Bumper mount tire carrier? LoD Linked, or Non-Linked?

jjdias

jjdias

Member
I plan on buying a new bumper with tire mount in the next week or two and I like the looks of the LOD bumpers. My question is the Signature series has a linked or non linked tire carrier, what are the pros and cons of each and what do you all prefer? I like the convenience of the linked setup but the non linked setup would remove all weight and stress from the tailgate if there is any. Right now I am running the stock mount with a spacer and the tire seems to stick way out and that worries me.
 
Yeah, I don't see how the linked would put much weight on the door.

Personally, that's the biggest thing I HATE about my rear bumper... I hate opening the tire carrier, then having to open the door. Would prefer one fluid motion. My buddy has the LOD, and it's so smooth when it opens. Great bumper.
 
I have the LOD destroyer series bumper and love it. I can open it separately or together with the tailgate. All weight is on the solid steel bumper. No creaks, squeaks, or rattles.

IMG_5842.jpg


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Haven't checked their website in awhile to see what option differences there are between the linked an non-linked. Being an owner of the non-linked version I have zero complaints. The reason I chose non-linked was at the time the linked version deleted the option for any accessory bracket on the Driver's side of the carrier. Not sure if that's the case still. It's been a great bumper and when adjusted right there is no noise at all. I've taken hits on it and it's held up just fine. If I had to do it all over I'd make the same choice although the destroyer series are pretty slick too. ..;)
 
I have the Signature series linked version. It's been on the back for a year and a half now. I absolutely love it. The only noise it's ever made was when the heim joint link needed a shot of lube. The only stress it can apply to the tailgate is a sheering stress (side-to-side) because of the angle of the link while closed. It's a very solid system that has held up well for my usage level. [emoji106]


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So I like the linked versions. I have the non linked but only cause I for a deal on it. But there wouldn't be pressure on the door, the weight is on the bumper/frame, the linked part only is attached together in order to open as 1 unit. And the only pressure applied is the door holding the gate closed, not the weight of the carrier or tire.

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I went with a 4th gen signature series linked tire carrier from LOD and I'm very happy with not having to open two different pieces when getting something from the back. The linkage works really well and provides a simple smooth action to access the jeep trunk area. IDK if they changed the design on the mount options for fuel tanks. I ordered a pair of rotopax holders but haven't installed them yet. I might be in for a surprise.


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Hello. I have the non linked signature series and love it. I like the fact that it is NOT connected to the tailgate. No noise.
 
In regards to Non Linked version

jjdias said:
I plan on buying a new bumper with tire mount in the next week or two and I like the looks of the LOD bumpers. My question is the Signature series has a linked or non linked tire carrier, what are the pros and cons of each and what do you all prefer? I like the convenience of the linked setup but the non linked setup would remove all weight and stress from the tailgate if there is any. Right now I am running the stock mount with a spacer and the tire seems to stick way out and that worries me.
Click to expand...

The bumper is well built however the latching system used to secure the spare tire carrier to the bumper (Signature Series JK Model) will fail you. LOD is not concerned with doing the right thing and upgrading this part. It will eventually leave you stranded on the trail as it did me. I have went through 4 of them so far and rather then pay LOD 50.00 every couple of years I have designed my own which so far has stood the test.
I've tried to reach out to LOD on this and their customer service is terrible. The first time I brought it to their attention I was told I installed it incorrectly, which I did not, installation is very simple. Now when you bring it to their attention they will say 1-2 years is normal wear and tear. So they have a built-in insurance policy that you will have to pay them every couple of years for a new latch.
So the moral of the story is if you buy this set up (again for the JK) you better purchase an extra latch or build your own and keep them with you, otherwise you will be sitting on the trail wondering what to do with your spare and tire carrier.
Good luck and happy 4-wheelin!!
 
JeepnAZ1 said:
The bumper is well built however the latching system used to secure the spare tire carrier to the bumper (Signature Series JK Model) will fail you. LOD is not concerned with doing the right thing and upgrading this part. It will eventually leave you stranded on the trail as it did me. I have went through 4 of them so far and rather then pay LOD 50.00 every couple of years I have designed my own which so far has stood the test.
I've tried to reach out to LOD on this and their customer service is terrible. The first time I brought it to their attention I was told I installed it incorrectly, which I did not, installation is very simple. Now when you bring it to their attention they will say 1-2 years is normal wear and tear. So they have a built-in insurance policy that you will have to pay them every couple of years for a new latch.
So the moral of the story is if you buy this set up (again for the JK) you better purchase an extra latch or build your own and keep them with you, otherwise you will be sitting on the trail wondering what to do with your spare and tire carrier.
Good luck and happy 4-wheelin!!
Click to expand...

