If you own a Jeep Cherokee and you like to keep your spare tire on hand for a quick tire change, then you may be interested in purchasing a Jeep Cherokee rear tire swing rack.
The Spare Tire in a Jeep Cherokee
When it came to placing the spare tire on a Jeep Cherokee, the design engineers couldn't seem to make up their minds. In some production years, the spare tire is mounted on the outside of the rear door. In other cases, it is mounted inside the rear door or under the floor in the rear of the vehicle. In still other production years, the spare tire is mounted outside and underneath the rear of the Jeep itself. For Jeep owners who prefer to have the spare tire easily accessible, installing a Jeep Cherokee rear tire swing rack may be a good choice.
How the Jeep Cherokee Rear Tire Swing Rack Works
In order to relocate the spare tire of your Jeep Cherokee to the back of the vehicle, you'll have to mount it either to the body (the door) or to the bumper itself. You can find a tire swing rack that will accomplish either one of these configurations, but before you make a choice, decide which approach is best for you. Consider the following issues before you decide:
- Do you have space on the rear door for the plate mount that you'll have to bolt to the door?
- Is there existing damage to your rear door that will reduce its strength?
- How will you place the spare so that it doesn't block your line of vision while driving in reverse?
- Does your bumper have the space, and is it compatible with the bumper mount tire rack you're considering?
- Do you do a lot of bumpy off-road driving?
In simple terms, if you want a more rugged Jeep Cherokee tire rack, then you're going to have to mount it to the bumper. However, you'll also end up paying more, because bumper mount racks are usually more expensive. If you want to spend less and don't plan on doing much off-road driving, then go with the door mount swing rack.
What Makes a Swing Rack Different
It is much easier to mount a tire carrier onto the rear door of most Jeeps, regardless of the model. At a very reasonable cost, you can purchase a heavy duty tire carrier made of steel that bolts directly to the tailgate of your vehicle. In most cases, the tailgate-mounted tire rack won't even fit on a Jeep Cherokee at all without the purchase and installation of additional hardware - usually a tire swing out.
Where to Find a Jeep Cherokee Tire Swing Out
If you're looking to mount a spare tire to the back of your Cherokee, you're in luck. There are actually many places that sell the swing out hardware you'll need to make it work. The following are a few examples of some Jeep Cherokee rear tire swing racks, but always make sure that the rack you purchase is compatible with the year of your Cherokee. You can search through the websites listed below for the proper hardware that you need:
- Quadratec sells both the standard tire carrier for mounting a tire, as well as the impressive Olympic tire swing that swings your tire away from the tailgate so that you can still lift up the rear hatch.
- Rusty's Offroad has a New Wilderness swing away tire system that also mounts onto the rear bumper of your Jeep Cherokee
Most of the swing tire racks that fit onto a Jeep Cherokee act sort of as a swing away bumper because the entire rack needs to swing away from the vehicle so that you can open the rear hatch. The only way this is possible is to attach the rack to the rear bumper with a pivoting hinge.
Installing the Tire Carrier
Since each model year of Jeep Cherokee is slightly different than the next, it's important to get the correctly sized swing away tire rack for your Jeep. When you order the rack, always check and double check that the system can be customized to match your exact vehicle. Usually you can install the custom fit system yourself. Once you do, you'll have an impressive rear rack that any off-road enthusiast will appreciate.
