RUGGED RIDGE RUG11546.50 Spartacus HD Tire Carrier Kit Installation Guide
- June 13, 2024
- RUGGED RIDGE
Table of Contents
HD Hinge Casting PATENT PENDING
Installation Guide
RUG11546.50 Spartacus HD Tire Carrier Kit
CONTENTS:
HD Hinge Casting
Spacer Plates (2 PCS)
HARDWARE: TOOLS REQUIRED:
Socket Wrench
10” extension
13mm socket
3/4” deep socket
T-20, T-50 Torx bits
Red Thread Lock
Shims
Torque Wrench
Important Safety Information
Your Rugged Ridge® Tire Carrier is intended to increase the utility and
enjoyment of your Jeep® by providing easy access to your rear cargo area and
secure mounting of your offroad spare tire. Before installation, please take a
moment to review the following safety information and installation
instructions. Important safety information is generally preceded by one of
three signal words indicating the relative risk of injury. The signal words
mean:
WARNING: A hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in
serious injury or death. You can be killed or seriously hurt if you do not
follow instructions.
CAUTION: A hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in
minor or moderate injury. You can be moderately hurt and may also suffer
property damage if you do not follow instructions.
NOTICE: Careful attention is required to this instruction or operation,
but does not generally relate to personal injury. Damage to your product or
other property may result if you do not follow instructions.
Installation Instructions
To reduce risk of personal injury during assembly and use of this product:
- Wear gloves and safety glasses during installation.
- Tire Carrier and spare tire/wheel are heavy. Use jack or seek assistance when lifting, fastening parts, or installing wheel/tire to carrier.
- Tire Carrier is subject to vibration and shock loads from on and off road use. Regularly inspect carrier and lug nuts fastening spare to carrier. Do not use and repair if damaged. Use thread locker and keep lug nuts torqued to 80 ft./lbs.
1. Take off spare tire by removing the 3 lug nuts using a 3/4” deep socket.
CAUTION: Have another person help lift the tire off of the
carrier.
2. Open the
tailgate. Using a T-20 Torx bit, remove 4 torx head screws that attach light
to factory tire mount. Pull light away from tire mount.
3. Remove connector by pushing down on tab and pulling. Set light aside, it
will be used later during installation. Place connector and wires off to side
to not interfere with Tire Carrier installation. 
4. Twist and pull rubber bumper to remove from
right side of tailgate only.
5. Remove plastic hinge covers. For the long
hinge covers, pull away from the vehicle and to the left.
6. Remove plastic clips by pulling lower portion
down and away from vehicle.
7. Remove the stock tire carrier and brake
light holder by removing the 8 bolts indicated using a 13mm socket.
8.
Ensure tailgate is fully closed and locked. On both sides of tailgate, place
shims between bumper and tailgate to hold tailgate in position while removing
stock hinges.
Shims can be blocks of wood, wedged shims, etc. that can be made to fit snugly
and securely between bumper and tailgate.
NOTICE: Lock Tailgate. Do not open or move tailgate while hinges are
removed. 
9. Using 13mm
socket, remove tailgate hinges from tailgate by removing the 4 bolts indicated
on right.
10. Flip
hinges to open position. Using a T-50 bit, unscrew stock hinges from vehicle
removing the screws indicated at right. This may require using a 10inch
extension with the T-50 bit in order to reach the scews.
11. Thoroughly
clean any dirt, debree, and corrosion from tailgate and quarter panel where HD
Hinge Casting and tire carrier will mount. Painting or priming bare metal
under stock hinges is optional, but reccomended, especially if corrosion is
present.
12. Place HD
Hinge Casting in position. Reusing 6 factory screws, fasten hinge brackets to
vehicle quarter panel. Attach outside screw first, then swing hinge open and
install remaining four screws.
Do not fully tighten.13.
Re-using factory bolts and washers removed in step 6, loosely attach right
side of HD Hinge Casting.
14. Fully tighten outside hinge bracket bolts.
15. Remove
the 4 bolts/washers from Step 12. Swing HD Hinge Casting open, making sure not
to move the tailgate. Tighten the 4 remaining Torx Head bolts on hinge
brackets. Return to closed position.
16. If installing the Rugged Ridge HD Wheel Mount
(Part# 11546.52) with HD Hinge Hinge, stop here and refer to Step 5 of HD
Wheel Mount Instructions.
17. Align tire carrier with tailgate bolt
holes and begin threading the four factory bolts on the right hand side of the
OE tire carrier. Do not fully tighten. 
18. Slide spacer plate between tailgate and top left
corner of the OE tire carrier. Loosely re-install factory bolts and washers.
Repeat for bottom left corner. Some slight shifting of HD Hinge Casting may be
required to re-install all 8 tire carrier bolts.
19. Once all bolts are threaded, tighten the 8
bolts around the tire carrier.
20. Using a 13mm socket, install the 4 supplied
hex bolts and washers to fasten the hinge body to tailgate. Use red thread
locker on bolt threads prior to installation, and fully tighten bolts before
thread locker dries.
Shims can now be removed.
21. Feed the third brake light
wire back through the OE tire carrier and reinstall factory brake
light.
22. Re-
install spare tire and factory lug nuts. Use a torque wrench with a 3/4”
socket to tighten the lug nuts to 80 lb/ft.
CAUTION: Have another person help lift the tire onto the carrier.
WARNING: Failure to tighten the lug nuts to the proper torque specification of 80 lb/ft could result in serious injury or property damage.
460 HORIZON DR. SUITE 400
SUWANEE, GA 30024
PHONE: 770-614-6101
FAX: 770-614-6069
[email protected]
OMIX-ADA® TECHNICAL SUPPORT
PHONE: M-F 8am – 5pm EST 1-800-449-6649
EMAIL: [email protected]
FOR WARRANTY INFORMATION VISIT: www.Omix-Ada.com
Copyright © 2015 Omix-Ada®, Inc.
Rev – 02/2015
Part #11546.51