Bumper/Tire Rack

I finally got around to taking some current photos of Project YJ's rear bumper. Since its creation, I have added a 2" receiver hitch, raised the tire, added a storage bracket for a star lug wrench, and added a removable license plate holder with dual back-up lights and a license plate illuminator (got to keep things legal). Although the hinge set up on this tire carrier is quite rudimentary, it has served me well for the 5+ years that I've used it. I've replaced the original hinge bolts with some new stainless steel units but aside from that, she has held up just fine.

Version 2.0 of the rear bumper/tire rack combo.	The combination license plate holder/back-up mount is attached via a mini-receiver hitch. When removed from the rack, it forms a tripod that allows the back-up lights to be used as a remote trouble light. I keep a coil of extension wire for this use. The license plate would mount over the two legs (with yellow "feet") but it is not present in this photo.	Since my original article detailing this bumper, I have learned that the name of this latch is "Antiluce fastener." To date, I haven't found a North American supplier.
The Anti-luce fastener has continued to impress me with its simplicity and reliability. I would love to find a local source of these things.	I see many home-made YJ bumpers that do not properly tie into the frame. Bolting only to the rear cross-member isn't strong enough. I used the factory threaded holes at the bottom of the frame rails to re-inforce my bumper. Note how the receiver hitch is recessed into the bumper. This preserves the departure angle.	I do love bungee cords, don't I? The rear rack holds a couple of ammo boxes. Between them, I sometimes stuff a container of oil or a sack of chains. My next modification will be to add another shelf for another layer of ammo boxes.
On the back of my tire rack, I welded a couple of pieces of angle iron to form a holder for a star wrench. A single bungee can easily secure it in place. The red circle indicates where my CB antenna mounts. In this photo, it has been removed from the vehicle.

Not much detailed information here. Just some photos to give you some ideas on features you might want to incorporate into your own bumper/tire rack.

Rear view of the rack.	Oh, look! Another view of the rack.
Here you can see the shelf I built on the inside of the rack. The ends of the rack of grey because I made some changes to it and only primered it after I finished the welding.	There's still lots of un-utilized room on top of the rack.
Latch explanation: The folding bar sits horizontally when opening and closing the rack. It slides through an opening in the rack and is securely welded to a vertical support post welded onto the bumper.	Once the rack is closed, the folding bar protrudes through the latch portion of the rack. At this point, it can be folded up and slid downwards.
The slot in the sliding bar is cammed so that as the bar slides downwards, it presses the rack's latch against the vertical post.