When to Use custom tire solutions？

I am seeking advice / recommendations about relocating my spare tire. I don't want it under the truck anymore and I hope I can have my cake and eat it too, or at least a bite.

Current set up: I run stock bumpers, 2' OME Suspension (I believe light duty coils/shocks). The reason i did this (other than it looks amazing) is that my transfer case got hung up on a stump with stock set up.

Use cases: Main off road activity is woods/forest trails and electric line spaces. Can get pretty muddy, stumps, ruts, big rocks, etc. While I feel macho saying that, I would say that is only 2% of the use case. I also use it as daily driver, so we have the Whole Foods parking to contend with (be careful out there). We also use it to haul crap now that we've sold the pickup (We take garbage/recycling to the dump at least once a week). I am planning on increasing my use of truck off road, eventually building up for me to join group and learn some actual skills.

I am not flush with cash at this present moment, so i can't go nuts. Thus, if I get a swing option, I would like it to be very easy / fast to get out of the way.

Is there a good option that does not also require a rear bumper that is also very stable? If not, is there a lighter weight rear bumper that won't require me to invest in new coils/shocks (as that just happened last year)?

In another thread I may ask people about rock slider suggestions. In fact I think one could argue I should do this first and just put spare in back (though I know people said this isn't great daily option unless you like the smell of rubber, which wouldn't bother me, but I am not the only person to have a say, if you know what I mean.)

Thanks in advance for your suggestions and I hope you all don't rip me too hard. (I shop the sale items at Whole Pay Check')

I am seeking advice / recommendations about relocating my spare tire. I don't want it under the truck anymore and I hope I can have my cake and eat it too, or at least a bite.

Current set up: I run stock bumpers, 2' OME Suspension (I believe light duty coils/shocks). The reason i did this (other than it looks amazing) is that my transfer case got hung up on a stump with stock set up.

Use cases: Main off road activity is woods/forest trails and electric line spaces. Can get pretty muddy, stumps, ruts, big rocks, etc. While I feel macho saying that, I would say that is only 2% of the use case. I also use it as daily driver, so we have the Whole Foods parking to contend with (be careful out there). We also use it to haul crap now that we've sold the pickup (We take garbage/recycling to the dump at least once a week). I am planning on increasing my use of truck off road, eventually building up for me to join group and learn some actual skills.

I am not flush with cash at this present moment, so i can't go nuts. Thus, if I get a swing option, I would like it to be very easy / fast to get out of the way.

Is there a good option that does not also require a rear bumper that is also very stable? If not, is there a lighter weight rear bumper that won't require me to invest in new coils/shocks (as that just happened last year)?

In another thread I may ask people about rock slider suggestions. In fact I think one could argue I should do this first and just put spare in back (though I know people said this isn't great daily option unless you like the smell of rubber, which wouldn't bother me, but I am not the only person to have a say, if you know what I mean.)

Thanks in advance for your suggestions and I hope you all don't rip me too hard. (I shop the sale items at Whole Pay Check')

Moving your spare will not help with getting high centered on the transfer case on a stump.

What size tires?

Keep the tire underneath until you're ready to make a change.

Watch the Classifieds above for either swing out or swing down tire carriers. Most are still $1K new no matter what version.

Sliders: WKOR. Period.

If you insist on having the spare out from underneath, throw it in the back, secure with a strap.

The thing about a swing out is that you MUST move it EVERY time you want to get into the hatch. It's a PITA.

I DD mine (about 15-20K/yr) and I have my spare underneath. If I plan on doing something rough, I can take it out during that time. Otherwise, I drag on the hitch long before I drag on the spare. (I run 33's - 285)

Be different: Hang the spare on the LR fender. Just because.

Moving your spare will not help with getting high centered on the transfer case on a stump.

What size tires?

Keep the tire underneath until you're ready to make a change.

Watch the Classifieds above for either swing out or swing down tire carriers. Most are still $1K new no matter what version.

Sliders: WKOR. Period.

If you insist on having the spare out from underneath, throw it in the back, secure with a strap.

