Best EVO tire carrier write up

TheGrendel

Active Member
So, I think i've come across a "deal". I've got an opportunity to buy a barely used evo tire carrier for 800. already painted etc. now, i was looking at the PSC and Genright carriers. the Evo was out of my price range. this deal is going to cost me a lot. will need evo corner guards and LED lights of some sort.

what is the consensus best lights for the evo corner guards? should i got cheapo reds and buy rigid reverse lights?

also, i could use a link to the best write up for install. i may end up getting a shop to do it as i just moved cities and am currently in an apartment as i sell my house in Houston. so i don't have a good work space. but, i do like doing things on my own.

thanks for the help.
 
So, I think i've come across a "deal". I've got an opportunity to buy a barely used evo tire carrier for 800. already painted etc. now, i was looking at the PSC and Genright carriers. the Evo was out of my price range. this deal is going to cost me a lot. will need evo corner guards and LED lights of some sort.

what is the consensus best lights for the evo corner guards? should i got cheapo reds and buy rigid reverse lights?

also, i could use a link to the best write up for install. i may end up getting a shop to do it as i just moved cities and am currently in an apartment as i sell my house in Houston. so i don't have a good work space. but, i do like doing things on my own.

thanks for the help.

Great deal there! For a good install thread and a really good read check out MTG's build thread of Knuckles. Lots of good info and you can see the jig he built to help hold the carrier in place while he mounted it. Also good photos on the skin install. I copied the brace and referred to his thread quite a bit when I did my install. As for backup lights I just bought a couple eagle eyes off of Amazon ($8-10 each) and installed them in the lower corner pinch seam. The lights that come with the rear skins work fine. ORO makes a nice light that incorporates the backup light in it if you want to go that way.Lots of threads here showing how guys installed their carriers, skins, sliders, etc. Worth checking them out...

Good luck!
 
It depends on how you wanna set up reverse lights, if you want them. I ordered the Evo rear tail lights and will be wiring separate LED floods for reverse lights. If you want an integrated brake and reverse lights there's lights by ORO or Maxxima.
 
Great deal there! For a good install thread and a really good read check out MTG's build thread of Knuckles. Lots of good info and you can see the jig he built to help hold the carrier in place while he mounted it. Also good photos on the skin install. I copied the brace and referred to his thread quite a bit when I did my install. As for backup lights I just bought a couple eagle eyes off of Amazon ($8-10 each) and installed them in the lower corner pinch seam. The lights that come with the rear skins work fine. ORO makes a nice light that incorporates the backup light in it if you want to go that way.Lots of threads here showing how guys installed their carriers, skins, sliders, etc. Worth checking them out...

Good luck!

the eagle eye idea might be a solid choice to save a few bucks right now.
 
Maxxima gen 2 led is the way to go for all in one. They are on sale right now on amazon as well.
 
Another vote for Maxxima tail lights. Love mine. Do yourself a favor and pick up a set of red handled hitch pins from Tractor Supply as well. They cost me like $12.

image-185381068.jpg

Some tips for installing the tire carrier:

Use a good step drill bit to drill the holes for the brackets.

The driver side upper bracket aligns by mounting off of a hole near the gas filler cap that is used to mount the armor. If you already have armor on, you'll need to drill out the nutsert. When you get the first bolt in the driver side upper bracket, make sure it is level and the same distance from the top of the bracket to the top of the armor on both ends of the bracket, mark your holes and drill them out.

Now measure how far it is from the side of the bracket to the edge of the armor at the tailgate. Rememver those measurements, and now mount the passenger upper bracket in THE EXACT SAME LOCATION USING THOSE MEASUREMENTS FROM THE DRIVER SIDE BRACKET. You only get one shot to get it perfect.

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]Mount the two top brackets onto the corners, tighten the bolts, and then with the bottom brackets mounted on the carrier Johnny Joints, bolt the carrier onto the top brackets. Where the lower brackets touch the armor is where you want to mount them. Make sure they are flush and mark the holes for the bottom brackets, and drill the holes.

Mount the lower brackets and tighten all the bolts. Make sure all 4 bracket's bolts are tight. The pinch seam on the inside of the body will likely be in the way of getting the nuts on. If it is, you have the holes drilled close to the perfect spots. You may have to use a long punch and hammer to bend this pinch seam over.

