Securing the spare tyre

[AussieVX]

Hi folks,

Just settling into my new VX (thanks for the advice for the newbie) - got annoyed by the thunk from the back door and have realised that my spare tyre is just floating around in there (good thing I haven't been offroad). Can anyone describe (or better yet photograph) what the bracket and bolt looks like for securing the tyre, just so i know what I am looking for??

Cheers, Ross

[nfpgasmask]

G'day Ross,

Your spare tire should sit on a mounting plate. Then there is another circular plate that bolts over that to secure it. It's kind of hard to describe. If you can't figure it out, take a photo of your situation and post it. I removed all the "guts" from my tailgate since I have a full size spare that doesn't fit anyway, otherwise I would take some pics for you.

Hope you are well away from that nasty conflagration down there.

Bart

[MSHardeman]

Aussie,

It sounds like you're missing the bolt/plate that holds the spare to the tail gate and the wheel is just flopping around back there. If no one gets to it before I do, I'll take some pictures of my spare and post them up later today.

Mark

[nfpgasmask]

Yes, it is possible you are missing that circular plate. If so, let me know because I will send you mine, as long as you promise to help me if need to locate/ship some Aussie Falcon Coupe parts later down the road! ;)

Bart

[Gussie2000]

Hi aussie !
I hope you & your beloved ones are OK with all the hell of fire is taking place over there.
I guess you can be creative regarding the missing holding plate & screw.
You can do some search around a warehouse & find a metal sheet (aluminium) flexible enough to cut it in a circular shape,drill a hole big enough & find a screw to fit the tread.

[Sprey]

I had a big thump in the back kept thinking it was the wheel, weirdly enough it was the door hinge on the door it self, has 3 screws mine were all loose, causing the door to lock but to move around,
tightened them up and was set to go again.

might be something you could check just incase.

[MSHardeman]

Ross,

Here are some images of the spare tire area in the rear hatch. As you can see there is a large metal "flange" that is held in by a bolt. The flange sqeezes the spare tire between itself and the mount in the rear hatch.
Hope this helps.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/VX_Spare_Tire_02.JPG (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/VX_Spare_Tire_02.JPG)
Spare mounted in rear door

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/VX_Spare_Tire_04.JPG (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/VX_Spare_Tire_04.JPG)
Close up of flange and bolt

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/VX_Spare_Tire_06.JPG (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/VX_Spare_Tire_06.JPG)
Flange and bolt

[pbkid]

Ross,

Here are some images of the spare tire area in the rear hatch. As you can see there is a large metal "flange" that is held in by a bolt. The flange sqeezes the spare tire between itself and the mount in the rear hatch.
Hope this helps.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/VX_Spare_Tire_02.JPG (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/VX_Spare_Tire_02.JPG)
Spare mounted in rear door

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/VX_Spare_Tire_04.JPG (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/VX_Spare_Tire_04.JPG)
Close up of flange and bolt

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/VX_Spare_Tire_06.JPG (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/VX_Spare_Tire_06.JPG)
Flange and bolt

hey mark, quick question...what are you keepin the stock spare in there for?? you know you cant use that with your oversized tires right???
you keeping it there so you dont lose parts if you ever decide to sell?? (thats the only thing i can think of)

[nfpgasmask]

hey mark, quick question...what are you keepin the stock spare in there for?? you know you cant use that with your oversized tires right???
you keeping it there so you dont lose parts if you ever decide to sell?? (thats the only thing i can think of)

:laughing:

Bart

[MSHardeman]

First off, I will NEVER get rid of the VX. OK, never say never, but it would take a catastrophic event to force me to get rid of Vicki.

Between the bigger tires and the lift the VX won't fit in my garage with the basket and full size spare up top because the garage door is too short. I figure that while I'm in the Aspen valley I'm never really that far from home so having the dinky little spare to limp home on is better than nothing.

No comments from the peanut gallery Bart.:bgwb:

[tom4bren]

I've still got the brackets for my spare. Free to a good home, just pay shipping.