The thing about a swing out is that you MUST move it EVERY time you want to get into the hatch. It's a PITA.

I DD mine (about 15-20K/yr) and I have my spare underneath. If I plan on doing something rough, I can take it out during that time. Otherwise, I drag on the hitch long before I drag on the spare. (I run 33's - 285)

Be different: Hang the spare on the LR fender. Just because.

Running 33's.

Thanks for the input. FYI: The 2' suspension upgrade was great to address the issues I normally face on the current trails I ride.

I read a bunch of different threads on this issue as well. I really like the following product shown on this thread:

GGM Bolt-on tire carrier Install + Accessory panel pics

Full video here Hope this helps out. I am truly amazed with this product. Lots of passion and dedication to this product. Matt from GGM has really put his time into this.
Though, it won't address the PITA issue'. I've had a few trucks with swingouts and for the way I use my 80 they are not an option. I appreciate that everyone's needs and use cases are different on this point though.

If the overall diameter of your tires is small enough I would try to keep the spare underneath unless you have clear reasons to move it out (long range tank, you need dual spares you can access in any conditions, similar). A few ideas that can make storage underneath work better:

• Raise the spare up via one of the many ways that this can be done. This is a common mod and relatively easy and cheap to implement with hardware store parts or other solutions. Here's one thread of many on the subject:
  • FJ/FZJ80 Spare tire lift (5" the easy way) - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/fj-fzj80-spare-tire-lift-5-the-easy-way./
• Consider using a skinnier tire for the spare, that is close to (or matches) the rolling diameter of the 4 primary tires. Bonus would be to make this an aggressively treaded, studded or similar tire so that you could mount it for extra traction in extreme situations and also use it as a way to get home. You'll have to do your homework on alternative/skinny tire and wheel options but keep in mind that you can change wheel size, etc. to try to make this work.
  • If you have the Viscous Coupler in the transfer case you need to be close on the rolling diameters. If you don't have the VC you can allow the spare to vary a little more and I'd go smaller, not larger with the spare.
• Add protection for the spare tire. I've seen lightweight skid plates below spares on other vehicles. You'd likely have to fabricate this which could be relatively easy as a steel disk cut to size would go a long way towards achieving what you want. Some rolling of the edges to reduce snagging and drilling for drains would be smart though.
  • Mounting the skid plate as a hinged "clamshell" that you open/close to access the tire is how one of my previous vehicles was setup. This worked great and was really secure. I also found it much easier to access the tire vs chain driven raise/lower mechanism. More fabrication would be involved here but if you had a really skinny tire on a clamshell mount like this it could be a very sweet setup I'd think and could likely tuck away so that it's a non-factor off-road.

If you took the above steps you should be able to dramatically reduce how low the spare hangs while also almost eliminating the risk of damage to the spare while wheeling. If you have fabrication skills and are resourceful you should be able to achieve all of the above for well under 1k.

I've got the BIOR step sliders on my '97 80 and think they are perfect for my uses. They keep the sides of the 80 cleaner, help the family get in and out of the 80, make roof access easier and are very sturdy while maintaining the stock look.

Step Sliders For 80 Series Toyota Land Cruiser

Step Sliders For 80 Series Toyota Land Cruiser - Bump It Off Road - Windsor Colorado.

I've had a few trucks with swingouts and for the way I use my 80 they are not an option. I appreciate that everyone's needs and use cases are different on this point though.

If the overall diameter of your tires is small enough I would try to keep the spare underneath unless you have clear reasons to move it out (long range tank, you need dual spares you can access in any conditions, similar). A few ideas that can make storage underneath work better:

