Questions about Spare Tires

Hi everyone
Today I tried to change my Rear Differential Gear Oil, but realized my H12 & H14 doesn't fit. will need the H13.

Since I am at the bottom, I check out my Spare wheel, realized the tires are completely flat (no PSI)... so I start looking around and wonder how I can take the Spare Wheel off... and my conclusion is ... argh


From the pictures above, I believe I need to loosen the screw from above (where the rear door opened...) so I can push the bracket up and drop the rear wheel??
But the problem is, since I bought the Van, the rear is very messed up (rust, no trim panels, cut up by previous owner)
So I sealed everything with hardwoods and all...

So unless I am wrong about loosening the screw from above...
I am thinking if I can CUT this part off, and use ziptie or chain to tighten it. and If I need to use the spare, I can...

What you guys think? any suggestions?

gilee said:

...

What you guys think? any suggestions?

Click to expand...

I think that the spare tire assembly needs to be much stronger than you realize. Zip ties will never cut it.

The spare tire/wheel is quite heavy and sees dynamic loading as you ramble down the highway.

If there is no rush I would access the OEM tire frame fasteners at the door sill and begin liberally spraying PB Blaster penetrating oil or equivalent. After a good soak, then try to lower the spare tire.

Expanding on what Aqua/Vic said: the screws in the door frame *lower* the hooks... and help lift the spare back up.

They don't just "release" the hook and expect you to manually drop/lift the frame.

--dick

This is my problem...

First, is this the 2 nuts to lower the spare tire bracket?


If so...i wonder if the right nut even turn?? Seems beat up from impact.
And my BIGGEST problem is, they all covered up.



I dont have a current pic, but now with silicone, FPR panels, weather strip......

If that the 2 bolts...
Maybe I can figure out where it is and drill a big hole on from the top (where I added the wood and floor) so i have access to it.

I dont want to be stranded somewhere not able to use my spare wheel.....

I just removed and reinstalled the spare on my 2005- and that was a home with jacks avaliable etc.
You definitely want to get those screws avaliable and working.

I used an electric impact and no issue, but my van is in very good condition.
Whatever it takes, that is what I would recommend.

Yes, those are the bolts (not nuts)

The rectangular holes on the rear piece, and the dent nearly centered on the right bolt should give you a decent idea where to "drill"
(i'd be tempted to drill a few small holes surrounding the bolt, then chisel out the wood ...
... but it sure would be tempting to try starting with an 1.5 inch hole saw....)

--dick

Much lube and back and forthing required to loosen those long bolts, fire up the impact driver, back and forth, lube, back,and forth, lube, repeat......l

So once you get the spare down (and in my case just to give it a good lookover to see if it needs replacing), HOW do you get it back up in place and secured? It is darned heavy and a bit fussy to get the hooks to grab the supports.
Any ideas?
Maybe use the jack to lift it back up...

I just went through it.
If you are religious, ask for forgiveness.

Put your jack under the spare so that you can jack it up and down a little.
Also it won't fall on you right away.
Wear some gloves.
Forget oil, doesn't do much but it makes a mess. Maybe grease later.

Stick a big screwdriver or old school tire iron in the slot from below. Hold the hook with a big crescent wrench, have a hammer handy. It's a cam type of thing.

Safety glasses, lay on a piece of cardboard.
Prepare for war.


Now discipline that bastard contraption so you can unhook the basket, in other words pry it around from the bottom until it opens. Now jack up and unhook.
Play with it, be mean. The pieces of the hook and keeper will turn away from each other

Be careful and send others away.

The whores and bitches will come comfort you.

IMHO.
And FWIW yours looks new compared to mine.

bill in tomahawk

Well this all explains why I have no spare tire or hardware. Someone must have dropped it once and just removed most of it rather than put it back.
I'll eventually just get it up on a roof basket and call it easy... maybe the rear door but the spare tire area is being repurposed for a viaair system.

trc.rhubarb said:

Well this all explains why I have no spare tire or hardware. Someone must have dropped it once and just removed most of it rather than put it back.
...

Click to expand...

Maybe not. I believe that the spare tire and carrier were an option.

vic

billintomahawk said:

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Forget oil, doesn't do much but it makes a mess.

Click to expand...

I used a red straw to spray up from the bottom and trickled oil down from the top. I think that it helped, if given time. A couple week soak is what I used.

billintomahawk said:

Maybe grease later.

...

Click to expand...

Definitely.

vic

I think if anyone wants to use that spare compartment in a roadside tire change situation, a yearly exercising and lubing of long bolts is required, and even then what an effing chore. At least the spare is secure, but someone should have designed the bolts longer so that getting that cradle onto the hook was easier. I’m guessing the too short bolts make for a double safe latch (like a car door) so that if the bolts are loose the cradle does not drop the tire.

Found that if you loosen the bolts quite a bit and let the spare tire rack drop down a couple of inches,
you can "un hook" the round spare tire rack bars one side at a time.
I didn't say it was easy, but getting the spare down and the flat tire back up in the rack is always going
to be a real PITA and require you to lay down under the back of the Sprinter.
The suggestion to open up the holes, and have the correct socket and a ratchet with extension in your
tool kit is very smart, as is lubing the bolts that move the hooks up and down periodically to ensure that
everything works the way it was designed.
For the OP:
You might be able to restore the "cups" that lead down to the raising and lowering bolt heads by using
progressively larger sockets (deep impact sockets if you have them).
Drive the socket down into the cup with a BFH (Big Fxxxing Hammer) and the body of the socket will
force the thin sheet metal of the cup back into the correct shape.
When you have full access to the lowering bolt heads on both sides, lube the bolts liberally with the penetrating oil you prefer (NOT WD-40 as it collects moisture).
Then when you know that you can easily lower the hooks as they were designed, put some heavier lube (grease?)on the threads and wrench the hooks up and down a few times.
Then lift the spare tire rack up onto the hooks one side at a time and you can be assured that you will be able to lower the spare in the event of a roadside flat tire.
Hope this helps,
Roger

It's alot of extra work to get access to the 2 bolts...
but I do feel safer having a usable spare when on a long road trip.
will drill the hole, and hopefully the beat up side's bolts still works.
Thanks everyone!