Should 35" Nitto Trail Grapplers be treated like 37"

jkjurny

jkjurny

Member
I have the 35" Nitto Trail grapplers, but after reading more about them, I'm finding that they weigh the same or more than 37" tires (75 lbs).

With that, should I be reinforcing my rig as if I'm running 37"? I think the simple answer is yes, but want to see if I'm missing something. Thanks!
 
No, there is no need to treat them like 37's as their weight similarities is irrelevant.
 
jkjurny said:
I have the 35" Nitto Trail grapplers, but after reading more about them, I'm finding that they weigh the same or more than 37" tires (75 lbs).

With that, should I be reinforcing my rig as if I'm running 37"? I think the simple answer is yes, but want to see if I'm missing something. Thanks!
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If you are referring to the axles, I'd say no. It is more of a leverage issue you need to worry about.

If you are referring to the tailgate and you are running a stock carrier. I'd say yes (but you probably should do that with any 35). :thumb:
 
Agreed, if you are talking about how they'll do on your tailgate, you should think of any 35 more like a 37. For the short term, you can use Daystar extended isolators to ensure they push firmly onto the sidewall and prevent any jiggling but, the best option is to relocate it onto a good tire carrier. I would NOT recommend the TeraFlex carrier as it is made in China and is total junk. I just saw a brand new one break at the weld last week and only after 15 miles of driving on an average desert trail.
 
wayoflife said:
Agreed, if you are talking about how they'll do on your tailgate, you should think of any 35 more like a 37. For the short term, you can use Daystar extended isolators to ensure they push firmly onto the sidewall and prevent any jiggling but, the best option is to relocate it onto a good tire carrier. I would NOT recommend the TeraFlex carrier as it is made in China and is total junk. I just saw a brand new one break at the weld last week and only after 15 miles of driving on an average desert trail.
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Darn. That's the carrier I have. I guess I'll be relying on my warranties. I also got a five year extended warranty that should cover this if it breaks in the future, but the warranty won't help with the inconvenience on the trail.
 
jkjurny said:
Darn. That's the carrier I have. I guess I'll be relying on my warranties. I also got a five year extended warranty that should cover this if it breaks in the future, but the warranty won't help with the inconvenience on the trail.
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If your running 35's or 37's I doubt the warranty will cover the tailgate getting messed up. Might I suggest you not run the spare in the factory location. A lot of guys run 35's on the factory carrier for a long time and have no problems but from what I have seen even with aftermarket carriers I would just not even run one. Just throw your spare in the back of your rig when you wheel and call it a day.
 
Well that's a shame and I'm sorry for bringing this to your attention now. Unfortunately, this the TF tire carrier is made out of thin steel, has no provisions to prevent the spare from jiggling around and lacks manufacturing QC. As you can see in the pic below, the thin steel of the tire mount will break just past the weld...

IMG_3552[1] copy.jpg

Fortunately for you, I have no doubts that you'll be able to get a replacement hassle free. The only problem is figuring out how to carry your spare back home after it falls off.
 
wayoflife said:
Well that's a shame and I'm sorry for bringing this to your attention now. Unfortunately, this the TF tire carrier is made out of thin steel, has no provisions to prevent the spare from jiggling around and lacks manufacturing QC. As you can see in the pic below, the thin steel of the tire mount will break just past the weld...

View attachment 15468

Fortunately for you, I have no doubts that you'll be able to get a replacement hassle free. The only problem is figuring out how to carry your spare back home after it falls off.
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The concept of this minimalist carrier is great though. OK, so maybe it's china made. I wonder if TF may beef up that weak spot? Tom said Teraflex was sending a beefed up replacement. Or maybe that thin spot could be beefed up another way?

I was looking at this carrier, so am a little bummed. I liked the looks, function (tailgate/tire carrier single action) and price point. There are others out there I know, but few that have integrated tailgate/carrier and also still allow for "no bumper."
 
JAGS said:
The concept of this minimalist carrier is great though. OK, so maybe it's china made. I wonder if TF may beef up that weak spot? Tom said Teraflex was sending a beefed up replacement. Or maybe that thin spot could be beefed up another way?

