Spare Tire Hanger & Jack ?

[Larry Harp]

Got my new Goodyear Marathons mounted yesterday. I found a sweet looking new wheel to use for the spare at a trailer manufacturer for $36. I thought I would have to pay close to that much for an old rusty one from a salvage yard. Contrary to your excellent advice I went ahead and used the better of the two take off tires to use for a spare. With Karma looking after me I'm sure it'll be allright.



Two questions....



What is the best type of spare tire hanger? The kind that is like a piece of angle iron that extents out and up with a sort of hub on the end, or the type that is basiclly just a large U-bolt that goes around the trailer frame and bolts the spare to the frame. The second type seems like it would have the spare riding a little too low...is that correct?



What is the best type of jack to use for jacking up the trailer? I don't want to carry around some big heavy roll around shop jack and I'm sure the one that came with my Jeep won't work at all. Once again there are two choices; the kind that BPS sell that looks like a semi-circle that I guess you place under the axle then back over it to raise the trailer, or a simple hydrulic bottle jack. The bottle jack seems like the best choice to me. What do you all think...I've never had to change a tire on a trailer before so I'm not sure.



Thanks



Harpo

 

[Andrew Zuber]

Harpo...

I bought the first type of carrier that you mentioned...looks nice...fits good....

When you put it on, it looks like the boat will hit it when you go to put the boat back on the trailer, but that's never happend to me....

I did do some damage to it once....I drove off a 'new' section of asphalt to cut over to gas station...when I did, the drop was significant enough to cause the spare to make contact with the asphalt...bent the carrier....you can imagine...'fixed' rubber on fresh asphalt...something had to give...

I don't carry a spare jack...always figured the bottle jack in the jeep would work, but I have never actually tried it...have you tried yours???



az

 

[Larry Harp]

:lolo I have a bottle jack in the Jeep??? I've never had a flat in the Jeep either!! Maybe I ought to check it out.:lol:





Harpo

 

[Jim B]

I would get something like this to mount the tire on. $20 bucks at bps

As far as a jack goes if the bottle jack in the jeep dosent work get youself a small floor jack, a little 2 ton one. I got mine at walmart for less then $20 and its small and light and comes in a neat pastic box. I call it the toy jack because it really is a toy but perfect for jacking the boat. I had one of those clamshell jack deals and it didnt work too well and was very unstable.

 

[Andrew Zuber]

I had a flat in the Jeep a year ago...came out of the house one morning and she was on the rim....

So I know my 2002 GC has a bottle jack! LOL

(It's under the spare in the back...the 'lug wrench and other goodies are under the back seat.)



az

 

[Jim in VA]

I'd vote for the angled metal spare tire carrier as well. I have one on my PT175 and works great. Keeps the spare high off the road, but doesn't hit the boat. As for jacks, I tried the one out of my SUV on the trailer while the rig was in my driveway. It works so I'm good to go. Just as a suggestion, whatever you use, you may want to try to go through a "dry run" at home where you use only the tools and equipment you are carrying in the truck/boat to change out a tire. That way, you find out what shortcomings may exist while actually sitting in your driveway at home versus the side of an interstate with a real flat tire!



JC

 

[Larry Harp]

That's what I just bought at BPS...just like in the picture, plus a spare tire cover. Man o man am I fixed up!! I must be getting old...went to BPS and that's all I bought, the tire hanger and the cover, no hooks or bait or anything.



Did talk to BJ while I was there....we need to get him to tell us about the tournement he fished a couple of weeks ago...he caught about 15 pounds of bass.....SAND BASS that is OH NO!!



Harpo

 

[Greg J.]

I'd recommend buying a decent cable (vinyl coated) lock that will go through the spare tire rim and around the trailer frame also.