What is involved in prepping the space for the spare tire to fit a 315/75/16 Nitto Terra Grappler in a 2002 4Runner ? I know Sonoran Steel did this a decade ago before he fabbed up a rear bumper IIRC. I’m already running a deflated 295/75/16 Nitto Terra Grappler there now and while tight it still goes in and out with ease. I found a great deal on a set of (4) TG’s and figured I’d better not pass them up.

Aaron

 

i just use my roof. theirs a cross member in the way to fit 35s. it would be a big deal to move it.

 

Yea, I considered that but it was hard enough getting a 33 off the roof back in the day I can't imagine a 35, it would have to be close to 100lbs. Now if only I was a bit taller then this might not be such an issue. I will have to take this into consideration as it will be the only way w/o getting a new rear bumper made up.

Aaron

 

I had a 33" then a 35" up on top. I can tell you its not a good idea. I dont know how much you off road, but it made mine super top heavy on harder trails. Even on the street you can feel the extra weight on top. I just cut that crossmember out this weekend to start fabricating a fuel cell for the spare tire location. Not a big deal. Maybe you could replace the stock crossmember with another that would give you more room for the spare? Although I feel like a 35" tire would hang down low in that location. You may only gain about 3" by cutting that crossmember out.

What I did...



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Deflate it and use a heavy duty ratchet strap to compress it.

 

It's funny how good deals sometime end up costing more money than they are worth. Take the 315's I'm looking into for $500 thay have about 3k on them and seem like a good deal....add wheel spacers or UCA's, an alignment, a new rear bumper (from 4x4Labs of course) and this deal just sucks. I'd almost rather spend the $1200 and get a new set of 295's.

Oh and cpizzle someone knows how to weld.......looks good

A

 

I hear that. It all falls back to that impulse buy crap. If you could build a rig at your own pace with plenty of time available, it would be niiiiice.
I once bought a wrecked 94 4runner, sorry, wrecked and trashed/destroyed 4runner, for $1000 because I couldn't let it go to the junk yard. It had a 3.0 auto, and come to find out factory 4.88's, and a whole bunch of other neat stuff I was able to sell or use. Point is I bought it to fix it, I was thinking stupid thinking I could fix it because there was no way, but it worked out. I was able to salvage it. Put the 4.88's in my 89, sold the V6 and trany.

My point,,,,,, nothing yota is a bad buy.

 

Sonoran Steel said

Aaron-

I had the custom rear bumper and you need the extra room it provides.
The you just cut out the stock cross member and weld in one with 90
ends that sits on top of the frame. The hitch and stock rear bumper
are the liming factors.

Steve

 

Yep...and Steve attached a spare tire winch from a 60-series cruiser to the top of the new cross-member when he built mine.

 

cpizzle- nice bumper and good looking welds!!!

 

thanks. Welding is my profession, so I better be good at it. The bumper is not finished, I will have to post pics when it is all done.

 

Any of you have pics of their modified spare tire cross-member? I want to raise my spare a good 3'' and need some ideas!

 

A rear bumper from Perkins Performance will fix this problem and the price is right!!!!!

A

 

I usually just hope AAA can get to where I am. My spare sits in my shed. Its a ˟˟˟˟ move, i know.

 

Hi AAA, make a left at the waterfall, go over the 600 yard rock obstacle, down the ravine, up the slick rock, and down the steep mud hill. I'm down there... lol