babbo_umbro said:

No - you must make sure that the offset's right - I'm not sure how much they vary, however.

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Thanks - can anyone tell me where/how I'd find out what the offset (ET number) is for my car please? (Panda 4x4 registered Sept 2013 with 4 stud 15" diameter alloys)

Cheers!

This site gives the offset for the current Panda as 35. There's no specific listing for the 4x4, but I see that on the old Pandas, the offset was the same on all variants.

http://www.wheelfitment.eu/car/Fiat/Panda (2012 - ).html

Thanks to all for this helpful thread. I too have now sourced and bought from Ebay a 15" spacesaver for my 4x4, including the inner tray tools and jack. Correct size, including the ET35 offset. And fits correctly in teh spare wheel well too. (Note: a full size 15" wheel wont fit)

But since its come from a 'normal' (not 4x4) Fiat the jack is not 'big' enough for the 4x4 - won't go high enough. Does anyone know what lift height I need to find (could jack car with trolley jack and measure, but its worth a quick ask here first.) Screwfix and Halfords both sell scissor jacks with upto 390mm lift - that may not be enough?

Found that the wheelbrace with it was also too big (19mm a/f), and also that the extended towing eye from the 4x4 (longer to reach into the deeper bumpers) won't fit the older tray. Suspect I'll end up binning that tray in the end, since taller jack not likely to fit into it anyway.

You've the got me thinking, now, Herts Hillhopper.... Our Antarctica came with a space saver, jack etc (bought nearly new), but I've never had the jack out to see if it'll actually lift the car high enough! I wonder....don't want to get stranded at the roadside... (Will be anxiously looking for a couple of planks to stick under the jack!)

Once this rain stops I might get out and have a look - if it lift sit acceptably, I'll measure the height.

If your Antarctica was factory-supplied with a spare, then it should have the dedicated 4x4 jack (there's a label on it saying "4x4 and Qubo"), and it will be too big to sit inside the spare wheel. If it is inside the wheel (in a polystyrene moulding with the other tools), then it will be the wrong one - follow this thread back up as that's exactly how it started...

So - I looked at the spare in our Panda 4x4, bought 1yr old in Feb. Guess what? 135/80 R14 space-saver and wheel-mounted jack from a Punto in it - tried the jack and it is, as you might guess, too short.

So it looks like the dealer sold the previous owner the wrong accessory spare kit. Naughty Dealer!

So I need a complete 4x4 kit, it would seem. Just to confirm - it should be a 135/? R15 space-saver, should it? ( what profile?)

Glad I've found this now, rather than at the roadside, in the rain and dark, with a sobbing family to consider!

First port of call will be the dealer - in my view, supplying a vehicle with the wrong size space saver is pretty dangerous......

Panda 4x4 TA Antarctica said:

S...I need a complete 4x4 kit, it would seem. Just to confirm - it should be a 135/? R15 space-saver, should it? ( what profile?)....

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Sorry for slow reply - been on holiday. The 4x4 supplement to the owners handbook shows the details of the spacesaver spare (on page 9) - 125/80 R15 (and I have assumed it needs the same ET35 offset). That skinny tyre gets inflated to 4.2 bar (which is 61 PSI!)
By the way, I found that this jack from Screwfix was a perfect height, and since marked to lift 1.5tonnes, was more 'robust' feeling than the lighter-weight Fiat one I couldn't use: http://www.screwfix.com/p/1-5-tonne-scissor-jack/97595

Looks good. Can the Screwfix one be used OK on the same mounting points as the official Fiat jack?

I've jacked it up to test it, and yes. But, the 'notch' in the Fiat jack is deeper, so the well seam on the inner cill slots into it and the 'box section' of the cill rests on the jack. With the Screwfix one the slot is not so deep so the seam carries the weight. However, this is exactly what happens if a trolley jack or two post lift is used and it seems to be fine.

Herts Hillhopper said:

I've jacked it up to test it, and yes. But, the 'notch' in the Fiat jack is deeper, so the well seam on the inner cill slots into it and the 'box section' of the cill rests on the jack. With the Screwfix one the slot is not so deep so the seam carries the weight. However, this is exactly what happens if a trolley jack or two post lift is used and it seems to be fine.

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Pete - just have a small length of 4x2 in the boot and sit the jack on this - soon makes up the height difference and job's a good'un! That's what I did anyhoo....

R1NGA said:

Pete - just have a small length of 4x2 in the boot and sit the jack on this - soon makes up the height difference and job's a good'un! That's what I did anyhoo....

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I did think about that route. My old 4x4 came with a genuine Fiat 'lump of plastic' that was designed to go under the to provide the extra height. The 'new' Fiat jack I acquired with the spare just seemed too flimsy (more so that the old 4x4 jack) and was marked as only being good for 700kg of lift. So the Screwfix one is me 'being safe'