General Spare wheel retaining bolt

[Stevecoles]

Hi all,

I have just bought a 2017 Tipo estate. The full sized spare wheel is held down, through the tool kit, by a retaining bolt. The bolt is held by a moulded plastic part, that is supposed to undo the bolt when it is itself turned. This one just spins around the bolt, I guess the plastic has rounded off. There isn't space to get a socket in.
Has anyone else experienced this? Has anyone an idea to over come it? or am I being an idiot and have missed something obvious.
This is my first post on a forum, but please don't worry about sparing my blushes......

 

[varesecrazy]

Hi all,

I have just bought a 2017 Tipo estate. The full sized spare wheel is held down, through the tool kit, by a retaining bolt. The bolt is held by a moulded plastic part, that is supposed to undo the bolt when it is itself turned. This one just spins around the bolt, I guess the plastic has rounded off. There isn't space to get a socket in.
Has anyone else experienced this? Has anyone an idea to over come it? or am I being an idiot and have missed something obvious.
This is my first post on a forum, but please don't worry about sparing my blushes......

Hi and welcome

I had this on my sons Grande Punto..

I found that the wheel wrench drove the plastic handles hexagon around the bolthead quite well..

Bottom of the thread was rusty..

 

[Batius finkius]

If you look under the back, in the middle of the boot floor you will see the thread sticking out, unprotected and rusting nicely. I gave mine a coat of protective grease to make sure you can get it out in future. Because 11pm at the side of a road in minus 2 in a blizzard is not the time to find out your wheel is stuck.

 

[Stevecoles]

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I found I could easily turn the plastic handle using the wrench, but it is just spinning around the head of the bolt, without undoing the bolt.
There isn't room between the plastic and the bolt head to get a socket in.
Am I going to have to cut the plastic handle in half to get to the bolt?

 

[chris3234]

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I found I could easily turn the plastic handle using the wrench, but it is just spinning around the head of the bolt, without undoing the bolt.
There isn't room between the plastic and the bolt head to get a socket in.
Am I going to have to cut the plastic handle in half to get to the bolt?

Perhaps some mole grips on the underside on the bolt to loosen it as much as you can
Should hopefully get enough moved to free it up

 

[Stevecoles]

Good idea, I'll give it a try.

 

[varesecrazy]

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I found I could easily turn the plastic handle using the wrench, but it is just spinning around the head of the bolt, without undoing the bolt.
There isn't room between the plastic and the bolt head to get a socket in.
Am I going to have to cut the plastic handle in half to get to the bolt?

I had the plastic spread..and jump over the corners of yhe bolthead

The ( 17mm?) Socket held it together enough to free it off.

If you are using molegrips..

Grab the bolt head.. even if pinching the plastic against the bolts hex..

Better than mangling the thread.. and having other problems