Rear door vs. bonnet mounted spare.

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Hi all, what are opinions on mounting the spare wheel on a 90? I'm thinking of changing from the rear door to the bonnet for the following reasons:

1. Open and shut the back door many times a day, whilst only lift the bonnet once a month to check oil & water. Back door is heavy for young kids to open and shut.

2. Will stop back door hinges sagging.

3. Might improve handling and hill climbing making the Landy more 'Planted' at the front and reducing length.

4. Think it looks better.

This is all theory, though - be interested in peoples' experiences.
 
The bonnet is quite heavy with the wheel on. It won't pop without help or wedging the bonnet release toggle.

Front end is heavy especially with the winch on as well + no power steering.

On the bonnet looks way cooler than on the back.

Just my opinion..
 
dirty hands said:
The bonnet is quite heavy with the wheel on. It won't pop without help or wedging the bonnet release toggle.

Front end is heavy especially with the winch on as well + no power steering.

On the bonnet looks way cooler than on the back.

Just my opinion..
Click to expand...
Never thought of the bonnet not popping - how do you get round that? What's wedging the toggle?
 
I wedge my toggle too, with a bit of heavy folded cardboard. Pull the bonnet release, push said bit cardboard behind bonnet release to hold it out, then quickly run round to the front and open bonnet.

I think you can get a heavier duty bonnet spring to save toggle-wedging.

Remember to buy the bonnet strengthener and the one-piece bonnet prop designed for use with bonnet mounted wheels.

And yes, they look cool - but you lose a bit of forward visibility, plus ist's hard to get the wheel off without scratching your paint if that sort of thing bothers you.
 
There's a post on here somewhere about the dangers of the bonnet mounted wheel coming through the windscreen in an accident, nearly decapitated a small child in the middle seat.
 
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, sorry, that wasn't funny was it. Wasn't anyone here was it??

It does block your view a little. Not enough to worry though..
 
i had the wheele on me bonnet but it was bad opening the bonnet so moved it to the back door but only whay i come to change the wheele in the rain and i had to jump onto the wing to lift it and sliped off NOT FUNNY but it just sipmpler and makes life easy whan you need it!!
 
Is there anything stopping us putting the spare on the body side, like on a wolf? Like laws on projection etc?

If not I'd fancy doing that as I'm having 2 spares and don't fancy raking through all my possessions to reach the spare on the tub front bulkhead.

Can you just fit a newer disco mounting to the side with a steel load spreader on the inside putting the wheels weight onto the body capping? or is there something out there available to do it off the shelf?
 
There's nothing in law to stop you (think of Vans with Racks on the side.) but it will have to be on the O/S. personally I'd go for a swing away wheel carrier. Why do you need 2 spares? surely 1 and a can of tyreweld would be simpler.
 
bonnet mounting is just plain dangerous. cant imagine you can see much over anything bigger than a 235/75. get a swing away, and if you want 2 you can now get double swing aways from frogs island 4x4. 1 swing away one on the roof?

bonnet mount is a nono.

G
 
That double swingaway costs more than my landy!

Two wheels for expeditions and cos everytime, without fail that I get a puncture, I get ANOTHER one before I get to a tyre place.

Is the bonnet spare dangerous only cos of lack of visibilty? I can't see it coming thru the window if properly attached with the correct strenghening plates and arms. And if you knock someone down, it'll cushion soime of the blow.

Getting a spare off a roof is way hard and can lead to a bad back, dmaged body work and (as I found out) if you drop them in error they bounce and hit your neighbours sportscar.
 
muddythelandy said:
That double swingaway costs more than my landy!

Two wheels for expeditions and cos everytime, without fail that I get a puncture, I get ANOTHER one before I get to a tyre place.

Is the bonnet spare dangerous only cos of lack of visibilty? I can't see it coming thru the window if properly attached with the correct strenghening plates and arms. And if you knock someone down, it'll cushion soime of the blow.

Getting a spare off a roof is way hard and can lead to a bad back, dmaged body work and (as I found out) if you drop them in error they bounce and hit your neighbours sportscar.
Click to expand...

when they were mounted to the series landrovers they were thinner and lighter. and the bonnets were designed to carry the spare. newer landy's aren't though you can buy a bonnet that is designed to carry the spare or get a kit. also modern tyres tend to be wider so restrict your forwards vision. A pair of tyre levers and a puncture repair kit is the cheapest option. It's what most expedition vehicles carry. A 2nd spare is just excess weight/space especially on a 90.
 
Discomania's 90 has the spare wheel inside fitted to a backdoor bracket that is bolted to the bukhead. Spare is clean and dry inside. and doesn't take up too much space.
 
Hmmm, just checked my spare tyre, < 10 psi, cracked and in poor condition. Looks like the elements take their toll on bonnet mounted wheels. I think it might look a bit daft with a cover on it though. Maybe I should mount it out of the weather (when I get another)...
 
the brit army has ran about wiff bonnet mouted tyres fer fook nose how long and didn't have any problems wiff UV crackin. but then they still had a policy of getting the grunts to rotate the fookers every time there was fook all else for them to do. so maybe yer answer to weather crackin would be to rotate thum every so often. or buy a swing away rear mount and a cover.
 
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