• Raise the spare up via one of the many ways that this can be done. This is a common mod and relatively easy and cheap to implement with hardware store parts or other solutions. Here's one thread of many on the subject:
  • FJ/FZJ80 Spare tire lift (5" the easy way) - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/fj-fzj80-spare-tire-lift-5-the-easy-way./
• Consider using a skinnier tire for the spare, that is close to (or matches) the rolling diameter of the 4 primary tires. Bonus would be to make this an aggressively treaded, studded or similar tire so that you could mount it for extra traction in extreme situations and also use it as a way to get home. You'll have to do your homework on alternative/skinny tire and wheel options but keep in mind that you can change wheel size, etc. to try to make this work.
  • If you have the Viscous Coupler in the transfer case you need to be close on the rolling diameters. If you don't have the VC you can allow the spare to vary a little more and I'd go smaller, not larger with the spare.
• Add protection for the spare tire. I've seen lightweight skid plates below spares on other vehicles. You'd likely have to fabricate this which could be relatively easy as a steel disk cut to size would go a long way towards achieving what you want. Some rolling of the edges to reduce snagging and drilling for drains would be smart though.
  • Mounting the skid plate as a hinged "clamshell" that you open/close to access the tire is how one of my previous vehicles was setup. This worked great and was really secure. I also found it much easier to access the tire vs chain driven raise/lower mechanism. More fabrication would be involved here but if you had a really skinny tire on a clamshell mount like this it could be a very sweet setup I'd think and could likely tuck away so that it's a non-factor off-road.

If you took the above steps you should be able to dramatically reduce how low the spare hangs while also almost eliminating the risk of damage to the spare while wheeling. If you have fabrication skills and are resourceful you should be able to achieve all of the above for well under 1k.

I've got the BIOR step sliders on my '97 80 and think they are perfect for my uses. They keep the sides of the 80 cleaner, help the family get in and out of the 80, make roof access easier and are very sturdy while maintaining the stock look.

Step Sliders For 80 Series Toyota Land Cruiser

Step Sliders For 80 Series Toyota Land Cruiser - Bump It Off Road - Windsor Colorado.

Wow, this is amazing information. Thank you so much!

SNIP

• Raise the spare up via one of the many ways that this can be done. This is a common mod and relatively easy and cheap to implement with hardware store parts or other solutions. Here's one thread of many on the subject:
  • FJ/FZJ80 Spare tire lift (5" the easy way) - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/fj-fzj80-spare-tire-lift-5-the-easy-way./
• Consider using a skinnier tire for the spare, that is close to (or matches) the rolling diameter of the 4 primary tires.

Yeah, you can gain several vital inches by tilting the rear of the tire up. With 33s, you're really asking for a lot of hassle and expense considering all the factors, since it still easily fits underneath. Regardless, moving it or not will make no difference in ground clearance where you had your hang up on the TC.

The total added weight of a swingout or tire carrier plus the sliders is more likely to require compensation in the suspension unless you go really heavy in the rear carrier/bumper. I'd wait until then before making anypurchases. I'd wait until the slider install to properly deal with that.

I am seeking advice / recommendations about relocating my spare tire. I don't want it under the truck anymore and I hope I can have my cake and eat it too, or at least a bite.

Current set up: I run stock bumpers, 2' OME Suspension (I believe light duty coils/shocks). The reason i did this (other than it looks amazing) is that my transfer case got hung up on a stump with stock set up.

Use cases: Main off road activity is woods/forest trails and electric line spaces. Can get pretty muddy, stumps, ruts, big rocks, etc. While I feel macho saying that, I would say that is only 2% of the use case. I also use it as daily driver, so we have the Whole Foods parking to contend with (be careful out there). We also use it to haul crap now that we've sold the pickup (We take garbage/recycling to the dump at least once a week). I am planning on increasing my use of truck off road, eventually building up for me to join group and learn some actual skills.

I am not flush with cash at this present moment, so i can't go nuts. Thus, if I get a swing option, I would like it to be very easy / fast to get out of the way.

Is there a good option that does not also require a rear bumper that is also very stable? If not, is there a lighter weight rear bumper that won't require me to invest in new coils/shocks (as that just happened last year)?

In another thread I may ask people about rock slider suggestions. In fact I think one could argue I should do this first and just put spare in back (though I know people said this isn't great daily option unless you like the smell of rubber, which wouldn't bother me, but I am not the only person to have a say, if you know what I mean.)

