UTV Inc · Buying Guide
In the bed, on the cage, or hanging off the back. Each one costs you something different — and all three need the same two numbers before you order.
Before anything else, get your wheel bolt pattern and stud thread. Polaris is usually 4/156, Kawasaki Teryx 4/137, Yamaha Rhino 4/110, and the studs run 3/8-24, 12x1.5 mm or 10x1.25 depending on the machine. Pick the location second — it is the easier decision.
A spare is one of those things you never think about until the day you need it, and then it is the only thing you think about. The question is not really whether to carry one. It is where to put it so that it does not cost you bed space, ground clearance or a rattle you hear for the rest of the weekend.
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Option one
In the bed
Bed-side mounts stand the tire upright against the inside of the bed wall, and pop-up mounts fold flat when you are not carrying a spare. This is the lowest and most protected place to put the weight, which is the real argument for it: the tire is not out in the breeze, it is not changing how the machine handles much, and nothing is hanging off the back to catch on a ledge.
What it costs you is bed space. If you run a cooler, fuel and gear back there, a spare standing in the bed takes a real bite out of that. Pop-up versions help — they fold down flat when the spare is off.
We build these as model-specific mounts, because they bolt to bed structure rather than clamping to a round bar. There are versions for the RZR XP 1000, the RZR 900 S and four-seat cars, the Honda Talon in driver and passenger side variants, and the Yamaha Viking.
Option two
On the cage
Clamp-on carriers grab a cage bar and hold the spare up high. The advantage is flexibility: nothing is drilled, nothing is model-specific, and you can slide the carrier along the bar to get it out of the way of whatever else you are carrying. Take the carrier off and the bar is untouched.
The trade is that you are putting twenty-odd pounds high up. On a fast, rough machine you will feel it, and it is worth thinking about where that weight sits relative to your roll cage rather than just bolting it wherever it fits.
These are sized by tube diameter as well as bolt pattern — we cut them in 1.5 in, 1.75 in and 2 in. If you do not know your tube size, measure it first.
Option three
Off the back
Rear carriers put the spare behind the machine entirely, which keeps the bed clear and keeps the weight low. It is the tidiest answer if you use your bed for anything.
The costs are departure angle and length. A tire hanging off the back is the first thing to touch when you drop off a ledge, and it makes the machine longer in a way you will notice on tight switchbacks and when you are loading a trailer. Worth a look at where it sits before you commit.
Get these right
The two numbers that decide it
Bolt pattern
How many studs and how far apart. Polaris is usually 4/156, Kawasaki Teryx 4/137, Yamaha Rhino 4/110. This is a property of your wheel, not your machine badge — aftermarket wheels can differ.
Stud thread
Separate from the bolt pattern. We build carriers in 3/8-24, 12x1.5 mm and 10x1.25. Getting the pattern right and the thread wrong leaves you with a carrier your lug nuts will not thread onto.
Tube size, if it clamps
Only relevant for cage-mounted carriers, but it is the number people skip. Measure the bar the carrier is going on.
The size of your actual spare
A 32 in tire is a different proposition from a 30 in, especially on a cage mount. Check clearance before you buy, not after.
Next
Shop carriers
Spare tire mounts
Bed, cage and rear carriers for every machine we cover.
Clamp-on by size
Cage-mounted carriers and everything else sold by tube diameter.
Storage and cargo
Coolers, fuel and gear mounts for whatever else lives in the bed.
Questions we get
Frequently asked
What bolt pattern is a Polaris RZR?
Most Polaris side-by-sides use a 4/156 pattern — four studs on a 156 mm circle. Kawasaki Teryx is commonly 4/137 and the Yamaha Rhino 4/110. Check your actual wheel rather than the badge, because aftermarket wheels can differ.
Where is the best place to mount a UTV spare tire?
In the bed if you want the weight low and protected, on the cage if you want the bed clear and the flexibility to move it, off the back if you use your bed and can live with a longer machine. There is no single right answer — it depends on what else you carry.
Does a spare tire on the cage affect handling?
It puts around twenty pounds up high, which you will feel on a fast, rough machine. If that matters to you, a bed or rear mount keeps the weight lower.
What stud thread do I need for a spare tire carrier?
It depends on the machine — we build carriers in 3/8-24, 12x1.5 mm and 10x1.25. The thread is separate from the bolt pattern, and both have to match your wheel.
Will a clamp-on spare tire carrier fit my cage?
If the bar is round and you order the right diameter, yes. We cut them in 1.5 in, 1.75 in and 2 in. Measure the bar the carrier is going on, not another bar on the same cage.
Tell us your machine. We will match it.
Give us the machine, the wheel and where you want the spare and we will tell you which carrier fits. Every carrier we make is cut and assembled in Mesa, Arizona.
(480) 718-5511 · sales@utvinc.com · Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Arizona time