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LoD
Heavy Duty or Xtreme Duty
1976-86 Jeep CJ Rear Bumper
& Swing Away Tire Carrier
Sooner
or later, just about every Jeep owner gives their rig a lift and with
a lift comes bigger tires. It's just inevitable. Only problem is,
what do you do about carrying a full size spare? Well, the previous
owner of my CJ thought he could mount a 35" tire on the stock
carrier without any problems. I say thought because that tire eventually
took the whole carrier right off the tub leaving a gapping hole in
the passenger side rear quarter panel.
The solution? Install a heavy duty rock bumper with a swing away tire
carrier. Get the weight off your tub and onto your frame. Unfortunately,
most good setups being sold today will set you back about $500-$600
+ shipping. That's where LoD comes in. LoD is an upcoming manufacturer
of heavy duty bumpers, rocker guards and other Jeep accessories who's
goal is to provide their customers with the highest quality products
but at a price they can afford. I can tell you first hand that the
LoD Heavy Duty Jeep Rear Bumper/Tire Carrier system is extremely beefy and well built.
The black powder coating is superb, it can hold up to a 37" tire,
has two shackle mounts, a trailer hitch and it's 100% rattle free.
The best part.... it costs a lot less than the competition out there today!!
UPDATE 01/01/2006:
LoD is now selling its new Xtreme Duty Jeep CJ Rear Bumper/Tire Carrier for just a bit and it's made out of 3/16" thick steel, has an integrated hitch receiver and a Hi-Lift mount.
What
You Need
• LoD Heavy Duty Jeep CJ Rear Bumper/Tire Carrier
(or) LoD Xtreme Duty Jeep CJ Rear Bumper/Tire Carrier
• 1/2", 5/8", 9/16", 11/16" Sockets &
Wrenches
• Ratchet
• Torque Wrench
• White Lithium Grease
• 3 lb. Hammer
• Wooden Board or Block
• PB Blaster
Installation
1.
Open up your boxes and make sure you have the bumper, A-frame
tire carrier, tire mounting bracket, frame rail tie-in re-enforcing
brackets and hardware. If you are missing anything, now is the time
to figure things out. DO NOT assemble the A-frame section onto the
bumper at this time.
2. Begin
this project by removing the factory swingout tire carrier from your
tub and the bumperetts from your rear cross member. When I bought
my CJ, I had neither so I can't tell you what size wrenches you will
need to use.
3. If you have them, remove the bumperette
frame support brackets that are attached to your frame rail (see pic
to the left). There should only be one bolt and nut per side and 2
on the rear cross member. you will need to use a 5/8" socket
and wrench to remove them.
4. Loosely attach your
new LoD frame rail tie-in reinforcement brackets to the rear cross
member and frame. Because so may CJ's are rusted out back here, LoD
has provided brackets are longer then they need to be. If you are
in need of using the 3rd bolt and nut, you will need to drill your
frame to accommodate it.
5. Remove the rear most
shackle mount bolt only using a 5/8" socket. Depending on where
you live in the U.S., you may want to apply some PB Blaster to this
bolt ahead of time and use a breaker bar to free it.
6. Remove the rear cross
member bolts you loosely attached earlier in step 4 and then carefully
lift up your new LoD bumper and attach the lower frame rail brackets
to the base of the shackle mount using the bolt you removed in step
5. An extra set of hands to help you out is useful here but not required.
Tighten the bolts enough to hold things in places but do not torque
them down at this time.
7. Using a 5/8"
socket and wrench, fasten the bolts securing your reinforcement bracket
to your frame rail. Then, using a 5/8" and 11/16" wrench,
fasten the bolts and nuts attaching the brackets to the rear cross
member.
8. Apply a small amount
of white lithium grease the the LoD hinge pin, hold your A-frame hinge
over it at about a 90° angle to your bumper, place a wooden board
over the hinge and tap it on to the pin all the way down using a 3
lb. hammer.
9. Grab the rubber bumpstop
provided with this bumper and thread it on to the A-frame by hand.
Adjust this bumpstop until it pushes on the tailgate with enough pressure
to prevent any movement or rattling. Use a 9/16" wrench to lock
it down from behind using the nut supplied. (NOTE:
there are 2 different mounting hole on the A-frame. the lower location
is for a Jeep without a body lift and the upper location is for a
Jeep with a 1" body lift)
10.
The spare tire mounting bracket that comes with the LoD Xtreme Duty Bumper Tire Carrier is adjustable to accommodate wheels with different back spacing. Be sure to mount this bracket onto your A-frame so that when all is said and done, the rubber sidewalls of your spare tire presses firmly against it when secured in place with lug nuts. If it doesn't, relocate the mounting bracket back a hole or until a tight fit is achieved. A 1/2" socket and wrench will be needed to fasten the 5/16"x2-1/2" bracket bolt. IT IS CRITICAL THAT YOUR SPARE TIRE MAKES FULL CONTACT AND PRESSES FIRMLY AGAINST THE A-FRAME. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY
11. Attach your spare
tire to the tire mount.