Mount the tire carrier loosely to the passenger side brackets (2 long bolts), do not tighten these bolts yet. Lift the driver side of the tire carrier up and set the joints on top of the driver side mount brackets. Push the upper part of the carrier in, and while holding it in towards the body, crank the passenger side carrier mounting bolts really tight, ridiculously tight. You don't want these bolts to slip, because it will mess up the alingment of your carrier. Make them stupid tight but don't break them. This should leave your LH carrier joints about level with the driver side mount brackets (maybe 1/4" or so higher/lower) when the tire is installed so you just lift it up/push slightly, which makes for nice and easy opening/closing.

To get the carrier to open and close smoothly, you'll have to fine tune the adjustment of the carrier by adjusting the johnny joints. If you have to adjust the passenger side joints, remember to push in on the top of the carrier before tightening the bolts, and remember to torque the bolts extremely tight.

It WILL make a slight knocking sound when you hit bigger bumps due to the hitch pin holes in the LH brackets being a larger diameter that the 1/2" hitch pins that are used, and the joints being slightly smaller than the brackets. I personally don't find it annoying since it RARELY happens on the road, but if you find this annoying, you can fix this by using a cap from a large water jug, sitting in on top of the driver side upper joint, and forcing the pin through the cap and the joint. Don't drill a hole in the cap, you want the extra material to fold down into the joint hole. Close the tire carrier with the cap still on top of the upper joint. It will take up the extra space, tighten up the fit a bit more, and eliminate the knocking noise.

Doing the above made my carrier open and close almost effortlessly.
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Another way to get a rattle free carrier is to have the two jonnie joints of the closing side of the carrier slightly misaligned. (where the pins go in, not the bolts). If they are offset (only by an 1/8 -3/16") then the carrier stays tighter on the pins and does not rattle at all.
 
Another vote for Maxxima tail lights. Love mine. Do yourself a favor and pick up a set of red handled hitch pins from Tractor Supply as well. They cost me like $12.

View attachment 242960

Some tips for installing the tire carrier:

Use a good step drill bit to drill the holes for the brackets.

The driver side upper bracket aligns by mounting off of a hole near the gas filler cap that is used to mount the armor. If you already have armor on, you'll need to drill out the nutsert. When you get the first bolt in the driver side upper bracket, make sure it is level and the same distance from the top of the bracket to the top of the armor on both ends of the bracket, mark your holes and drill them out.

Now measure how far it is from the side of the bracket to the edge of the armor at the tailgate. Rememver those measurements, and now mount the passenger upper bracket in THE EXACT SAME LOCATION USING THOSE MEASUREMENTS FROM THE DRIVER SIDE BRACKET. You only get one shot to get it perfect.

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]Mount the two top brackets onto the corners, tighten the bolts, and then with the bottom brackets mounted on the carrier Johnny Joints, bolt the carrier onto the top brackets. Where the lower brackets touch the armor is where you want to mount them. Make sure they are flush and mark the holes for the bottom brackets, and drill the holes.

Mount the lower brackets and tighten all the bolts. Make sure all 4 bracket's bolts are tight. The pinch seam on the inside of the body will likely be in the way of getting the nuts on. If it is, you have the holes drilled close to the perfect spots. You may have to use a long punch and hammer to bend this pinch seam over.

Mount the tire carrier loosely to the passenger side brackets (2 long bolts), do not tighten these bolts yet. Lift the driver side of the tire carrier up and set the joints on top of the driver side mount brackets. Push the upper part of the carrier in, and while holding it in towards the body, crank the passenger side carrier mounting bolts really tight, ridiculously tight. You don't want these bolts to slip, because it will mess up the alingment of your carrier. Make them stupid tight but don't break them. This should leave your LH carrier joints about level with the driver side mount brackets (maybe 1/4" or so higher/lower) when the tire is installed so you just lift it up/push slightly, which makes for nice and easy opening/closing.

To get the carrier to open and close smoothly, you'll have to fine tune the adjustment of the carrier by adjusting the johnny joints. If you have to adjust the passenger side joints, remember to push in on the top of the carrier before tightening the bolts, and remember to torque the bolts extremely tight.

It WILL make a slight knocking sound when you hit bigger bumps due to the hitch pin holes in the LH brackets being a larger diameter that the 1/2" hitch pins that are used, and the joints being slightly smaller than the brackets. I personally don't find it annoying since it RARELY happens on the road, but if you find this annoying, you can fix this by using a cap from a large water jug, sitting in on top of the driver side upper joint, and forcing the pin through the cap and the joint. Don't drill a hole in the cap, you want the extra material to fold down into the joint hole. Close the tire carrier with the cap still on top of the upper joint. It will take up the extra space, tighten up the fit a bit more, and eliminate the knocking noise.

Doing the above made my carrier open and close almost effortlessly.
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that's the best close up i've seen with the Maxxima lights, corners and carrier. sold me.
 
that's the best close up i've seen with the Maxxima lights, corners and carrier. sold me.

