Interior Mounted Recovery Tools Article From Dirk Sanders     Well gang, I've seen all the exterior mounting options for a Hi-Lift Jack, axe and shovel mounts. I could have put these things on the roof rack, but another idea came to mind. I just bought my new Hi-Lift and I didn't want it to rust or be easy to steal, (and if I drove like my buddy Mark M. it would be mud-plugged in no time!) so I decided to fab a mount to put it and my axe, shovel, and more INSIDE my XJ, where the spare tire used to be.(It's on the roof rack) I thought I could accomplish this without taking up any more cargo space than the spare did. It also had to be solidly mounted so it wouldn't rattle or come loose in an accident.     I found a heavy duty aluminum grid at a local surplus store and mounted it in the Jeep, using the stock spare tire mounts. The bottom of the grid has 2 holes drilled in it with 2 holes to match drilled in some 3/4" thick aluminum stock (for spacers) and then the lower spare tire bracket. 2 bolts, nuts and washers hold it all together.      The upper grid mount utilizes the stock threaded spare tire holder and wing nut. This mounts through 2- 6" brackets from the hardware store. I also put 2 more bolts with wingnuts through the brackets for extra support. The grid is VERY SOLID.      The Hi-Lift Jack simply lays behind the grid. The base of the Jack fits nice and snug between the gas tank filler hump and the plastic trim. The top is zip tied and bungeed to the rear seat belt mount and rear passenger grab handle. Don't be alarmed here...These do not hold the weight of the Jack. I just put them there to hold the Jack in place while I mounted it to the grid. To accomplish this, I bolted another bracket to the existing brackets. Then, I ran a 1/2" carriage bolt through the bracket, a big bronze bushing and the jack and wing nutted it on the back with a couple of washers. The entire assembly is very solid and does not rattle.      Here's the finished project with axe, shovel and other stuff bungeed to it. The bungees look kind of raw, but they're functional. In time I hope to fab up some kind of quick release clamps to hold these that will look better. The upper part of the jack extends into the rear passenger compartment, although close to the window. For wheelin' with passengers in back, some roll bar padding wrapped around the jack is a good idea.      This whole project could be done much simpler and cleaner for just the Hi-Lift, axe and shovel mount, but I like the grid because I can strap a bunch of gear to it. When on the trail, it also makes a solid mount to strap my cooler to.      Another thing that would make this easier is to mount the bottom of the grid with a strong hinge, so I could simply unscrew the big top wingnut and fold the assembly downward to access the jack.