Lynne Jayzee
Garden State Exit 0
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Joined: 04/01/2003
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To anyone who's got the nifty spare tire mounted below the chassis on a Ford van conversion, I would advise that you find and read your owner's manual for the instructions on its removal.
I'll also advise that you actually go through the motions of removing the spare and then putting it back (something my dad would've insisted that I do)...just for practice.
It's one of those things that I would've never figured out if I didn't have instructions.
I'm hoping that I never run into a situation where I'd have to change a tire on my own, but I'm sure glad that I learned how to access the spare...just in case.
It's pretty cool.
- LJZ
2002/2003 Pleasure-Way Excel
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Tvov
CT
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Joined: 07/19/2003
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So... how do you get to the spare? Does it lower down on a cable like a lot of pickup trucks?
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qjane
Indiana
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Joined: 05/31/2004
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Excellent tip, LJZ.
In addition to learning how to take the spare tire down, doing so increases your chances that the spare will come down if you need it.
It doesn't happen frequently, but sometimes spares on crank-down chains can become frozen in place from road crud, rust, etc.
I'm thinking one should "exercise the spare" once a year?
On edit: I guess my spare is on something more like a cable, instead of a chain; it's been awhile since I've looked at it. Yes Tvov, it's very similar to the spares under pickup trucks.
* This post was
edited 03/18/09 07:36pm by qjane *
QJane
02 Ford E350 Sportsmobile RB30
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Traveling Pa
Ashford, CT
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I have to "exercise the spare" on the Sprinter/Sportsmobile to check the tire pressure so it gets done more than once a year. My spare is also part of the tire rotation pattern and gets moved about twice a year for that purpose also. In this case there are 2 long bolts that hold it up. It is quite a job though. It certainly is a good idea to know how to do this job. On the other hand, I've had zero tire problems on the 2 Bs I've driven for 250,000 miles since 1997.
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HTT to be?
Southern Wisconsin
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Flats sure don't happen as often as they used too! But, good idea to make sure that cable is free, and the spare has air. My Dad just last week had his spare on his GMC van drop out onto the road as he was driving along! The cable was all rusted and gave way.
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2000 E150 Ford Club Wagon 5.4 w/ tow pkg
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ennajean
Wisconsin
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Joined: 05/19/2006
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Traveling Pa wrote:I have to "exercise the spare" on the Sprinter/Sportsmobile to check the tire pressure so it gets done more than once a year. My spare is also part of the tire rotation pattern and gets moved about twice a year for that purpose also. In this case there are 2 long bolts that hold it up. It is quite a job though. It certainly is a good idea to know how to do this job. On the other hand, I've had zero tire problems on the 2 Bs I've driven for 250,000 miles since 1997.
I don't think we've ever had the spare rotated with the other tires.
Is this something we should be having done?
Anne and Dick
DABEE a 2006 Ford Sportsmobile Penthouse top.
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Tvov
CT
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ennajean wrote:
I don't think we've ever had the spare rotated with the other tires.
Is this something we should be having done?
You certainly don't "have" to have it done, but it is a good idea. You can extend the interval between having to buy tires, because you are including another tire in the rotation. You will "exercise" the spare tire "retention system" (as others have said), making sure it will work if you need it. You will know that the spare tire's air pressure has been checked.
Many people in "today's world" have forgotten about using the spare tire in the regular tire rotation, as many (if not most) car tires are temporary spares now, that can't be used except for emergencys.
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AsheGuy
Raleigh, North Carolina
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I rotate my spare in when I buy new tires. Since we were satisfied with the performance of our original equipment Michelin LTX A/S tires, I bought 3 new ones and put the spare on as the forth, kept the better of the old tires as the spare. This was at 53692 miles in June, 2008 between our spring and fall trips last year. By the seven year rule, the spare should be OK until 2012.
Of course this only works if you drive enough miles to go through two sets of tires in seven years and are happy with your original tires. 
David & Margaret - 2005 LTV 210B 3S
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Lynne Jayzee
Garden State Exit 0
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Tvov wrote:So... how do you get to the spare? Does it lower down on a cable like a lot of pickup trucks? Yes, but there's an anti-theft thing goin' on, which would be very difficult to figure out if you didn't read the manual.
- LJZ
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