Thanks in advance for your suggestions and I hope you all don't rip me too hard. (I shop the sale items at Whole Pay Check')

What no one considers with a swing out spare carrier is the difficulty in mounting the spare up high. Especially with bigger tires. It takes everything I got to get my 315 up on the swing out, I will probably slip a disk doing it one day

THIS. I weigh about 145 on a good day...



If you're running 33s I would just keep the spare under the truck. There was once a kit available that tucked the spare up there a little better, you might look into that.

Hi, all! First post here, so please be gentle with the newbie

I've done a lot of research on the spare tire topic here, and on other sites. This is by far my favorite forum, so I decided to register and start to attend some of the discussions around here. I have just acquired a new (to me!) GX460, and I did some basic modifications: a roof box; a skinny roof rack, side by side with the roof box; the little device that closes windows and fold external mirrors (this is a Base model); a bunch of stickers; and... new BFG KO2 tires on 275/65/R18 (OEM rims), or 32.1 inches total size. I LOVED the tires, so much better than the OEM ones.

Now I have to deal with the spare-with-a-different-size issue.

I've seem the spare carrier solutions recommended here, but I had a (probably crazy?) idea that I wanted to throw in here so the experts can chime in: what if, I keep the OEM spare (265/60R18, or 30.52 inches) and, in case I need to use it, I add snow chains to it? The spare is for emergencies only, and I will be careful to limit the speed while on it. The difference between the spare and the new KO2's is 1.4 inches, and I guess a snow chain would make the tire at least one inch bigger (my total guess here, though)???

Comments? What am I missing? Is it just a stupid idea, and I should suck it up and carry a same-size spare?

Also, for context, the rig is mostly for weekend and day trips. No plans for cross-continent adventures (for now), or rock crawling. I do plan to do some camping on remote areas, though.

All comments are welcome. And feel free to call (the idea) stupid

C

If you do some searches, I've posted this a couple of times on MUD.
In short: DO NOT USE AN UNDER/OVER (different size) SIZED SPARE, EVER!!!
GX's are ALL-wheel drive which means there is torque going to any one of 4 tires all the time.
If you mount a different size tire you WILL wind up your drive train!

Very short story that's been told before here on MUD.
Wife and I had an all-wheel drive Toyota Previa minivan. Had a flat, used a different size spare. Wound up the drive train. $3,000 + repair bill.
Fortunately it was still under warranty and Toyota picked up the bill.
It may not happen in a mile or two and I don't recall how far we went when we wrecked our van, but it happened.

You would probably be better off with a couple cans of inflation sealant.

So do as you please, but consider yourself forewarned.

If you do some searches, I've posted this a couple of times on MUD.
In short: DO NOT USE AN UNDER/OVER (different size) SIZED SPARE, EVER!!!
GX's are ALL-wheel drive which means there is torque going to any one of 4 tires all the time.
If you mount a different size tire you WILL wind up your drive train!

Very short story that's been told before here on MUD.
Wife and I had an all-wheel drive Toyota Previa minivan. Had a flat, used a different size spare. Wound up the drive train. $3,000 + repair bill.
Fortunately it was still under warranty and Toyota picked up the bill.
It may not happen in a mile or two and I don't recall how far we went when we wrecked our van, but it happened.

You would probably be better off with a couple cans of inflation sealant.

So do as you please, but consider yourself forewarned.

Thanks, Richard! I've seem your original post on the incident. I understand the risks, and that's why I was planning to (try to) make the spare the same size of the other tires, with the snow chain. Still, for now, it looks like the KDSS spacer is actually a better idea. I already have a tire fix kit, and I might consider to carry the inflation sealant cans, too. It looks like the Previa had a viscous coupling in the center diff, which is actually a similar approach as a MT Subaru. For those vehicles, running a significantly different-sized spare may result in the fluid in the viscous coupling getting "cooked" due to more sustained slip and therefore heat than the system was designed for, as all of the slip is taken up by the fluid (rather than a mechanical system).

