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Do people run their defenders without a spare wheel?


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Reason I ask is because the defender I have recently bought came with a carrier but wasn't attached. It's missing the 6 bolts that attach it to the door and we are having problems trying to source the right bolts. I have been reading that the carrier on the door can cause issues such as door wear, rattles etc. Do people forego the spare and use tyre weld? What are the other options?

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if it's a new style rear door with the glass secured with a rubber seal, the spare wheel bracket bolts are these LR part VYG000020, M8 x 50mm long, the nuts are nyloc LR part NY108047, M8 plus 6 plain washers.

I think I will go for keeping a spare then!! Peace of mind too. The glass has a rubber seal yes. It's a 2002 model. Is that the new style door?

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I bought one of those HD wheel braces quite soon after buying my Defender, because the first time I went to take a wheel off the flimsy standard affair simply bent round like a banana when I tried to undo the wheel nuts. With the HD one I can stand on it and bounce up and down without it bending, which is sometimes necessary when the car's been in for an MOT and Mr Mechanic has used his 1,000,000lb-ft windy gun to do the nuts up.

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I wonder what the Law is regarding the spare wheel? I believe that it is a legal requirement and definitely is in other Countries of Europe and apart from that you are also required to carry a spare bulb set, warning triangle and fluorescent jackets, one for each occupant, some require them to be orange, others yellow but I believe that they are changing to orange only. In the UK we are allowed to get away with carrying very little at the moment in this respect and not to do so is rather foolish and tempting fate, especially for those that do long journeys and a fair bit of motorway driving. I also believe that it's a legal requirement when selling a vehicle that the spare wheel must be included, also, though very few people are aware of this, the seller has to supply the user/owner manual.

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Sorry Muddy

but I would get a 3/4 braker bar and 27mm socket to match. It takes some force to open mine.

I think you must be over torquing them to require 3/4" drive IIRC LR wheel nit torque is circa 110lb/ft I can undo 27mm wheel nuts on the tractors at work torqued to 370 lb/ft with my 1/2" bar and a good grunt.

Admittedly a silver line breaker bar is made from recylcled Land rover diffs and half shafts and will probably snap with one hand if it will accept a socket, that's if it hasn't melted in the sun.

Will.

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Spare can't be a legal requirement, lot of modern cars only carry a can of tyre sealant which is a fat lot of good if the sidewall gets ripped!

Not sure what to do with my spare, took the swingaway off when I replaced the rear crossmember and preferred the look of the rear end without a spare so sold the carrier! Spare is just lobbed in the back at the moment but was thinking of sticking it on the bonnet, all my previous LR had it there so it doesn't bother me but a 265 on a Td5 bonnet doesn't work so well :unsure:

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I agree that its silly to go with no spare. However I have been running with no spare for quite a while as I went through 2 back windows then changed to perspex and took wheel mount off the door. If im going off road or on a decent drive I chuck it in the back. Someone said earlier that its dangerous but im afraid I have to disagree. I had a head on with a tree :$ at around 50mph and it stopped me dead the back window shattered (3rd window) and spare wheel flew into the back of the middle seat and hardly made a mark. Even if you rolled it cant be alot worse than a load of tools and a gun rolling round tje cab with you. Spoke from experience.

Conclusion in my view: if you have a spare at home and someone willing to come out to your local area where you are. Why bother? I have a few spare sets dotted around and chances are theres going to be a mate at home, local to drop one off with 10 20 miles of them and not moan too much.

No legislation to say you require a spare in EU from what I am aware.

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The 'spare' supplied with some new cars are only meant to get you to the nearest tyre depot or garage at a speed of no more than 30 mph or so, not to drive at 90 to get you home 60 miles, I know it's not a very practical and is near useless but that's what manufacturers supply as cars are getting smaller in physical size and space seems to be the reason for these nonsense spare wheels. A friend of a friend recently bought a new car, think it was a Vauxhall Astra, he had a puncture, looked under the boot carpet, nothing there, looked under the rear of the car, nothing there, he rang the garage where he bought the car and was told 'there is no spare wheel or tools, they're not supplied with the new cars now, it's an optional extra'. The chap told the garage that in the circumstance he expected them to come out to where he was with another wheel or recover the vehicle, he got his spare wheel. The space for the wheel was in the boot of the car, it was filled out with a moulded to shape lump of expanded polystyrene.

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What's a HD wheel bracer? My defender has the land rover high lift jack in it. But when using it, it bends the sill plate!?

like this one, similar to mine

http://www.devon4x4.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage_new.tpl&category_id=1013634&product_id=637&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=14

the LR pillar jack is meant to be used at the front or rear jacking point holes under front bumper or in the rear crossmember, it's not for lifting the vehicle from the side. the sill panel & channel is strong enough for jacking up on

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like this one, similar to mine

http://www.devon4x4.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage_new.tpl&category_id=1013634&product_id=637&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=14

the LR pillar jack is meant to be used at the front or rear jacking point holes under front bumper or in the rear crossmember, it's not for lifting the vehicle from the side. the sill panel & channel is strong enough for jacking up on

I thought there were jacking points on the side (in front of the rear wheels)?

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