[nfpgasmask]

Between the bigger tires and the lift the VX won't fit in my garage with the basket and full size spare up top because the garage door is too short.

Yeah, I had the same problem with my garage. But in my case, it was a matter of about half an inch. So, I pulled the top most piece of trim from my garage door opening off and replaced it with a much thinner piece of wood. Now, my VX with spare just barely fits. Actually, every time I pull in the spare tire on the roof rack just nudges the retracted garage door. :)


I've still got the brackets for my spare. Free to a good home, just pay shipping.

I have mine sitting here and ready to go to AussieVX, so I got it covered there, bub...

:) Bart

[tom4bren]

"so I got it covered there, bub..."

I'm closer.

Are we heading down this path again???

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=14569&highlight=Spare+Tire

BTW Bart, you never responded to my last post on that thread (Wazzup?)

[pbkid]

First off, I will NEVER get rid of the VX. OK, never say never, but it would take a catastrophic event to force me to get rid of Vicki.

Between the bigger tires and the lift the VX won't fit in my garage with the basket and full size spare up top because the garage door is too short. I figure that while I'm in the Aspen valley I'm never really that far from home so having the dinky little spare to limp home on is better than nothing.

No comments from the peanut gallery Bart.:bgwb:

someone correct me if im wrong, but once you get oversized tires you can use the factory spare at all....it will screw up your TOD, cause your x-case to overwork and overheat i believe...

[tom4bren]

Theoretically, you could still use it on the front since it's an open differential up there, but ... I wouldn't risk it.

[nfpgasmask]

"so I got it covered there, bub..."

I'm closer.

Are we heading down this path again???

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=14569&highlight=Spare+Tire

BTW Bart, you never responded to my last post on that thread (Wazzup?)

Ummm, uhhhh....no takers yet, it's still takin up space in my garage.

And maybe I am way off, but I think Melbourne is closer to the west coast, eh?

:) Bart

[MSHardeman]

Jack,

I think you're totally correct about using the little spare with the oversized tires, but I'm talking about limping home if I had a blow-out. No highway driving, all back roads, and keeping the speed LOW. I would prefer to crawl home than leave my baby somewhere with a blown out shoe. If it really is that much of a problem maybe I need to rig up a mount inside so I can carry my full sized spare with me.

OR, maybe I'll do some major surgery on my garage door so I can keep the spare up top because I'm NOT leaving my baby outside over night.

[nfpgasmask]

OR, maybe I'll do some major surgery on my garage door so I can keep the spare up top because I'm NOT leaving my baby outside over night.

How close is it for Vicki to fit? Mine was seriously like under an inch to get clear. Is your tire not clearing the opening or just the door? In my case, I just tore down the top most piece of trim and replaced it with a thinnner piece. Now I just barely fit. But if you are just hitting the garage door while it is up, you might be able to adjust the tension on the door so it goes up just a little further.

Bart

[tom4bren]

"Melbourne is closer to the west coast"

Bart,

I can't even begin to describe how difficult it is to admit when you are right & I am wrong (ask Wifey). You are 8033 miles away and I'm 10173 miles away.

:_mecker:

[nfpgasmask]

"Melbourne is closer to the west coast"

Bart,

I can't even begin to describe how difficult it is to admit when you are right & I am wrong (ask Wifey). You are 8033 miles away and I'm 10173 miles away.

:_mecker:

Man, you make me laugh.

:) Bart

[MSHardeman]

Bart,

To tell you the truth I haven't checked it with the lift yet, but last year when I was getting ready for Moab I had the basket and spare on the roof and tried to pull into the garage, but I was about an inch too tall. I think that I was hitting the plastic "seal" at the top of the door, and could have switched it out with a smaller one, but after Ldub twisted my arm and MADE me put a lift on Vicki (actually he put the lift on her) in the parking lot of the Red Rock last year I have a feeling that I'll be WAY too tall now. Guess I'll have to gear her up and check.

One other option would be to deflate the tires so she squats down some. Hmmm...maybe I'll have to install a Hummer-like on board tire inflation system to get in and out of the garage.