I've heard nothing but positive feedback regarding LoD's customer service and have been very happy with their products. But clearly we should believe you instead, since you've just joined here and made this your first post. Your track record here is much more reliable and credible.
 
JeepnAZ1 said:
The bumper is well built however the latching system used to secure the spare tire carrier to the bumper (Signature Series JK Model) will fail you. LOD is not concerned with doing the right thing and upgrading this part. It will eventually leave you stranded on the trail as it did me. I have went through 4 of them so far and rather then pay LOD 50.00 every couple of years I have designed my own which so far has stood the test.
I've tried to reach out to LOD on this and their customer service is terrible. The first time I brought it to their attention I was told I installed it incorrectly, which I did not, installation is very simple. Now when you bring it to their attention they will say 1-2 years is normal wear and tear. So they have a built-in insurance policy that you will have to pay them every couple of years for a new latch.
So the moral of the story is if you buy this set up (again for the JK) you better purchase an extra latch or build your own and keep them with you, otherwise you will be sitting on the trail wondering what to do with your spare and tire carrier.
Good luck and happy 4-wheelin!!
Click to expand...

Umm welcome?


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I have installed a LoD front bumper (mid-width with hoop), signature series rear (non-linked with the old style catch plate at the spindle), and signature sliders.

My take:

Positives- the products generally look great, perform really well, and are for the most part built well.

Negatives- the catch plate on the old spindle sucked balls. My buddy’s tire swung open in his driveway, broke the plate, and swung around and into the body of his Jeep. His experience with LoD getting a new plate was less than ideal (he was told that the failure had to be from abuse which was laughable; his ‘08 has about 60k miles on it.) That aspect of the old spindle was awful. We drilled out the “new” plate so the stop pin drops into the bumper and is more secure. Fortunately, I was also able to pull out most of the body damage with a dent puller.

Would I buy LoD stuff? Absolutely. Like I said, for the most part it is exceptional. I would just take a few extra steps with the rear carrier to ensure no body damage occurs sometime down the road.
 
My catch plate on my non-linked carrier cracked at the spindle after 4 years on my 07 JK. Nothing that an amateur welder couldn’t reinforce. I’ve never broken a latch. I currently run the linked tire carrier on my 2014 JK.

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I am sorry to hear about your experience. I heard about how the head of customer service forgot you on hold, that is pretty embarrassing :eek: so I can definitely understand your frustration..

To anybody else, this guy is frustrated with our product and he brings up some very good points, so I wouldn't be so quick to call him a liar (however more of a greeting would have been nice :D ) I have attached the picture of his u-bolt that failed multiple times.

broken u-bolt 6in.jpg

Also unfortunately, in the past our source for those latch parts was in Europe and that rendered us unable to influence quality control on said parts before they were sent over.

After reviewing your picture, and the parts, we have decided to get replacement u-bolts made by a local company in Indiana, with better materials. Not sure about the insurance policy, but we notice the previous imported u-bolts were better quality material, and the quality of the metal seemed to have gone down. However a few issues still cause snaps sometimes (overtension of the bolt, or the latch and hook being out of alignment, creating a side shear force that adds extra stress to the u-bolts). It looks like the picture above was maybe from overtension, as the tensile force seems to have pulled the threads apart.

If you are still interested in a replacement, I can work to send you one as soon we get them in, so that our product no longer fails on you, just pm me all of your contact, and order info! We will be sending better u-bolts with the future orders when they are in, and gradually replacing the old ones. If you are no longer interested since you have made your own, that's also understandable. Please let me know what you think! I'm here to try and help you achieve maximum satisfaction with our product!

