Military Rear Door

by Chuque Henry

I was in an accident during a big snowstorm and was hit from behind. A new door was $800, spare tire carrier was $700... I was thinking there must be a cheaper way. There was. I replaced my tailgate with a military rear door that ran only about $200. Because it was cheaper and more rugged, it seemed like a great decision, I always felt like the stock door was a little on the flimsy side. The nice thing is that the tire mounts right to the door and gets rid of all that spare tire carrier junk. This also helped bring the cost down. Having my rear hitch/step assembly gone, the spare tire is now the limiting factor for departure angle. I've noticed the spare tire sits up higher now than it did on the stock tire carrier. I think once I get a set of bumperettes that they would be the first thing to hit. I also haven't remounted the third brake light, and that could be cause for concern. The new door is great, and seems to be much sturdier. When off road the other day I backed right into a tree, hitting the spare. I'm sure it would have bent my old door, but the new one didn't flinch. It's nice to have that extra bit of durability on the trail.

I did have to brace the bottom part of the door hinge to support the weight of the 35" tires. I had someone else fab the piece for me, and it seems to have done the trick.