A couple of months ago, my Hi-Lift broke off my SR bumper and fell into traffic nearly causing an accident and put a good size dent into my rear hatch. Turns out it broke off the mount and was welded to the tire carrier. The whole thing just snapped off. Eric at SR fabbed a new bolt on bracket and shipped it out to me. It's much stronger than the old bar that the Hi-Lift bolted to. Anyway, I was putting some camera gear in the back yeterday and gave the carrier a quick once over while it was open. I found a huge crack in the metal where the latch in bolted to It's about halfway through the length of the metal and all the way though the width. Maybe it's all the desert running that I do, but it just doesn't seem like it's holding up over the long haul. Check yours before it fails. For what it's worth I carry a 33x10.5x15 on a steel rim and one (most of the time) empty gas can plus the jack.

I'm partial to Shrock...but S-R's stuff I've had over the years (My jeeping too...) is typically really well made...maybe you backed it into something?

Nope.

I will check mine later...

Which latch portion... on the swing arm or the latch on the bumper it self.

On the swing arm. Might as well check the Hi-Lift mount too.

So - you figure its a stress fracture then?

What planes are it twisting in?/What is placing the force on it?

It has to be a stress fracture IMO. Aside from a low speed parking lot hit where I got backed into I have had no contact. I think it's the combined weight/leverage of the tire hanging off the back and the rough roads that I drive. I do bounce around a bit more than the average Xterra and imagine I impart a bit more stress than that of the rock crawlers....but still. Those speed runs over extreme whoops (like the one in my video) are few and very far between I would not have thought it would be an issue. I actually have not done anything like that in over a year. You slow guys might be OK, but I'd check anyway. I've seen you bounce around a bit on rocks too, and I mean that in a good way.

Mine is looking fine. It has only been on for about a year an a half, but all the welds look good. Can you take a pic of the precise areas in question?

Just checked mine and both the latch area and the high lift seem fine not even any peeled/chipped powder coat.

Here are the pictures....

Thanks.

Double checked, welds are all good.