Spare Tire Isolators

Sharkey

Sharkey

Word Ninja
With my new 35's and 4.50" backspaced wheels, I need to either fab or buy some larger spare tire isolators to keep my rear gate and its spot welds happy.

I've read some pretty mixed reviews on the inexpensive Daystar isolators:

IMG_3912.JPG

Plus it sounds like there are two different versions, one of which is so soft it can tear with little use.

Looking around the interwebs today, I found some heavier duty polyurethane bumpers from energy suspensions:

IMG_3911.JPG

They are more expensive, but I suspect more sturdy. Anybody on here given them a try? Thoughts?

For the DYI crowd, I've seen the hose trick and think it looks a bit silly. I have considered trying to pull a bolt through the hole in tailgate, putting a spacer on, then remounting the OEM bumper. Anyone done anything similar?
 
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The second ones look a little more solid. The daystar bumps used to be good until they changed their design and the new ones suck! I think Eddie used a control arm bushing on his and its solid. Maybe he can post a picture.


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Sharkey said:
With my new 35's and 4.50" backspaced wheels, I need to either fab or buy some larger spare tire isolators to keep my rear gate and its spot welds happy.

I've read some pretty mixed reviews on the inexpensive Daystar isolators:

View attachment 268174

Plus it sounds like there are two different versions, one of which is so soft it can tear with little use.

Looking around the interweaving today, I found some heavier duty polyurethane bumpers from energy suspensions:

View attachment 268175

They are more expensive, but I suspect more sturdy. Anybody on here given them a try? Thoughts?

For the DYI crowd, I've seen the hose trick and think it looks a bit silly. I have considered trying to pull a bolt through the hole in tailgate, putting a spacer on, then remounting the OEM bumper. Anyone done anything similar?
Click to expand...

Are you mounting spare tire to the stock carrier? I did that and have Daystars which helps nothing. Everything rattles anyway.
No experience with the other once.


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On my TJ, I had not only wrong backdpacing, but also relocation bracket, ao factory stops couldn't be adjusted. So, I used a rubber wheel chock between. One part against the rim, then flat against the bottom stock isolator. It worked quite well.
2017-07-15+12.32.00.jpg2017-07-15+12.31.13.jpg

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Andy5160 said:
Are you mounting spare tire to the stock carrier? I did that and have Daystars which helps nothing. Everything rattles anyway.
No experience with the other once.


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Click to expand...

Yes. Stock carrier. Sounds like the the daystars are out. Maybe I'll pick up the other ones today and give them a shot.
 
Sharkey said:
Yes. Stock carrier. Sounds like the the daystars are out. Maybe I'll pick up the other ones today and give them a shot.
Click to expand...

I also recommend you get MBPR reinforcement bracket kit(or similar),It is a bit anal to install but it will definitely make gate sheet metal in the areas where the bolts are stronger.Dont remove factory weld nuts as they say in the instructions.
And good luck with the isolators.

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Sharkey said:
For the DYI crowd, I've seen the hose trick and think it looks a bit silly. I have considered trying to pull a bolt through the hole in tailgate, putting a spacer on, then remounting the OEM bumper. Anyone done anything similar?
Click to expand...

I didn't use the hose trick, I used 1.5" PVC pipe and a round cap that I l shoved into the stock isolators, the spray painted them black. No rattles or squeaks so far and was about $5 from Lowes.

IMG_0537.jpg

From about 5' away.

IMG_0538.jpg

Up close.
 
Sharkey said:
With my new 35's and 4.50" backspaced wheels, I need to either fab or buy some larger spare tire isolators to keep my rear gate and its spot welds happy.

I've read some pretty mixed reviews on the inexpensive Daystar isolators:

Plus it sounds like there are two different versions, one of which is so soft it can tear with little use.

Looking around the interweaving today, I found some heavier duty polyurethane bumpers from energy suspensions:

They are more expensive, but I suspect more sturdy. Anybody on here given them a try? Thoughts?

For the DYI crowd, I've seen the hose trick and think it looks a bit silly. I have considered trying to pull a bolt through the hole in tailgate, putting a spacer on, then remounting the OEM bumper. Anyone done anything similar?
Click to expand...

As Adam mentioned, the Daystar isolators used to be awesome but for some reason, they changed the rubber compound and now they suck. The Energy Suspension isolators look nice and had they been available back when I needed them, I probably would have gone with them.

Regarding DYI solutions, I've used a control arm bushing in the past but had since modified my design and now use a hockey puck.

20170717090153-6d2d3f5c.jpg


To me, it looks factory and functions well like factory. I've been meaning to do a write-up for this for a while now and I'll try to get one done now.
 
wayoflife said:
As Adam mentioned, the Daystar isolators used to be awesome but for some reason, they changed the rubber compound and now they suck. The Energy Suspension isolators look nice and had they been available back when I needed them, I probably would have gone with them.

Regarding DYI solutions, I've used a control arm bushing in the past but had since modified my design and now use a hockey puck.

20170717090153-6d2d3f5c.jpg


To me, it looks factory and functions well like factory. I've been meaning to do a write-up for this for a while now and I'll try to get one done now.
Click to expand...

Interesting. Looking forward to the write-up. I went with the Daystars and right now have to use a relocation bracket with the factory spare tire carrier so the Daystar ones are useless. I'm running the EVO rear fascia and I believe with it and cutting the factory 3rd brake light off the factory carrier I could eliminate the relocation bracket which would move the tire closer in and hopefully make the daystars useful. If not, I'll change it.


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Let me preface this by saying that had I not already spent the money, I would have followed Eddie's write-up for using a hockey puck to extend the factory tire isolator. That said, my first impressions are that these Energy Suspensions isolators should get the job done.

Compared to stock so you can get a feel for the size:

IMG_3929.JPG
IMG_3930.JPG

They were very easy to trim and install. If anything, perhaps they were too easy to install. I actually knocked one off with my spare when I was lifting it back up onto the carrier (my fault, I kinda let the wheel hook it and I dropped the tire a bit). Nothing broke and it was easy enough to reinsert.

IMG_3931.JPG

I cut the first ring off, probably about half an inch. The contact seems good and the tire doesn't wiggle at all. I will report back if I have any issues long term.

IMG_3932.JPG

Not a bad use of $30, but you could certainly save the money and follow Eddie's hockey puck write-up.
 
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