5 spoke 16" alloy as a spare

[Colin Gregory]

I've just bought a set of 16" Caterham alloys. However, when I came to fit the spare on the carrier it did not fit. Spoke to Caterham today, their reply was "bend it until it fits and sits low enough to align the securing bolt"!

Does anyone have any other suggestions about how to fit the spare or do I need to carry a spare, is there an alternative?

 

Thanks

 

Colin Gregory ☹️

[Anthony]

Hi Colin,

 

I suggest it depends how many miles you do and whether you prefer to carry a spare.

 

I have some foam and have cut off the spare wheel carrier for the SLR look

 

With the road car I have had two punctures in the last 250K, both with brand new tyres ( do they pick up nails etc more easily ? )

[STEVE GILBERT]

Make up an offset mounting bolt plate.

I knocked one up so my 13 inch spare with very worn A008 is fully supported at the bottom

 

Any excuse to weld something eh? always starting fires as a kid too.

 

HTH

Steve

 

 

 

 

 

See My Zetec Power 7 Here

[POP7]

Hiya Colin,

Thanks for the cuppa on sunday.

Put the seats in place but not yet bolted them in...they look a treat. Thanks.

 

As to the spare wheel question, as with Anthony's reply, I don't bother with a spare now and just carry a can of puncture sealing foam. I cut the carrier off leaving a short length from the rear panel so that I can put in a tube insert and refit the carrier later if I felt the need to. Got some handlebar blanking plugs from Halfords to fit in the ends and the job looks very neat. Personally, I prefer the look of the car without the spare. For the mileage you do, the chances of a puncture must statistically be very low.

 

 

[Sheds Moderator]

I think I will go the foam repair route too. Ford do it in the Fiesta - it saves a few pounds of both types. OK if you get a catastrophic puncture it is AA time, but there you go. It's low risk (look at bikers). The AA won't charge you for punctures prov. there was no spare as original. Remove the carrier, hey presto, it's a Superlight mate, never had one. You can always fit a carrier if you want to go touring Europe. Remember to take a jack 😳

[Douglas]

Just finishing building an SV with 16" wheels and I had the same issue.

 

Bending the spare wheel carrier was very easy I just leant on it and the spare now fits fine. I do weigh 95kg which probably helped ;)

 

 

[Colin Gregory]

Thanks for the replies. If you cut off the spare wheel carrier where do mount the number plate light? Is it over the hole for the spare wheel bolt?

 

Thanks

 

Colin Gregory 🤔

[POP7]

Hiya Colin,

 

I stuck the number plate low down on the back panel and made an angle bracket...fixed through the panel into the frame behind just under the number plate...then fixed the number plate light to this bracket.

 

I bought a Caterham round enamel badge and bonded it to a plug to fit into the spare wheel bracket hole.

 

Looks very neat and tidy.

 

 

[Robin C]

Colin,

 

I have done this in reverse (as you know!!) and I did as Caterham said and jusr bent to bar upwards. On this basis I don't see why you couldn't bend it down.

 

Robin