I didn't want anything flopping around when the rig is taken off road, so I had to get the spare and the winch more properly secured. A drill, some bolts, and a few little tricks got the job done.
I bought new on eBay the
Mile Marker 2" receiver hitch winch mount (P/N 60-06495) that would let me use the recovery tool front or rear, given that I'd had Jeeps R Us weld a receiver hitch to the front frame cross member under the radiator (parts and labor, $450).
All in all, it weighs one hundred plus pounds, so I'm hoping not to have to lug it around much. But I'd rather have that weight in the back of the Jeep over the rear axle than hanging off the front, messing with air flow to the radiator, as well as departure angles. I also didn't have to buy a gigantor bumper and pay to have it shipped, so I'm good with that, too.
To get the winch mount secured in the back of the Jeep, I bought
an RV bumper adapter that is designed to hold a spare tire holder that bolts to a 2" receiver mount. To make it work for my purpose, I tossed aside the extra long grade 5 bolts and bought 2" grade 8 bolts from the local home center. The adapter tucks up behind the passenger side of the back seat, away from fuel lines and the gas tank. At an angle, the winch mount slides in under the hi-lift jack to stay secure and out of the way.
While I was working around in the back, I added two eye bolts to hook a tie-down strap to, holding the spare tire to the hi-lift jack. It gives me some free space underneath to put my winch recovery bag, some tools, and a five gallon bucket of spare parts, hoses, etc.
All neat and tidy.
I imagine at some point I'm going to want to get the spare out of the rear cargo area, so when that happens, I'll either upgrade the rear bumper to a custom one with a swing out tire carrier (which would be a thousand bucks shipped) or keep it in the garage when I'm not wheeling (using the stock spare under floor above the rear axle as an emergency "mini" spare), and just throw it up on the roof for wheeling trips.