One more plus on the Maxxima light is they are flush mount to the corner skins. No need to cutout the 4" hole in the tub for recessed lights.

They are very bright for reverse lighting.
 
that's the best close up i've seen with the Maxxima lights, corners and carrier. sold me.

There are several pics in my ENVY thread. The lights are awesome and have had no issue recommending them to others. Some people don't like the all in one, but I've used them for nearly three years now and have no issues saying they are a great option.

Just make sure to get the resistors and self tap them.
 
anyone have the amazon link to the nutsert tool everyone is using for the corner guards or all nutsert tools essentially the same?
 
Another vote for Maxxima tail lights. Love mine. Do yourself a favor and pick up a set of red handled hitch pins from Tractor Supply as well. They cost me like $12.

View attachment 242960

Some tips for installing the tire carrier:

Use a good step drill bit to drill the holes for the brackets.

The driver side upper bracket aligns by mounting off of a hole near the gas filler cap that is used to mount the armor. If you already have armor on, you'll need to drill out the nutsert. When you get the first bolt in the driver side upper bracket, make sure it is level and the same distance from the top of the bracket to the top of the armor on both ends of the bracket, mark your holes and drill them out.

Now measure how far it is from the side of the bracket to the edge of the armor at the tailgate. Rememver those measurements, and now mount the passenger upper bracket in THE EXACT SAME LOCATION USING THOSE MEASUREMENTS FROM THE DRIVER SIDE BRACKET. You only get one shot to get it perfect.

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]Mount the two top brackets onto the corners, tighten the bolts, and then with the bottom brackets mounted on the carrier Johnny Joints, bolt the carrier onto the top brackets. Where the lower brackets touch the armor is where you want to mount them. Make sure they are flush and mark the holes for the bottom brackets, and drill the holes.

Mount the lower brackets and tighten all the bolts. Make sure all 4 bracket's bolts are tight. The pinch seam on the inside of the body will likely be in the way of getting the nuts on. If it is, you have the holes drilled close to the perfect spots. You may have to use a long punch and hammer to bend this pinch seam over.

Mount the tire carrier loosely to the passenger side brackets (2 long bolts), do not tighten these bolts yet. Lift the driver side of the tire carrier up and set the joints on top of the driver side mount brackets. Push the upper part of the carrier in, and while holding it in towards the body, crank the passenger side carrier mounting bolts really tight, ridiculously tight. You don't want these bolts to slip, because it will mess up the alingment of your carrier. Make them stupid tight but don't break them. This should leave your LH carrier joints about level with the driver side mount brackets (maybe 1/4" or so higher/lower) when the tire is installed so you just lift it up/push slightly, which makes for nice and easy opening/closing.

To get the carrier to open and close smoothly, you'll have to fine tune the adjustment of the carrier by adjusting the johnny joints. If you have to adjust the passenger side joints, remember to push in on the top of the carrier before tightening the bolts, and remember to torque the bolts extremely tight.

It WILL make a slight knocking sound when you hit bigger bumps due to the hitch pin holes in the LH brackets being a larger diameter that the 1/2" hitch pins that are used, and the joints being slightly smaller than the brackets. I personally don't find it annoying since it RARELY happens on the road, but if you find this annoying, you can fix this by using a cap from a large water jug, sitting in on top of the driver side upper joint, and forcing the pin through the cap and the joint. Don't drill a hole in the cap, you want the extra material to fold down into the joint hole. Close the tire carrier with the cap still on top of the upper joint. It will take up the extra space, tighten up the fit a bit more, and eliminate the knocking noise.

Doing the above made my carrier open and close almost effortlessly.
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Great looking light


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i did. facebook is the new craigslist i guess. lol.

Haha damn I was gonna buy it from him too but then I don't have aftermarket rims so it would just be hanging in the garage.



Out in the Boonies

That's too funny. I've wheeled with him a few times, he's a good dude. If I wasn't already happy with my carrier I would have taken his [emoji23]


Sent from my iPhone using WAYALIFE mobile app
 
I'll put my vote in for Maxxima. Had them on my 2nd jeep and will be installing them again on my new jeep. 1 of them is better than both stock reverse lights.

IMG_7023.jpg
IMG_7029.jpg


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anyone have the amazon link to the nutsert tool everyone is using for the corner guards or all nutsert tools essentially the same?

No link but it's the Astro brand one. Believe it was the 1442 tool number or something like that. That's a good one.

There are other brands people have used also but I can't remember off the top of my head.
 
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