Modding the tire carrier! This is actually a piece of scrap steel i found in the yard, and its the perfect size! I simply laid out the bolt pattern and drilled 4 21/32" holes in it. Pressed in 3 studs that are used for the Sterling 10.25. On the stock carrier i cut off the two stock lower studs, and removed the top one, then drilled that hole to 21/32" as well. Pressed the 4th stud thru that hole, and then thru the 4th hole in my new plate. After squaring up the plate to the carrier, i welded it across the top and bottm, and, well, thats pretty much it! After dail driving with a 35" tire hanging off the tire carrier, the tailgate has begun to tear, so ive swapped to an interior carrier i got out of a 87-91 bronco in the junkyard. The tire touches the back seat, so the seat must be moved slightly forward to clear it. Up front, move the seat brackets forward one hole. Redrill floor and use nut & bolt. The hole hits the same reinforcement in the floor so no worries about strength. This moves the seat forward 2.25", just enough to clear a 35" tire. The latch must be spaced off the back of the seat 1.25". I built a simple bracket, and used 1/2-20x3" Gr8 bolts. Thats all it takes!

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