Technical Spare Wheel Mechanism.....help!

[martbass]

Just limped 50 yards to home with a flat tyre.
When trying to release the spare by turning the bolt (inside the boot),
It just loosely turned and the spare wouldn't lower.
How is this mechanism set up, is there a cable somewhere?
Looking underneath, the bolt from the boot spins freely into a metal box with no sign of a cable or anything attaching it to the spare wheel arm/retainer.
Its tightly fixed up by bungie straps courtesy of previous owner!
Does anyone know how its set up and where I could get the parts I need to fit/fix?
My punctures fixed now but sods law I'll get a puncture on the motorway in the rain somewhere and wont be able to fit the spacesaver spare!!

thanks in advance

martin

 

[glossevans]

Martin,

I had as similar problem with my spare wheel cradle thingie.

There is a no way to repair it i'm afraid. I seem to recall reading another posting on here where someone had managed to open one up and found that there was a worm drive or thread that had stripped and the whole thing was pretty poorly made.

You only options are to
a) Fit one off a scrapper (but you don't know if it's any good) There is a dealer on ebay who I contacted about finding one so you could try there.
b) Fit a new one (bought from fiat for about £90 as I recall). Its a really easy job. Just 4 biggish bolts that hold the whole thing into the boot floor.
c) Keep your spare wheel in the boot!

I was advised to operate the mechanism every couple of months to make sure it doesn't jam up and to keep it well greased. Also, don't over tighten it when you wind it back up.

 

[JTDman]

I was debating bolting mine to the boot aka 4x4 style.

 

[multieddie]

Another job on my list - to drill out the spare wheel retainer, releasing the spacesaver out of its rusty prison under the car and pop it in the boot! Buggered if I'm paying £90 for the worst piece of Italian engineering nonsense since the Leaning Tower of Pisa!

 

[booklady]

it is a very common failure - the spare comes down on a cable, like a fishing rod

We break multis and this part is more or less the first thing we sell - funnily enough all the cars we have had so far have had a working one!!!

keep an eye on our ebay shop.

 

[Pandabloke]

There is a no way to repair it i'm afraid. I seem to recall reading another posting on here where someone had managed to open one up and found that there was a worm drive or thread that had stripped and the whole thing was pretty poorly made.

Yes, I did this some years ago, thinking I could fix it. It is rubbish, there is no doubt. They are relatively easy to fit and I bit the bullet and bought one from the main dealers and fitted it meself.

 

[martbass]

Spare Wheel Mechanism....REAR MOUNTED 4x4 style

Thanks for the replies.........looks like I'm going to have to sortout second hand!
Wondered if anyone has considered fitting one on the boot lid 4x4 style???!!!
Errrrrr........might not look too strange with a bull bar and side bars??!!!

just a thought .............

 

[JTDman]

Ill be thinking about doing WHEN mine goes , shouldnt be hard at all although it would either needs swing to the side approach or very strong (a plank of wood) gas struts for the boot lid.

 

[JTDman]

This could look nice although expensive.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MERCEDES-ML-M...trkparms=65:12|66:2|39:1|72:2122|293:1|294:50

 

[martbass]

Thanks for all the replies........

I have now got the spare wheel off by undoing the 4 bolts and taken the entire wheel mply and mechanism off.
I have to say, what a complete piece of badly engineered junk it is!!
I will not pay for a new one either as I can see it probably wouldn't last that long!!!

Searching the forum, it seems the best way to go would be another members idea of fitting a thread to the mechanism and simply screwing the spare up and keeping a 19mm spanner in the boot to do so.

Shame on fiat!