[Ldub]

Bart,

but after Ldub twisted my arm and MADE me put a lift on Vicki (actually he put the lift on her) in the parking lot of the Red Rock last year I have a feeling that I'll be WAY too tall now. Guess I'll have to gear her up and check.

One other option would be to deflate the tires so she squats down some. Hmmm...maybe I'll have to install a Hummer-like on board tire inflation system to get in and out of the garage.

That's not EXACTLY how I remember it, but things WERE a little fuzzy that particular evening...:rolleyesg

Have you got enough space above the door to raise the header & add another section of garage door?...:naughty:

[nfpgasmask]

Mark, I only ask because you are lifted same as me (iirc) and I am pretty sure most garage door openings are a standard height, so I was just thinking that you may just fit with a little modding.

Bart

[ZEUS]

I just gotta warn you guys about a potential issue. My Jeep clears the garage door opening by 1/4"... until it snows! When I backed out and onto a snow covered driveway the Jeep raised up enough to relieve my home of a section of the trim above the door. SNAP!!! Be careful, I was using all roll cage to remodel that doorway! Had that happened with a spare on top of Zeus it would not have been pretty.

[pbkid]

i cant even begin to fit in my garage with my rack on...i BARELY fit with cross-bars...now, no way its gonna happen...so now the teg get the garage space and stitch is parked in front of the house...

[nfpgasmask]

I just gotta warn you guys about a potential issue. My Jeep clears the garage door opening by 1/4"... until it snows! When I backed out and onto a snow covered driveway the Jeep raised up enough to relieve my home of a section of the trim above the door. SNAP!!! Be careful, I was using all roll cage to remodel that doorway! Had that happened with a spare on top of Zeus it would not have been pretty.

Yeah, with how close mine is, I have to go super slow in and out. Like I said, my spare tire touches the retracted garage door every time I go in or out. If I go slow it just slightly rubs but with just a little speed it could catch and be more disasterous. I should make a video of it, it's kinda funny. Most people would just leave their 4x4 out in the driveway. But I say, "no way!"

Bart

[JAFO]

Theoretically, you could still use it on the front since it's an open differential up there, but ... I wouldn't risk it.

Manual says not to put the spare on the front. If you have a flat front tire, you must first swap the compact spare with a good tire on the rear. Then swap the flat with the good tire you removed from the rear.

[TheGanzman]

Manual says not to put the spare on the front. If you have a flat front tire, you must first swap the compact spare with a good tire on the rear. Then swap the flat with the good tire you removed from the rear.

That's pretty much "protocol"; Porsche says the same...

One MORE reason to ditch the spare and carry a compressor, two cans of tire jiz, and a very good plug kit; oh, AND your AAA card and a cell phone!

[Ldub]

Manual says not to put the spare on the front. If you have a flat front tire, you must first swap the compact spare with a good tire on the rear. Then swap the flat with the good tire you removed from the rear.

That's assuming that you have stock size tires.
Having the doughnut on the rear in this situation, is going to put undue wear on the clutch packs in the LSD...:sighwgray

Bottom line, even "limping it home" on the doughnut is gonna put the hurt on something...:_wrench:

[pbkid]

That's assuming that you have stock size tires.
Having the doughnut on the rear in this situation, is going to put undue wear on the clutch packs in the LSD...:sighwgray

Bottom line, even "limping it home" on the doughnut is gonna put the hurt on something...:_wrench:

thats what i was trying to say mark...i just didnt know the specifics lol...

[AussieVX]

Hi folks,

Thanks for the descriptions, pics and offers of parts. Bart and I have agreed to an ongoing deal where he helps me out with VX parts in the US and I help him out with parts for his Falcon XC-GT restoration (when it makes it over there!!) Gotta love international trade deals!!

I genuinely appreciate a bunch of people who modify their house to fit around their car ... my approach is similar - I need to build a garage, and the VX will show me how big it needs to be.....

Cheers, Ross

PS For those that messaged me about the fires over here - thanks for the concern - my family and friends are the lucky ones, a couple of mates have lost their houses, but that's just stuff - kids and partners are what matters when it comes down to it.