "test" the back seat, you can't. but then again I'm married now and don't do those sort of activities anymore. At least until we decide to have kids!

[Greg Davis]

But Larry, where would the car seat(s) go? Remember, as impractical as it may seem, it's still my DD.

[Ran_over]

I have mine mounted similar to Larry's, w/ no rear seat. If I had a DII though I would probably use the Trekoutfitters divider without their basket, and weld a tire mount onto it to hold the tire vertically. Gladly sacrifice rear vision for a secure mount. They only list them for D1's, but I'm sure it would be easy to adapt or fab a similar divider.


http://www.trekoutfitters.com/discovery/ds1divbas.htm


my .02
Craig

[Black Mustache]

So here is my schtick after having a tire on the roof for a long time...
I am building a shelf of sorts in the bed, basically laying the spare and air in the back cargo area and putting plywood over the top with some cute lil' legs to lift it over the junk. With the space left over, I'm putting in a sliding drawer (with a latch). On top of the ply-wood, I may carpet it- not sure yet, but i'll put some lil' D-rings.
this kinda quells the whole COG thing as best you can without removing the make-out arena.

Maybe I'll take 400 pictures and post it on Dweb

[darkstar]

Mine will be going on the inside also. I had thought about fabbing a swing away carrier, but decided I just don't want all that extra weight behind the rear axle. I will be removing the back seats, putting a tuffy drawer where the back seats were, and building a mount for the spare above the toolbox. Should still have quite a bit of cargo space left for miscellaneous shit.

[Greg Davis]

Good suggestions, but they won't work in my rig. With the back seats in and my spare laying flat, the seats would have to be folded forward. If the spare were elevated to allow the seats to be in the proper position, the spare would be hitting the rear passengers in the back of the head.

Only option is outside of the vehicle. So, with that being said; Up top or out back?

[darkstar]

If you already have a rack, stick it up top

[PTSchram]

Originally posted by Greg Davis

Only option is outside of the vehicle. So, with that being said; Up top or out back?

Of the responses, those that made a suggestion from the above options, it sure looks like on top is the way the wind is blowing

[sachilles]

drag it on a rope behind you like an anchor?

[redrangie]

Greg.

I had mine on the roof for many years. As I grew in tire size, the roof thing became a bigger pain in the arse. My tire rime only ways 85#, but it is still a giant thing to get down from the roof without someone with you.

Also, since its a DD, think about when your spouse drives it... and she gets a flat. Not being sexist, just reality for me. My wife only weighs 37 more pounds than the tire.

One more thing. Height effects more than COG. It plain wouldn't fit on a lot of technical trails.


I have done both, and vote for the carrier, or inside with a false floor.

j

[LR Max]

I've carried my spare inside my truck for the last year and I really want to hang it out back. The last time I got a flat, I was carrying a lot of gear and a big arse freezer.....and I had to remove all of that before I could get to the spare!! Then, I had just run the truck though mud so the flat tire was nasty and I had to put it back inside with all of my gear, getting all of it nasty (IMO, mud stay on the outside of the truck and maybe the floorboards. Not all over my stuff!!).

I think having it on the rear door is the best. It is right there where you can get to it with no trouble and is not inside the truck taking up space.

If you do put the spare on the roof, then you might want to get a safety seal kit. All of my punctures could have been fixed with one of those and my crappy air compressor. Its a lot less effort and it won't break your back! The real plus is that you don't have to play musical tires when you put the spare on then get the flat fixed, etc.

As for thw womenfolk and automobile breakdowns, I know my sis and mom would either call someone to come help them or wait for a random person to help them out. I never worry about them using my truck b/c I am the only one who drives it .

Max T.

[Greg Davis]

Thanks for all of the input. I've got it on the roof temporarily to see if I like the handling. As far as looks, I don't think I do. Kinda screams "Look at me, I'm an off-roader" if you know what I mean.

As far as my wife goes, it might as well be at home in the garage. If it has a flat, there's no way she could change a 35" tire anyway.

I'll probably end up making a carrier after all, and then I'll probably have to go to 110 rear springs since I'm already running RTE HD's. Oh well, we'll see.

[Serious One]

Greg,

A quick head's up on the 110 springs...they are a larger diameter than the springs you are using now.

You might be stuck using helper air bags in side the coil springs unless you wanted to change your upper and lower mounts.

[Greg Davis]

Thanks Mike. Yeah, I was aware of that. That's why it's my last resort option. I'm getting tired of having to re-do stuff.

Plus, I'm getting ready to move into a neighborhood that has a HOA (gasp!), so I know my ability to fab stuff and wrench in the driveway will be short-lived.

[Serious One]

HOA? Say it ain't so.

dude, seriously seriously reconsider buying that home in the HOA. That is the biggest reason why we're moving. Over the past week I have found at least 4 families that are leaving our neighborhood because of the HOA.

Trust me, you will have problems, because you know you will wrench on your truck.

I didn't think it was a problem but believe me it will be.

Don't do it.

[Greg Davis]

Mike, were you wrenching outside or in the garage? My future plans are for a garage to park my Disco in so I can wrench on it out of sight.

Problem is, we're in a neighborhood now wothout an association. The problem is people are letting their houses and yards go to crap, and it's starting to look really bad.

It's a two-edged sword. I want the neighborhood maintained and policed, I just don't want them after me.

[Bluewater]

if you can put it on top and make it look good in the back(i think it looks dumb with the big spare holder hangin off the back of your rig) then go for it. But that's just my 2 cents, i like the look of having a spare on the back and one on the top but thats probably heading in the wrond direction.

[revor]

HOA!!!!! AHHHH Neighborhood NAZI's
I looked long and hard but I found a house in a nice diverse area with people that care about their property...And mine for that matter... A great neighborhood... They come by and think the stuff I do is "wonderful" been here 20 years...
Oh yeah put the tire on the back .... Or in the back... not on the roof... It will eventually make you take it off even when you don't have a flat

Keith

[merv]

Originally posted by darkstar
If you already have a rack, stick it up top

I know a chick with a decent rack that likes to stick it up top, AND she likes it out back too!

<grin>

[Serious One]

Originally posted by merv
I know a chick with a decent rack that likes to stick it up top, AND she likes it out back too!<grin>

It was only a matter of time.