Spare wheel mounting options

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NI_Landy

NI_Landy

Member
Posts
21
Location
Northern Ireland
Hi, currently my spare wheel is mounted in the back of my 3 series. No room on bonnet as 200tdi takes up all the room!

I would like to get the wheel out of the back, so I suppose I have two options;

1. bolt the carrier bracket onto the back door and mount the wheel; or

2. Fit a swing away wheel carrier, which I assume bolts onto the cross member

any advice or suggestions are greatly received.
 
Mounting the wheel on the door isnt a great idea as the weight of it can deform the door and put a lot of strain on the hinges. A swing away is better but pricey. My bonnet is the dished type for mounting the wheel but I dont carry a spare, the bonnet is too heavy to lift with a spare on it. If I get a puncture the AA start earning the money.

Col
 
Thanks. I agree with you on the back door hinges and that was my concern. My bonnet has not got the dish in it due to needing room for engine swap and don't think the wheel will look good just planted on top. Might take your advice and let the RAC sort out any punctures and ditch the spare.
 
NI_Landy said:
Thanks. I agree with you on the back door hinges and that was my concern. My bonnet has not got the dish in it due to needing room for engine swap and don't think the wheel will look good just planted on top. Might take your advice and let the RAC sort out any punctures and ditch the spare.
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Still not understanding the bonnet thing. The 200Tdi is physically the same basic block as the 2.25 engines and should take up the same space.

Tyre on rear door is fine, but will cause the hinges to sag in time and maybe even break the door. But this is how they where fitted from the factory. A lot will depend on the size/weight of the spare and how often you open the rear door and if you let it swing about uncontrolled when opening it.

Wheel on the bonnet might look cool in pictures, but it reduces visibility out of the windscreen quite a lot, makes the bonnet very heavy to open/close and the tyre will gather lots of crap under it, while slowly perishing.

Depending on use, you could locate inside the back either in the factory location against the bulkhead. Which keeps most of the rear free and clear. Or you could retro fit it to the side on top of a seat box or even directly on the floor, maybe with a board over it.

But it you don't do many miles and not far from home or have a mate that would come and rescue you. You might be fine not carrying a spare at all.
 
Naturally I have to disagree with this :D
I ain’t got a dished bonnet and the spare sits on it very well. Standard wheels and tyres don’t impede visibility at all and mine hasn’t moved or been washed in 8 years and hasn’t perished. It’s heavy to lift the bonnet but perfectly manageable. As the bonnet usually has to be removed anyway for anything more than an oil and coolant check it matters very little. The only down side for me is it looks a bit too military for my liking.

the other option of course is up on the roof rack. :(

56A2D1EE-3DB5-4D67-BC2C-99C82C4E113F.jpeg
 
Bobsticle said:
Naturally I have to disagree with this :D
I ain’t got a dished bonnet and the spare sits on it very well. Standard wheels and tyres don’t impede visibility at all and mine hasn’t moved or been washed in 8 years and hasn’t perished. It’s heavy to lift the bonnet but perfectly manageable. As the bonnet usually has to be removed anyway for anything more than an oil and coolant check it matters very little. The only down side for me is it looks a bit too military for my liking.

the other option of course is up on the roof rack. :(

View attachment 268790
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Bollox it doesn't impact visibility, only if you are Superman with x-ray vision. Don't fancy lifting a bonnet on or off with the tyre on it. ;)
 
300bhp/ton said:
Bollox it doesn't impact visibility, only if you are Superman with x-ray vision. Don't fancy lifting a bonnet on or off with the tyre on it. ;)
Click to expand...
It may if your a little chap. If you look at the photo, the only way my visibility would be reduced is if I drove like a 19 year old secretary peering over the bonnet of her Fiat 500 expecting something to happen a foot away from her front bumper.

I wouldn’t remove the bonnet without popping off the spare first. It only takes 30 seconds but like I say. I’m not a dwaf. ;)
 
Bobsticle said:
The only down side for me is it looks a bit too military for my liking.
Click to expand...


That’s only because you have chosen to paint it the wrong colour. If you had chosen the mighty Masai red then The wheel on the bonnet does not make it look military at all.

A191924E-4658-4352-BD86-9B8BD5437501.jpeg


I will however second that it does not impede visibility and does not make the bonnet impossible to open. I have a 750 fitted to a wolf rim on mine and it is fine. I do have a dished bonnet but agree that it is not a necessity and you can happily fit it without having the dish, lots were fitted like that oroginally.

I also have the bulkhead mounting because I am greedy. And as mentioned above it does not take up much room In the back and I still have bench seats that are usable.

9B49268A-6ACF-4AF8-B79C-4DC1B12620D6.jpeg
 
I removed my bonnet stay so that I can push the bonnet up to the windscreen, I got fed up of cracking my bonce on the bonnet when the stay was attached so the spare had to go.

Col
 
dag019 said:
That’s only because you have chosen to paint it the wrong colour. If you had chosen the mighty Masai red then The wheel on the bonnet does not make it look military at all.

View attachment 268833

I will however second that it does not impede visibility and does not make the bonnet impossible to open. I have a 750 fitted to a wolf rim on mine and it is fine. I do have a dished bonnet but agree that it is not a necessity and you can happily fit it without having the dish, lots were fitted like that oroginally.

I also have the bulkhead mounting because I am greedy. And as mentioned above it does not take up much room In the back and I still have bench seats that are usable.

View attachment 268834
Click to expand...
Always thought the red looked a bit effeminate and now I’m convinced :p:p:p
I’m going light green next to match my nails. o_O
 
dag019 said:
I will however second that it does not impede visibility and does not make the bonnet impossible to open.
View attachment 268834
Click to expand...
It does impede visibility, I don't have a picture to hand. But it is more when sat in the drivers seat, you can no longer see the front of the bonnet of the passenger side corner of the front wing. If you are very tall, it may be less of an issue. But there is an impact, which can be noticed if you off road or drive in very tight quarters, where you want to be able to see the front wings.

And no, not impossible to open the bonnet, but it is bloody heavy with a tyre on. And lifting the bonnet 'off' with it mounted would not be nice at all. You also won't be able to fold the bonnet back to the windscreen with the tyre on it and if you try, you are then placing large forces on the bonnet hinges and mounts.
 
Last edited:
Bobsticle said:
Basically if your a bit of a girl; don’t put it on the bonnet. ;)
Click to expand...
Don't put it on the bonnet anyway. It ruins the hinges, and will bend the frames of a rusty bonnet.
Or on the back door, I have seen a door completely removed by the weight of the wheel.
Put it upright in the back, behind the front seats, secured to the centre bulkhead.
Weight is central and between the axles, it doesn't impair visibility, and it wont knacker the vehicle.
 
If you notice Bob has the knife/razor edge bonnet, these are of course the coolest series bonnets known to mankind.

The deluxe bonnets, especially in red are gayer than gay:D and also make the bonnet mounted spare wheel quite height.

You can also get the deluxe bonnet with a spare wheel recess ie the wheel is sunk into the bonnet to improve visibility.

For rivet counters there are differences between the razor/knife edge bonnet hinges, early having more bolts iIirc.
 
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