The GX is a bit different as it has a Torsen center diff, which, when unlocked, doesn't use a viscous coupling and instead operates more like an open diff and allows for quite a bit of mechanical slip between the axles. In an emergency situation, I would personally be just fine driving a GX several miles with a different sized spare, with the center diff unlocked, at a slow speed, back to civilization and getting the tire fixed. Since the front and rear of a GX are unlocked, it basically has three differentials allowing slip (center, rear, and front), so it seems unlikely that significant damage would occur with a different sized tire, as the entire system is always accommodating different speeds at different tires/axles and front to rear (think about A-TRAC, which will look up a tire without traction completely, while allowing the other one to spin).

That being said, it there is always some residual risk of driveline damage, and having to hitch a ride back to town or try to find a proper-sized replacement tire in the middle or nowhere might be difficult. If you can fit a full-sized spare, always go that route. It makes it easier to just swap out the wheel/tire and get it fixed later on.

In an emergency situation, I would personally be just fine driving a GX several miles with a different sized spare, with the center diff unlocked, at a slow speed, back to civilization and getting the tire fixed. Since the front and rear of a GX are unlocked, it basically has three differentials allowing slip (center, rear, and front), so it seems unlikely that significant damage would occur with a different sized tire, as the entire system is always accommodating different speeds at different tires/axles and front to rear (think about A-TRAC, which will look up a tire without traction completely, while allowing the other one to spin).

That being said, it there is always some residual risk of driveline damage, and having to hitch a ride back to town or try to find a proper-sized replacement tire in the middle or nowhere might be difficult. If you can fit a full-sized spare, always go that route. It makes it easier to just swap out the wheel/tire and get it fixed later on.

You hit upon an interesting point Rednexus. If you are out in the boonies, assuming dirt/gravel roads, you can drive as far and as long as you want on miss-matched tire sizes, so long as the surface you're driving on is loose and the tires have the ability to "catch up" (unwind). That's why one should never use locking hubs and L4 on pavement, the tires don't have the ability to scrub off the extra rotations.
Hope that made sense.

Are your upsized tires too big to fit in the OEM spare location? Or are you just trying to save a buck?

My tires don't fit in the OEM spare tub. For everyday driving, my spare lives in my garage and I have a can of fix-a-flat in the GX. If I'm going far away and/or off road, I strap the upsized spare to my roof rack. I'll get some kind of swingout carrier in the future but I'm not messing with mismatched tire diameters.

The correct size spare won't fit under the GX. I still have the OEM size tire there, but I need to fix it soon. My alternatives seem to be: [1] the KDSS spacer mod (investigating now); [2] the same you're doing (spare at home, and on the roof rack for trips); [3] swing out hitch spare carrier (effective, but kinda expensive);

It looks like the Previa had a viscous coupling in the center diff, which is actually a similar approach as a MT Subaru. For those vehicles, running a significantly different-sized spare may result in the fluid in the viscous coupling getting "cooked" due to more sustained slip and therefore heat than the system was designed for, as all of the slip is taken up by the fluid (rather than a mechanical system).

The GX is a bit different as it has a Torsen center diff, which, when unlocked, doesn't use a viscous coupling and instead operates more like an open diff and allows for quite a bit of mechanical slip between the axles. In an emergency situation, I would personally be just fine driving a GX several miles with a different sized spare, with the center diff unlocked, at a slow speed, back to civilization and getting the tire fixed. Since the front and rear of a GX are unlocked, it basically has three differentials allowing slip (center, rear, and front), so it seems unlikely that significant damage would occur with a different sized tire, as the entire system is always accommodating different speeds at different tires/axles and front to rear (think about A-TRAC, which will look up a tire without traction completely, while allowing the other one to spin).

That being said, it there is always some residual risk of driveline damage, and having to hitch a ride back to town or try to find a proper-sized replacement tire in the middle or nowhere might be difficult. If you can fit a full-sized spare, always go that route. It makes it easier to just swap out the wheel/tire and get it fixed later on.

I will add that the wife's nx 300 is equipped from factory with a spare that is 1.2 inches smaller than the other tires'

As far as the Previa goes, r2m should've never got rid of it' mid engine, RWD, supercharged, chase lounge interior: