i have a 1999 blazer and it came home from the shop yesterday, what happened to it was that the spare tire carrier did not latch properly and when I rounded a corner the tire swung out and put dent by the hinges
Repair cost $950
Insurance did cover it
Anybody else have this problem
it can be fixed by replacing the bracket on the back of the truck, it is a $34 part that can save you a whole lot of trouble

 

I just took mine right off. Couldn't stand the rattling and limited visibility out of the rear window. Later on, I'm going to weld up the holes, paint it, and put a basket on my roof rack and mount the tire up there. But, yeah, I have heard of an improved latch assy.

 

hm, that sucks man, and i wanted one on my truck. guess ill stick with the inside mount!

 

Do you think the new latch would stop the rattling as well? Mine rattles on and off too.

Also, one time the spare tire swung open as well as I was backing out of my driveway. Not completely sure it wasn't user error, but dont think so.

 

Hey Zero, I wouldn't put the tire on top if you are going to do any rock climbing or serious offroading. The tire will add too much extra weight to the top, making it more rollover prone.

 

The previous owner of my truck busted out the back window by not latching the spare tire carrier properly, also left a pretty nasty dent in the tailgate. The only reason I know this is because the new rear glass doesn't have a wiper and my truck is equipped for one.

 

Oh yeah....on my old '91 I took the mirror off a parked car as I rounded the corner and the spare swung out. Made the loudest noise I'd ever heard (at the time anyway....after getting hit much later in the '91 I decided that that was much louder...).

 

I'm not planning on any rock crawling. Mabye if i lived near moab or something, that would be a different story. I don't plan on going too extreme seeing how it's my DD. I've seen pleanty of lifted rigs around with the tire on top and no ones had a problem.

 

i havent had any rattling after i got the new bracket and the tire is much easier to open and close

 

we never really had a problem with the spare tire being in the back.. i think it's pretty convenient.. and in my opinion, it doesn't really limit the visibility.. as you can see over the tire.. but i'd take that back if the truck was lifted.. then, it'd be a problem ..