Spare wheel problems

[mtrider0]

Has anyone had problems with removing the spare wheel? I came to change the wheel over after a bolt went through my tyre and the bolt holding the spare on snapped off and the other was seized! Fortunately i manager to limp 7 miles home at about 20mph (fortunately the tyre didn’t go flat) and managed to just free off the seized bolt with a breaker bar just enough to get the wheel off. Im thinking the best solution would be to cut the old plate off that the bolts screw into and fabricate and weld on a new one?


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[Doc]

This is very common and something I often remind people to maintain.
Once the bolt is seized there's little you can do other than cut it and drill it out.
I wouldn't go cutting the entire bracket off unless you have means to make a new one, best to just clean up the original captive nuts and fit new bolts.

See Here

[mtrider0]

Thanks doc. Looks like i will be getting the drill out


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[JD2k]

I've not checked mine since I've owned the van for over a year! Dreading what I'll find haha

[Bionicman]

Yes they can be a barsteward to get out. Make it part of your maintenance and if seized try putting on plusgas of similar penetrating lubricant and then winding them in and out so as to clean the thread up a bit. If you have manage to get them out and cleaned up the threads just reinstall using grease. Some members on here have put a cut of section of a bit of hose pipe on the top end of the bolt thread and then packed it with grease. I used some small swa cable gland shrouds which do the job very well as they are not open at both ends from new.
For those interested in using this method just google swa, micc or fp200 cable shrouds and it will become obvious to you.

[JD2k]

Good advice there!
Thankfully I got an 18" matching wheel for nothing to use as a spare which I have in the back of the van, but the spare steelie is still mounted under the van so need to get that out at some point. Will then lubricate & grease the bolts.. if I can get them out

[mtrider0]

Yes they can be a barsteward to get out. Make it part of your maintenance and if seized try putting on plusgas of similar penetrating lubricant and then winding them in and out so as to clean the thread up a bit. If you have manage to get them out and cleaned up the threads just reinstall using grease. Some members on here have put a cut of section of a bit of hose pipe on the top end of the bolt thread and then packed it with grease. I used some small swa cable gland shrouds which do the job very well as they are not open at both ends from new.
For those interested in using this method just google swa, micc or fp200 cable shrouds and it will become obvious to you.

If i can get the old ones out then this is a good idea


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[Kreutz]

I have CNG tanks underneath the car so I have to keep my spare in the back, only had a flat tire once and that was the quickest change ever, took like 5 minutes

[subdub]

I have CNG tanks underneath the car so I have to keep my spare in the back, only had a flat tire once and that was the quickest change ever, took like 5 minutes

4.8 minutes?

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[Kreutz]

4.8 minutes?

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More like 5.2 mate

[Yeti]

When I needed ours, I was lucky to have a socket set and a trolley jack with me. Wouldn't have fancied taking it off without.

We only use the van locally, so I didn't put the spare back, it we ever need it, it'll be easier to get someone to nip out with it than to go through all that again.

[Bionicman]

Would rather have a spare wheel well inside the van either vertically or horizontal, but not practical for most people using it as a van, I would maybe consider having a space saver wheel though.

[Bungo1608]

Another job for the list
The hose pipe packed with grease sounds like a great idea

[andy_e]

Heeding Doc's advice, I checked the spare wheel yesterday. With a bit of encouragement, one bolt came out OK. I gave the second one some welly to try and get it out, but the head sheared off so, two questions, 1. How do I get the rest of the bolt out, and 2. Where do I get a new bolt from? Does anyone have a spare one lying around?!

It was a good job I checked, because the spare rim is buckled and useless, and the tyre itself is shredded. Glad I found out now and not whilst on the hard shoulder of the M62 in the pissing rain!

[Vwjack88]

Happened to me after about few months of having my old van. Snapped one bolt and the other was knackered too. Ended up getting rid of it and just ratchet strapped an 18" space saver inside. Lesson learnt the hard way! Waiting on the aa in the rain on the aston express way at rush hour

My new van is alright though and will keep on top of that