Big tires under your 4×4 are cool. Trust us, the bigger the better - assuming you don't break axleshafts or roll over in a turn. Still, big tires under a 4×4 make it necessary to carry a big honkin' spare tire just in case you get a flat. Storing that big tire can be a pain in the you-know-what. Generally, there are a few options when it comes to carrying a spare. Most OEMs seem to like to tuck a tire under the back of the 4×4. That's great until either your spare gets damaged by a rock or you can't get your spare out from under the truck when you need it. That's no good. Another option is to put the spare on a roof rack, but that's bad for two reasons. First, you have to get that big honkin' spare up and down from there without killing yourself or anyone else, and second, it adds a significant amount of weight up high where it can cause the most body roll possible. No thanks. A third option is to toss the tire in the back of your rig, which is great if it fits - and if it isn't buried under all your stuff when it comes time to use said spare. We have reluctantly done this. The fourth option might just be the best, and it's something we've done and will do again, and it's also something several of the OEMs have adopted or at least played around with. The idea is to build a bumper- or body-mounted spare tire carrier. The only drawbacks are that it will probably need to open easily, be strong enough to support the tire's weight, and stand up to the bashing it will inevitably take during use. This has been done at least 100 different ways, each with varying degrees of success.
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