12. Last but not least, lube up your latch pin and
spring with with some white lithium grease or other spray on lubricant
to help insure its ease of use. Re-apply lube to this area on a regular
basis.
That's it, you're done!! Your CJ now has an awesome new LoD bumper/tire-carrier
on it.
Post
Installation Notes
I
have been using this exact bumper tire carrier on my TJ for almost
a year now and can tell you that I absolutely love it. It looks great,
works flawlessly and is in fact completely rattle free. This thing
has been every bit a good as, if not better than most high priced
name brand tire carriers out on the market today.... but, sells for
about half the cost.
01/05/05
It has come to my attention that people who live in areas with a lot
of rain or salted roads may experience a sticking latch pin due to
rust. I would recommend that regardless of where you live, please
make sure to keep this latch pin and spring lubed on a regular basis
with some white lithium grease or other spray on lubricant to help
prevent rusting.
FAQ's
Q.
What gauge steel is the LoD bumper made out of and how much does it
weigh?
A. The LoD bumper is
made out of 11 Gauge Steel and it weighs about 65 lbs.
Q. Does the trailer
hitch have any safety chain mounts?
A. Yes, as you can see
in the pic to the right, there are two flanges with holes drilled
into them for safety a chain to hook up.
Q. Does the LoD bumper
come with frame tie-ins?
A. This bumper requires
you to drill new mounting points just inside of the frame rails. These
new mounting points are significantly stronger than the factory points
which are located on the ends of the rear cross member. LoD bumpers
also come with two additional straps that tie into the frame rails
using factory mounting holes.
Q. Does LoD make a matching
front bumper, trail rack, jerry can and/or Hi-Lift mounts?
A. Not as of yet but
plans are in the works to produce these items very soon.
Q. Where can I find
out more information about LoD? Do they have any catalogs or website
I can visit?
A. LoD is an upcoming
manufacturer of Jeep parts that I am trying to help out. For now,
the only information available is what you see here on my website.
Q. How long will it
take for me to get my LoD bumper/tire-carrier?
A. Typically, your order
will take anywhere between 5-7 working days to process and 7-10 working
days to deliver via UPS Ground Service.
UPDATE 10/01/05: LoD
is currently very backed up and orders are taking about 4-5 weeks
to process. Once completed, shipping will take approximately 5 working days
to deliver.
Q. I do not have a PayPal
account, can I still pay by credit card?
A. Yes. LoD can accept
Visa, Master Card and American Express through PayPal. You do not
need to have a PayPal account to pay by Credit Card. LoD will also
accept payment by Money Order.
Q. Is the LoD bumper
really 100% rattle free?
A. Yes. The A-frame
section on the bumper has a metal flange that pushes up against your
tailgate rubber isolator to create a snug fit. Some slight trimming
of the rubber isolator may be required to allow for proper closure.
Q. Is LoD and 4x4xplor.com
affiliated with each other?
A. 4x4xplor.com and
LoD are friends and I help them sell their products. In turn, LoD
gives a small percent back on every item sold through this website
to help support its existence.
Additional
Photos
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As
Stated by LoD
FINALLY, a tire carrier that can hold up to
a 37” spare for your TJ and YJ or CJ-7 – at an affordable
price. LoD Jeep Tire Carriers are built to withstand the harshest
conditions that today’s off-road enthusiasts can put them through.
LoD tire carriers feature two (2) double sealed ball bearings that
are pressed into the top A-frame – creating a very strong, very
tight fit around the 1” solid steel pin, fully welded into the
bottom bumper. Additionally, every LoD Tire Carrier features an innovative
heavy-duty self-latching slam latch with a 5/8” steel locking
pin. The bottom bumper is equipped with two (2) CNC laser cut clevis
mounts that are fully welded to withstand the off-road punishment.
The top tire holder is fully adjustable to accommodate wheels with
different backspacing. All LoD tire carriers come with a 2”
Receiver welded to the bottom of the bumper and gussets – and
welded to the back for extra bracing and trailer safety chains. Fully
POWDER COATED black for a long lasting, durable finish. Each LoD Tire
Carrier mounts to existing holes on the bottom of the frame on TJ
and YJ’s and also to the cross member on the back of the frame
for a very secure fit. The LoD Tire Carrier package includes cross
member strengthening brackets (for TJ and YJ’s) and the CJ-7
Kit includes frame tie in brackets. All bolts are included except
for the bottom two bolts of the frame – due to varying sizes.
(98 and newer TJ’s require four, ½” holes to be
drilled in the cross member) MADE IN THE USA.
NOTE: This write-up has been provided as a reference only. 4x4xplor.com and/or its author are not responsible for any errors, incorrect or missing information. LoD is solely responsible for the quality of all their products.
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