Tow Hitch Clearance - Raising the Spare.

[indiedog]

The KJ has a great rear departure angle...... except for when you start towing stuff. The spare wheel dictates the hitch has to sit back a fair bit to clear the tyre. I've got OME with a small amount of lift but when you come off the front of the barge over to Moreton you are risking ripping the hitch off the back of the car. I literally saw someone do this (not in a KJ) last time I came back from the island, and that was on the mainland side.

So I've been thinking about raising the spare sufficiently that I can safely have the receiver tube re-drilled to move it forwards by about 80mm or whatever it can manage. I was looking at making a whole new bracket but now thinking about getting hold of a spare wheel holder from the wreckers, cutting off the back of it and reaffixing it at a higher level using a steel plate to splice it all back together. This setup would only be needed when doing specific trips so I could keep the standard on most of the time and swap when necessary. This would alleviate the glass/tyre clearance issues. I could make it from scratch but the back of the car is curved so it wouldn't be a simple job to set it all out.

Anyone got a better plan? I saw in Hanna's thread re' tyres that someone has raised their spare and wondering how they went about it.

[indiedog]

I've had a better look at the spare wheel holder. Horizontally the holder looks flat across the brackets but vertically there's a definite angle between them, maybe 3 deg or so. A friend suggested a couple of vertical steel angles may do the job. Possibly this but with the angles cut and welded back together to handle the change in angle.

I've also got the stock Chrysler tow bar and hitch. Currently the hitch sits with the tongue on the low side and I could turn this upside down to raise the hitch up to the top. This would throw my trailer out of level though. Looking at any and all options currently.

[TJ65]

Suspension lift will give you more clearance everywhere.
When I bought my KJ it didn't have the receiver so I bought a new generic one off eBay. It was a shorter so I just removed the spare when I towed.
http://vi.raptor.ebaydesc.com/ws/eBa...=1446551558051
At that price a couple of drill bits comes close and if you have to cut the tube shorter because it clashes under the car it's not worth it. Plus you get all the extra bits.
You could relocate the spare onto the A frame of the trailer or the roof of your KJ

[indiedog]

Thanks for the input TJ. I won't be lifting the car any further than what it is and that's certainly not the most effective or economic solution. You are correct that the fuel tank would get in the way if trying to push it in by more than about 60mm so may be worth getting a second tongue. I'll check out your link, thanks.

The A frame of the trailer is full already with a storage box. It's not a big trailer and has the wheels matched to the KJ so I don't have a spare on it. Won't put it on the roof due to drag.

[Stressball]

That exact problem went away for me when I sold it and bought a jk..the glass opens last and shuts first. Also, my swing away tyre carrier makes it a breeze, I can even leave it partially open at any angle on a hill. I know, I'm not helping. .... but I dont miss the old kj yet.

[Tog]

I lifted mine. I used 2 rails 30mm square steel tube drilled to suit the factory studs on the rear door then welded in new studs st a higher point. I raused it 2 inches which is to much as now its a juggling act to close the door and rear glass. BTW ut didn't help the tow hitch clearance. You need to shop around for a hitch with a shallow rise on the long tube. I concluded in the end better to do a lift on the vehicle and all will be sweet.

2004 KJ Limited 3.7l

[indiedog]

Originally Posted by Tog

I lifted mine. I used 2 rails 30mm square steel tube drilled to suit the factory studs on the rear door then welded in new studs st a higher point. I raused it 2 inches which is to much as now its a juggling act to close the door and rear glass. BTW ut didn't help the tow hitch clearance. You need to shop around for a hitch with a shallow rise on the long tube. I concluded in the end better to do a lift on the vehicle and all will be sweet.

2004 KJ Limited 3.7l

Thanks for the input Tog. Why didn't it help? Did you move the tow hitch in closer to the car body to improve departure angle? Raising the spare by itself obviously won't help this but it then gives more room for the hitch to sit closer. Also gives the option of flipping the tongue over so it goes from a 2" drop to a 3/4" rise.

Yeah I know it's going to get in the way of the rear glass. I was thinking of either tilting the top of the tyre outwards on a fixed bracket, or making a hinge at the bottom with a spring loaded catch at the top. So you'd have to undo the catch to let the tyre rotate outwards enough to then be able to open the glass without it hitting.

Note I've already got about 40mm of lift from the OME suspension, plus I've got airbags which I inflate whenever I'm towing something.