Wilco hitchgate hiccup w/ additional spare tire (4runner)

[NZ4runner]

So guys... i bought the wilco hitchgate offset with the goal of carrying a second spare tire. (I want to drive the Dalton highway in AK, ive read having 2 spares is smart) I ran into a problem however... the spare under the 4runner prevents the hitchgate from sliding all the way into the hitch. Id rather not move the original spare from under the rig, as it would take up lots of interior space. My roof rack is already full as well. Has anyone else encountered this situation? What did you do to solve it? Im considering modifying the hitchgate, as i dont plan to tow from it.

 

[Prerunner1982]

Found this at the very bottom of their add for the Toyota 4 runner...
"4.5″ of clearance required from center of hitch pin hole rearward for it to be compliant with wedge lock system. You may need to relocate spare tire from underneath or modify to gain the necessary clearance. "

That sucks they couldn't make it work better than that.

 

[64Trvlr]

How much too long is it?

 

[NZ4runner]

I have to measure it this weekend when i mess with it again... im hoping ill be able to remove the wedgelock and have it fit. Im thinking i can remove the wobble kinda the same way my yakima bike rack does... Ill just need to put a threaded bolt through the hitch hole, and tighten a big nut on the inside of the hitchgate to push it tight sideways against the receiver wall. Not sure how well this will work though (assuming i can make it fit). So bummed today. My fault, but still.

 

[trikebubble]

In my honest opinion, don't worry about bringing 2 spares. Make sure you have new or close to new good E-rated tires wit ha matching spare, and a compressor and plug kit and you'll be just fine. We drove 8500+km from home to Tuk and back in July of 2018, and I carried 2 full spares and I'd never do that again. We have a camper on our truck, weigh in at around 8000 pounds and had no failures of any kind with the tires. I never saw a single truck/suv with good tires with a flat on The Dempster at all. I saw a few cars with sh1tty little car tire with flats though. I way over-thought things when we went North to the Arctic, next time I'll cut back on the extra stuff I bring.

Just ditch the spare under the truck and use your Hitchgate. Also, based on our travels on the roads up there.....do not remove the wedge-lock on the Hitchgate. It will probably rattle to pieces or rattle and fail without that wedge-lock holding everything firmly in place.

Have fun, make sure to slow down and smell the roses a whole lot.

 

[NZ4runner]

Heres what i did for now... and im going to test it a bit locally before i make the permanent decision. I kept the spare. Removed the extra wedgelock part (just unscrewed it, no cutting). Its removal bought me just enough clearance to get the hitchgate to the first hole in my receiver. I went to the hardware store and bought a heavy duty fully threaded stainless bolt. I put the bolt through the receiver and into the hitchgate. Inside the hitchgate (this was the hard part) i put a washer and one of those nuts with nylon? that doesnt spin. Then i threaded it though to the other side with my ratchet, and added another washer, locking washer, and nylon nut. When I tightened up the exterior nut and head of the bolt, it pushed the interior bolt sideways. This sandwiched the hitchgate up against the receiver nice and tight. Theres a small gap on the other side that im going to fill with some kind of wedge. I was able to stand and jump on the hitchgate with almost zero movement. The whole truck was moving but almost no budge on the hitchgate. Its not perfect, but its pretty darn good. My only concern is that any tiny movement will eventually turn into more over time... so i need to get the other side wedged just to make it a little better.

 

[elizer]

How much was the spare interfering? If you have a compressor you could deflate the spare. Nice rig.