Mo Murphy Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Hi all, My spare wheel gets in the way when inside my 90, taking up too much room when going abroad. The rear door isn't really up to the job of carrying it and I don't really want another swingaway rear carrier. I was thinking of mounting the spare outside on the hard top side panel, much like the army do with the wolf but further back so that the rear of the tyre would be flush with the back of the vehicle. This way I could mount a second spare on the other side for overseas trips without using any storage space inside or on top. I'll fabricate mounts myself, coming off the backstay of the roll cage (which drops onto the wheel box) and bracing to the tub top rail. Anyone done this themselves or foresee any problems I might have with the fabrication or legalities ? Cheers Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirkthe1 Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 im no expert but isnt it an mot fail to have stuff proud of the body on the sides? might not be true just remember someone saying it once. but it would look quite cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 longer mirror arms for one will be required or just extend the existing ones out by using some rectangular box between the door hinge & mirror arm. only other problem will be lifting the spare on/off & aligning the studs to secure it, not good for your arms/back muscles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike4444244 Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 you'll need a huge wheelarch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alantd Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 What's wrong with a swing-away carrier? Personally I'd go with that - apart from anything else you'll keep snagging it on hedges if you squeeze down lanes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted April 13, 2009 Author Share Posted April 13, 2009 Squeezing down lanes is something I no longer feel the need to do Alan, so it's not a consideration. With a spare wheel on the rear door or on a carrier and the 90 parked on a slope, the rear door is either a real bugger to open (downhill) or needs great care to stop it swinging open fast and hard (uphill). Ralph, yup, those longer arms will be necessary. I'm not unduly worried about the weight of them, so far I've needed the spare twice in the last 15 years (that's blown that one now, hasn't it ) Dirk, I'm hoping someone here will have the answer regarding legalities Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid_From_Hell Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Mo Have you ruled out bonnet mounted ? Nige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted April 13, 2009 Author Share Posted April 13, 2009 I have really Nige, I used to have one on my 2A many moons ago and whilst it was OK on the road, it would block my view of the ground in front of me when off road, this might be a problem on the piste in the mountains or Morocco. Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid_From_Hell Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 AH Fairy nuff, might add some "Bounce" if you go "Off Piste" when it then lands I think you may find side mounted a PITA squeezing through - Ooops argggg reverse - type thing, plus it may F up your LR balances and COG hanging a big lump high and on one side. Roof out ? Rear Door ? Flat in the back ? Can of Moose ? Not helping now really am I Nige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alantd Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Hang one on both sides and then you won't go round in circles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted April 13, 2009 Author Share Posted April 13, 2009 A cunning plan that I've already worked on Alan Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeagent Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 I don't see a problem with it, after all, Landrover have flogged enough Wolf Landrovers to the army with the spare stuck on the side. I would probably go with either roof or swing away options though... simply because i think it would get in the way stuck on the side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51bigG Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 A cunning plan that I've already worked on Alan Mo How about on yer front bumper if no winch to take into consideration. I put my one on the roof rack as it was wrecking the back door,however it did raise the noise level when travelling at speed, I would think that with one on either side of thevehicle it would increase dramatically. Just a thought.Graham. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eightpot Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Rather than lug a wolf wheel and dirty big mud tyre round, which will probably never get used, and which I think is too heavy for my swingaway, I plan to get a standard skinny rim and 7.50 tyre and either mount it on the bonnet, chopping the mounting rubbers down so it sits as low as poss, or on the swingaway. I seem to remember when I first got my ex mod 90, it had the skinny army tyres on and it wasn't that obtrusive on the bonnet - 235/85's don't work at all... The spare only needs to get you somewhere to repair/replace a tyre. Failing that, just carry a set of tyre irons, a CO2 bottle and a spare tyre. The tyre string repair kits are ok as well, carry one of those and no spare and hope you don't blow the sidewall out. If there are a few of you going, share a spare! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pat_pending Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 There's nothing I can see in the MOT regs that would stop you side mounting the spare other than the need for it to be secure and not obstruct rear vision. Personally I'd stick with a rear swing away and stick a gas strut on the door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted April 14, 2009 Author Share Posted April 14, 2009 Thanks for that, pat pending I've already tried both of those Graham, alas there is an 8274 in the way Eightpot, I think I'd rather have a least one full size spare tyre, (aside from my own personal one ) Has anyone else tried something similar to this ? Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 I have a bonnet mounted spare as well as one on the rear door. Both are the same 7" rims and 235/85s as on the axles. I found no trouble with the bonet spare in the Alps, and we did some pretty tricky tracks with plenty of pot holes and very tight hairpins require 7-point turns pointing out into oblivion. Having side mounted spares, though would have rendered some sections of the tracks unpassable - there simply wouldn't have been enough space to pass various obstructions. I'd be very wary of sticking that much weight so high up, and thought the two other Defender drivers must have been nuts, one with a spare 265 on the rack accompanied by fuel cans and a Hannibal tent and awning, and the other with two RTTs and an awning - some of the side slopes where rock slides covered the tacks were unnervingly steep, had little spare lateral space, with the roof rack overhanging sheer drops of several hundered feet and the steep valley bottom up to 6000 feet below. That high CoG combined with steep, uneven, unstable rocky sideslopes with only a foot or twos' passing width, or tight flat passes with only a couple of inches' clearance really dictate that you have the spare on the front and back in the mountains, not on the top or sides. Just my relatively novice opinion, based on a single expedition. I did trim the bonnet spare buffers down so that the bottom face of the tyre sist only a few mm above the bonnet, but the suggestion of sticking to a standard rim with a 7.50 tyre is a good one if you're worried about forward visibility (or weight), given the liklihood of using it and the minimal issues that would be caused by having a 235 on one side and 7.50 on the other. Since it's the tyre shoulder, not the rim that causes the visual obstruction, a full set of 5 or 6 Wolf rims with 7.50s would have no more obstruction than the standard rims, as long as you trim those bonnet buffers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gringo Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Ah this is all interesting stuff. Just last weekend I gave up on my swing away tire carrier. We started out with the spare inside the D90. It took up too much room, so I put it on the bonnet. I hated that. It flexed and bounced and was obviously going to destroy the aluminum, and it obscured vision, and it filled with dust and then when it rained we got mud from it all over the windscreen, plus it made lifting the bonnet to check the engine,oil, etc. a pain because I had to lift the weight of the tire as well. I wouldn't want to be under that if the bonnet fell. SO I ordered a swing away carrier and mounted it on that for the past year. We live three and a half miles from the nearest pavement, on a rutted, rocky road. And the rattling, banging noises from the spare were driving us bats. And it was slowly tweaking the rear panel, and constantly loosening. I kept putting thicker and thicker plastic spacers on the tail gate.. Finally, I gave up, junked the swing away carrier, and put the spare back inside. Now yesterday we bought another Land Rover Defender, this one a 110! IT has a hard top, and a spare carrier on the rear door. There is no tire on it. I asked the representative of the going-under construction company we bought it from why they took all the spares off, and he said that the weight of them on the bumpy roads here in were tearing holes in the rear doors. Doesn't seem to be any well-thought out solution to carrying a spare on a Defender, does it. Well, the good news for us is that now I can strip those useless seats, seat belts, and galvanized pipe soft top supports out of the D-90 and go for a sporty look! Anyone know of a good source for a roll bar and a bikini top for a D90? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted April 14, 2009 Author Share Posted April 14, 2009 Good point snagger, I've seen some film of some of the tracks high in the Alps (going up to the forts ?) which are very narrow with a big wall on one side and a big drop on th other ! BUT surely this is a rare thing and the spare wheels could be removed for such excitement ? Gringo, you're a glutton for punishment Buying another ! Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gringo Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Gringo, you're a glutton for punishment Buying another !Mo Yes, well, it wasn't exactly planned. In fact, I was looking at boats and thinking of what to do about this Suzuki Samurai that has been our second vehicle on this little island. We have had some issues with the size of the Defender 90. It's perfect for the two of us and one mouthy, obnoxious little Jack Russell, but we have five sons and sometimes they come down in various combinations to visit. Christmas we had six of us in the Defender, and it was not comfy. Nor safe, really,with a decaying soft top and some bent galvanized sticks ( I had carried several hundred pounds of lumber on top, whoops). Then we found out a local construction company is trimming overhead, and putting part of their fleet of company LRs up for sale, including (2) 110's. So yesterday we scooted over to take a look, and shook hands on a 2004 110 with a hardtop, diesel, and all the seats. 25,000 miles on it. small dents nothing much. For US $ 18K. So...now we own two of them. Hopefully can pick up the 110 today or tomorrow. I don't know what's going on. ME, a fifth generation Texan living in a small British country, with a British dog, and now owning two Land Rovers. If you see me reaching for the tea instead of coffee, please slap it out of my hand! I have long wanted to "sporterize' the D 90, and now I can! I am looking for a single hoop style roll bar to go behind the bulkhead, and a soft bikini top to just cover the front seats. I am having a hard time finding these. Do people just have local welders make them up on the spot, or does someone actually build roll bars as a product? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Good point snagger, I've seen some film of some of the tracks high in the Alps (going up to the forts ?) which are very narrow with a big wall on one side and a big drop on th other !BUT surely this is a rare thing and the spare wheels could be removed for such excitement ? Mo Such side slopes and narrow passes were frequent occurences in the Alps. The second half of the trip was video taped and shows some of the tracks and side slopes. Have a look at the videos on my blog ( www.nickslandrover.co.uk ). Remember that having side mounted spares will greatly hamper the already poor rearward visibility, which will make three-point tunrs and manouvering in confined spaces much more difficult. I really don't think side or roof mounted spares are good on an exped vehicle, and I really don't think you'd struggle with a 7.50 on the bonnet, especially if you have a fellow traveller who can act as a spotter on particularly technical passes.I think the MoD were granted an exemption on the construction and usees regs, but I doubt that a civilian LR would be legal with the wheel exposed like that. I know we're not allowed side mounted fuel cans in the UK, though they're often used in Africa, and regulations in other European countries, especially Italy and Switzerland, are much stricter than the UK (roof mounted fuel cans are prohibeted in both). If you're worried about the back door, then an alloy wheel may help, or a good quality swing away would be the answer - I'm sure they're made to better tolerances and have quiter bushings that the cheap sorts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted April 14, 2009 Author Share Posted April 14, 2009 I don't know what's going on. ME, a fifth generation Texan living in a small British country, with a British dog, and now owning two Land Rovers. If you see me reaching for the tea instead of coffee, please slap it out of my hand! Gringo, Your Anglicization (sp?) is coming along nicely You'll need a Patterdale terrier to go with the Jacky. The tea thing is fine but you'll need chocolate hob nobs to go with it, stay off the coffee, it's not good for your health (and it's what those ghastly colonial types in The Americas drink ) A framed picture of Her Majesty is in the post Snagger, Much more thought required on my part, methinks. Cheers Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bishbosh Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Mo, I think this is going to be a case of suck it and see - if it is something you think will work for you then go for it! With your rear stays for the cage you should be able to fabricate a bracket from the inside that connects through the side panel to something on the outside. My personal opinion is swing away and gas struts as Pat suggested. You say you have tried this? How did it not work for you? More Shredded Wheat or more gas strut...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted April 14, 2009 Author Share Posted April 14, 2009 Bish, a nice strong gas strut will assist matters if parked downhill, it does help open the door and is quite gentle. If I'm parked facing uphill however, the strut assistance will try to throw you onto the pavement or the middle of the road depending on which side of the road you are parked I did it originally to help the good Lady when we took the dogs out as she couldn't open the door. It works well enough but I'm looking for something different Bish. Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid_From_Hell Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Mo In all seriousness just been reading a Austrialain 4x4 mag, they modded a swing away type carrier to take 2x spares.... side by side ?? ? Seemed neat although the rear weight may need springs poundages checking / upgrading ?? Nige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.