The Spartacus HD Tire Carrier is a solution to the problems created when running larger tires on your Jeep Wrangler JL. From the factory, the JL Wrangler can support up to a 35" tire, but that's just not large enough for most people. The average owner wants to run 37" to 40" tires on their Jeep which requires bracing the tailgate to support the up to 150lb load of a 40" tire and wheel.

The hinge is a combination of a sand cast aluminum body with forged steel hinges that carry the load. The wheel mount is made from heavy duty formed steel. The new introduction of a backup camera on the JL required a solution to relocate it while still protecting the camera from the elements and the trail.

My role in this project was taking the initial rough sketches of the hinge casting and turning them into a reality while having full control over the design of the wheel mount. Utilizing advanced surfacing and sheet metal techniques in Solidworks, coupled with vehicle data from Jeep, I was able to create a full scale 3D printed prototype that installed on the vehicle and operated as intended.