Tire Carrier and rear licence plate relocater

Me007gold

Original poster
Member
Nov 20, 2011
1,106
I am ordering a rear tire carrier from MBD Fab and i am going to have to relocate the licence plate. The cheapest option would be to use some thin flat stock and just bend it by hand so that it is off to the side, correct? When adding the light, can I just use taps, and tap in to the old rear light circuit?
 

The_Roadie

Lifetime VIP Donor
Member
Nov 19, 2011
9,957
Portland, OR
Marker light circuit, maybe. Don't tap off the liftgate license plate circuit, assuming the spare carrier is the kind that folds down. Another good place is the 7-pin trailer connector running light circuit, since the tail light assemblies get their feed from inside the body instead of an exposed location under the frame. I expect you can find which pin on the trailer connector is for running lights. :yes:
 

Me007gold

Original poster
Member
Nov 20, 2011
1,106
the roadie said:
Marker light circuit, maybe. Don't tap off the liftgate license plate circuit, assuming the spare carrier is the kind that folds down.

Why would that matter? I am plaing on doing something like this(JamesDownings Trailblazer)With both the plate, and tire carrier

11.jpg
 

HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
I did 1/8 inch thick 1 inch tall aluminum for the plate. I tried 1/16 and it was too weak. The 1/8 was only 4.39 for 36 inches and I used whole strip. I bent it by hand and used a bracket w light i have posted on here that was only 7 or 8 bucks shipped.
 

Regulator

Member
Nov 20, 2011
2,496
HARDTRAILZ said:
I did 1/8 inch thick 1 inch tall aluminum for the plate. I tried 1/16 and it was too weak. The 1/8 was only 4.39 for 36 inches and I used whole strip. I bent it by hand and used a bracket w light i have posted on here that was only 7 or 8 bucks shipped.

:iagree: This is the same set up I am running. I am wired into the rear tailgate as well.
 

Me007gold

Original poster
Member
Nov 20, 2011
1,106
So i got this light, Did you attach this right to the bend Aluminum? Did you guys use two strips, one for the top and one for the bottom

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Do I need something like this to mount the plate on? I want to make this as clean as possible, and I dont want to to vibrate or smack against the hatch.

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HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
Me007gold said:
So i got this light, Did you attach this right to the bend Aluminum? Did you guys use two strips, one for the top and one for the bottom

Do I need something like this to mount the plate on? I want to make this as clean as possible, and I dont want to to vibrate or smack against the hatch.
Yes on the attaching to alum, no on needing the other thing. At least for me. The plate had four holes and I bolted the light and top of plate with top holes and just drilled the bottom so I could bolt straight to alum plate.

I tried 1/16 alum, but too weak. I now have 1/8 alum 1 inch wide on top and used the 1/16 1 inch wide on bottom to stabilize. Works great. I used a couple rubber isolators I had laying around to keep it from damaging paint or rattling. Worked perfect.

That is same light I have, but I never wired it up and now the tire is off, but I was going to just wirte to factory light socket.
 

Me007gold

Original poster
Member
Nov 20, 2011
1,106
HARDTRAILZ said:
Yes on the attaching to alum, no on needing the other thing. At least for me. The plate had four holes and I bolted the light and top of plate with top holes and just drilled the bottom so I could bolt straight to alum plate.

I tried 1/16 alum, but too weak. I now have 1/8 alum 1 inch wide on top and used the 1/16 1 inch wide on bottom to stabilize. Works great. I used a couple rubber isolators I had laying around to keep it from damaging paint or rattling. Worked perfect.

That is same light I have, but I never wired it up and now the tire is off, but I was going to just wirte to factory light socket.

So two strips of of the 1/8th Alum, one for the top and one for the bottom?
 

Regulator

Member
Nov 20, 2011
2,496
Just use one strip across the top. Put nuts and bolts in all 4 holes with rubber isolators on the vehicle side to protect the paint.

When you bend the metal do it so there it's some tension holding it against the tailgate.

Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk
 

HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
Me007gold said:
So two strips of of the 1/8th Alum, one for the top and one for the bottom?

I did one 1/8 on top and re-used the original 1/16 on bottom. Bottom is not needed prolly but I liked the lil bit of solid-ness it seemed top add.

I bought in 3 foot lengths and did not need to cut at all.
 

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