I had read others mention that they had flipped their spare tire over to allow for more storage inside the wheel. It makes a difference and adds a nice amount of room inside the wheel to store gear. I wonder why it doesn't come that way from the factory? All it would take would be adjusting the length of the locking bolt.
Can you even tighten the bolt down far enough to make this work? I mean, the offset on the wheels is out far enough that the face is practically flush with the tire.
Here's a little art for illustration This is the stock bolt: It's meant to catch the center cut-out on the wheel and attach to a threaded receiver connected to the tub. When you flip the wheel the distance between the wheel's center cut-out and the threaded receiver is much shorter, so I replaced that long bolt with this: It's just a shorter bolt (about 1 1/2") that matches the diameter and pitch of the threaded receiver, a few washers, and a conical piece of metal I repurposed from an old side-view mirror. You can use a flat piece of metal (or wood even) to cover the wheel's center cut-out. But if you use a flat piece of material you might need a longer bolt. Then, flip the wheel over and bolt it in place: Now, the entire volume of the wheel becomes usable storage. I'd recommend using a small tarp or a cloth to keep harder objects from clanging against the wheel. Also, now that the bolt can't be loosened by hand, make sure you carry a wrench to do the job.
Good stuff! Any issues with the rim touching the bottom of the Jeep? Or enough of a lip to prevent damage?
None that I can see, but I'll take a closer look. I think the width of the inflated tire gives enough of a cushion but since it's a generic steel wheel I'll double-check to make sure. But even if there is contact, an old towel or even a piece of cardboard with a hole cut in the center to slide over the mounting point would take care of it. Update: Just pulled the wheel to make sure. The inflated tire is wider than the rim on both sides (including the valve stem) so only the tire makes contact with the tub even when it's flipped.
I ordered mine when I discovered the Latitude didn't come with a spare tire it came with two bolts of different lengths which was nice -so of course I used the short one because what is a Jeep if it is not crammed full of every possible item you might need
I got a shorter bolt, nut n lockwasher and used the existing plastic piece and large metal washer. Hex Bolt size: M8-1.25 X 65mm coarse
Yeah. I've seen pics of a liftgate mount, but it seems like it would be pretty heavy No. If the bolt was loose, the foam would keep it from sliding around too much, but I don't think it's necessary.
Good idea. I hadn't thought of reusing the plastic since it didn't fit the shorter bolt I had. But, your post got me thinking. So I found a slightly longer bolt and wrapped the top in electrical tape to wedge it tightly inside the original plastic piece. Worked like a charm and now it looks and functions like the original equipment.
I see your spare is a steel rim...Isn't the TH supposed to come with a matching spare? or does 'full size' spare not mean 'matching' spare? (all the promotional material seems to show matching spares)
Part of the problem with flipping the spare is that it's harder to check the tire pressure with it placed, so people are going to be more inclined to skip doing that. The other part of the problem is that the face of the wheel can help support the rear cargo floor if something especially heavy is put there, so that the floor doesn't deflect so far that it permanently bends. I know a guy that used to work with plastics as his day-job, he's still got his tools. We may see about making a flat-cylinder of a plastic toolbox to go under the tire, see if it's something practical or not. I'd like to keep my spare face-up so that I actually bother checking the tire pressure.
FWIW, I was inclined to skip checking the spare tire pressure long before the flip. As for the support, any item that would break the cargo floor was too heavy to put in the vehicle regardless of the orientation of the spare. But I fully support your right to keep your tire flipped however you like.
It isn't breaking it as much as permanently bending it, which I've done to other vehicles. I've got one out of an old Stratus that I use in the garage as a kneeler when working on some things on the ground because it's useless for anything else. Granted this cargo floor is thicker than others. For what it's worth.
I like the flipped idea but the off chance it might bend the floor when the pooches are riding in back kinda votes for remaining in it's original form. Definitely a cool low budget mod tho!