(P.s. The customer service rep you spoke to was Aury :) ) My name is Vlad :)

JeepnAZ1 said:
The bumper is well built however the latching system used to secure the spare tire carrier to the bumper (Signature Series JK Model) will fail you. LOD is not concerned with doing the right thing and upgrading this part. It will eventually leave you stranded on the trail as it did me. I have went through 4 of them so far and rather then pay LOD 50.00 every couple of years I have designed my own which so far has stood the test.
I've tried to reach out to LOD on this and their customer service is terrible. The first time I brought it to their attention I was told I installed it incorrectly, which I did not, installation is very simple. Now when you bring it to their attention they will say 1-2 years is normal wear and tear. So they have a built-in insurance policy that you will have to pay them every couple of years for a new latch.
So the moral of the story is if you buy this set up (again for the JK) you better purchase an extra latch or build your own and keep them with you, otherwise you will be sitting on the trail wondering what to do with your spare and tire carrier.
Good luck and happy 4-wheelin!!
Click to expand...
 
LōD Offroad;1004139 said:
Also unfortunately, in the past our source for those latch parts was in Europe and that rendered us unable to influence quality control on said parts before they were sent over.

After reviewing your picture, and the parts, we have decided to get replacement u-bolts made by a local company in Indiana, with better materials. Not sure about the insurance policy, but we notice the previous imported u-bolts were better quality material, and the quality of the metal seemed to have gone down. However a few issues still cause snaps sometimes (overtension of the bolt, or the latch and hook being out of alignment, creating a side shear force that adds extra stress to the u-bolts). It looks like the picture above was maybe from overtension, as the tensile force seems to have pulled the threads apart.
Click to expand...

Thanks for clearing that up. I will say, I had a very similar latch on the carrier I built and never had any issues with it. Can't recall where the part came from, but same exact design.

211.jpg
 
I'd like to say that I too have suffered this catch failure. Did it leave me stranded on the trail? Absolutely not, nothing a quick wrap with a bungee cord or ratchet strap won't hold in place. When I reached out to LōD they immediately knew what I was speaking of and sent me a replacement free. They never even questioned it. The other issue of the catch. I have broken two. One was the dealer's fault the other was my fault for not making sure the carrier was latched. Fortunately there was no body damage. The replacement was $20 (not sure if that has gone up). The second time I just pounded back. I was explained that the catch is designed to fail as not to bend the catch pin. If the pin bends there is no way to replace it and you'd essentially have to replace the entire carrier portion. Sure some would be able to source a new pin, cut off the old, and carefully weld on the new one. Most probably can't. All this being said I'd buy the bumper again. It's been great and has take some hard hits. I have the front armor lite stubby and it easily prevented front end damage when I hit a deer...haha.

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People bending that catch was actually one of the reasons that we didn't include a stop or catch on the very new Destroyer carrier. Sometimes there would be a scenario where an original user would "hold" the carrier in place using that catch, and a user unfamiliar with the system (for whatever reason) tries to close it while the catch is engaged, and bends either the pin or the housing. On the new design we felt it made more sense to omit that feature, in order to prevent people potentially ruining their tire carrier while out in the field. We believe if the new carrier swings open and slightly dents the body corner because someone didn't pay attention, then it's only cosmetic damage (hopefully), whereas if you try to force the carrier shut with a catch pin engaged, you may cause more structural damage that could potentially affect the function. It's a fine line between convenience and safety, and this is still a topic of debate here. Personally I believe in more convenience for the customer (even if that means risking providing a catch that THEY are responsible for, because it adds to the function/user experience) but unfortunately management does not always share the same opinion as the product designers :crazyeyes: ;)

-LoD Product Design

jesse3638 said:
I'd like to say that I too have suffered this catch failure. Did it leave me stranded on the trail? Absolutely not, nothing a quick wrap with a bungee cord or ratchet strap won't hold in place. When I reached out to LōD they immediately knew what I was speaking of and sent me a replacement free. They never even questioned it. The other issue of the catch. I have broken two. One was the dealer's fault the other was my fault for not making sure the carrier was latched. Fortunately there was no body damage. The replacement was $20 (not sure if that has gone up). The second time I just pounded back. I was explained that the catch is designed to fail as not to bend the catch pin. If the pin bends there is no way to replace it and you'd essentially have to replace the entire carrier portion. Sure some would be able to source a new pin, cut off the old, and carefully weld on the new one. Most probably can't. All this being said I'd buy the bumper again. It's been great and has take some hard hits. I have the front armor lite stubby and it easily prevented front end damage when I hit a deer...haha.

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Click to expand...
 
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The new u-bolts have been quoted and should be here in about two (2) weeks or so. Once the new u-bolts are in we will be sending one with every latch, and replacing any old broken ones with new ones. This will phase out the old, weaker u-bolts gradually :crazyeyes:
 
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