I was looking at this carrier, so am a little bummed. I liked the looks, function (tailgate/tire carrier single action) and price point. There are others out there I know, but few that have integrated tailgate/carrier and also still allow for "no bumper."
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Unfortunately, there is a big difference between a "concept" that you might like and an idea that is actually good. This is not the later. The design of this tire carrier specifically require you to remove the rubber isolators from the tailgate and that leaves you with with nothing to prevent jiggling of the spare - this is the route cause of most tailgate and tire carrier breaks when carrying larger spares. Sure, you could keep one in place but that alone will not do the job. Sure, you could beef up the bracket but, the jiggling would still persist and will just cause a break in it's thin sub-standard metal elsewhere. There is a reason why "good" tire carriers transfer the weight of the spare onto the much stronger frame or spread the load over multiple points across the body. Aside from it being made in China, I've always questioned it's design as a whole and realized that I was right to do so last week. But hey, that's just me.

Pushrod said:
A simple wedge gusset on the top would reinforce and solve that quick and easy.
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A simple wedge gusset wouldn't solve the root problem of the spare which will still be free to jiggle around.
 
wayoflife said:
Unfortunately, there is a big difference between a "concept" that you might like and an idea that is actually good. This is not the later. The design of this tire carrier specifically require you to remove the rubber isolators from the tailgate and that leaves you with with nothing to prevent jiggling of the spare - this is the route cause of most tailgate and tire carrier breaks when carrying larger spares. Sure, you could keep one in place but that alone will not do the job. Sure, you could beef up the bracket but, the jiggling would still persist and will just cause a break in it's thin sub-standard metal elsewhere. There is a reason why "good" tire carriers transfer the weight of the spare onto the much stronger frame or spread the load over multiple points across the body. Aside from it being made in China, I've always questioned it's design as a whole and realized that I was right to do so last week. But hey, that's just me.
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Yep, seems like the "good in theory" applies. The question/concern with this carrier (on this and other forums) has always been the carrier component and not so much the hinge. All the R&D went into a fairly decent hinge transfer, but then they sell a general "stock" wheel/tire carrier. I've never been 100% sold on this as fool proof solution.

I like the no bumper look though that only a select few carriers offer. Will keep looking and saving.
 
Not sure if this is any better. I have the TF hinge, but am still using the stock carrier. I did add the Daystar bump on one side... I'll bring rope/straps to tie my spare to my roof.....
 
wayoflife said:
No, there is no need to treat them like 37's as their weight similarities is irrelevant.
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I'm not sure I understand how the added weight is irrelevant. The additional rotating mass still has to be spun up and down so a heavier tire will still put more strain on the brakes, axle shafts and r&p than a lighter wheel and tire combo.

Am I missing something?
 
The TF hinge is a monster piece, but I have. My 33 nittos on the stock carrier instead, if you have a stock bumper maybe the 35 will sit snugly on the bumper round cutout with the stock carrier and everyone would live happily ever after..... Lol. :)
 
TacPen said:
I'm not sure I understand how the added weight is irrelevant. The additional rotating mass still has to be spun up and down so a heavier tire will still put more strain on the brakes, axle shafts and r&p than a lighter wheel and tire combo.

Am I missing something?
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It's irrelavant because the weight difference between a 35" tire and a 37" tire regardless of make is at most, only about 5 lbs. More times than not, a lot less. In the case of of the Trail Grappler, a 35 weighs about 78 lbs. and a 37 is only 81 lbs. In the case of the lightest MT that I know of, a BFG MT KM2, a 35 weighs 67 lbs. and a 37 weighs 72 lbs. A whopping 5 extra lbs. or less per tire will not make enough of a difference to matter.
 
What tire carrier can anyone recommend for larger tires? I know there are tons of options. Jeeps are like transformers. A few ideas on what to look at would be great though

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jkrossi said:
What tire carrier can anyone recommend for larger tires? I know there are tons of options. Jeeps are like transformers. A few ideas on what to look at would be great though

Sent from my DROID X2 using WAYALIFE mobile app
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For a 37"-40" tire, it's really hard to bet the EVO tire carrier especially if you plan on running hard and fast in the desert. The GenRight setup is nice too but, I still would go with an EVO over it. If you're only looking to go 37" and want something a little more user friendly, I would recommend an LoD.
 
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