Spare Tire Bike Rack Mounts for a 2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon

Published 12/07/2011

Question:

Is there a spare tire mount that will work on my Rubicon? The tires are large, but not oversized.

asked by: Steve

Expert Reply:

We have two spare tire mounted bike racks that could possibly work on your 2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. The determining factor is going to be the size of the tire and wheel combination on your Jeep. I have added links to the spare tire bike carriers that we have for you to review.

The most likely fit would be the Yakima SpareRide 2 Bike Rack, # Y02599. I have a photo of the Yakima SpareRide bike rack on a Jeep Wrangler for you to see. This Wrangler does not have alloy wheels and larger tires installed, but the short adapter was used for this installation. This carrier will work with spare tires up to 12-1/2 inches (318 mm) wide, and has 3 different adapters to accommodate different tire sizes. I checked the factory size tire on a Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon and the tire size listed is 275/75R17 or 255/75R17, so it will work with those tire sizes.

The Thule spare tire bike rack # TH963PRO may also fit if the measurement from the inside of the wheel rim to the outer surface of the tire is not greater than 4 inches. A 2 inch overlap of the male and female shaft is ideal. This bike rack has been designed to work with OEM spare tire and wheel combinations with tire sizes ranging from P195/75R15 through 265/70R17 and 255/70R18.

expert reply by: Robert G