FITTING A SPARESAFE - HELP PLEASE!

[Bearonwheels]

Hi
I have purchased one of these given the number of posts about spares disappearing - it looks the business to me!
The picture sent to me by the maker is a) tiny and b) their colour cartridge needed changing as its all red and green stripes - so basically illegible!

I can read the written instructions - but can some one post a picture of a fitted one, preferably from underneath ( as opposed to side on or from the rear)?

Looking forward to some sharp pictures….!

 

[CaliforniaDAN]

Try this pic from an earlier post. Make sure you have the VW bolt that is for the alloy wheel even if your spare is a steel one.

http://s235.photobucket.com/user/bodhi4 ... v.jpg.html

 

[snowy55]

This is what mine looks like. :cool

 

[snowy55]

Here's another view.

 

[Bearonwheels]

Brilliant! Many thanks snowy55 - fine pictures indeed! I just need to get the van onto the chocks to fit it! And a dry spell in the weather too!

 

[snowy55]

That's ok

Can't help you with the weather :laugh2

 

[Bearonwheels]

All done! A bit chilly mid morning but a relatively easy task - not helped by me failing to work out I needed to turn the wrench the other way to loosen the nut as I was looking from underneath!
Thanks for the pictures - they helped enormously!

 

[Taff7996]

 

[stephen watson]

Can anyone explain to me please what the difference is from buying just a VW locking bolt and the the full sparesafe, which is more than twice the price?

 

[calikev]

If you fit just the locking bolt it can still be undone using a large pair of stillsons
The sparesafe prevents anybody from getting grips on it

 

[Taff7996]

The sparesave protects the bolt from saw, grinders & mole grips attack

 

[stephen watson]

Thank you. Sounds like it's worth the extra.

 

[JULIANLISMORE]

I purchased a Sparesafe from the forum shop a few months ago and am only now getting round to fitting it.
My concern is with the protective hexagonal metal cap, for fitting over the Sparesafe bolt head, and its removal when necessary. My nightmare is that I protect my spare wheel from theft but then, when I need to change a wheel by the roadside I can't get the protective cap off.

The Sparesafe comes with a little plastic tool, which I know is intended for removal of the metal protective cap.
The plastic hexagonal socket in this gadget is, however, an incredibly tight fit on the hexagonal metal protective cap. I haven't yet managed to force one over the other, even in the house, so the prospects of getting the plastic device onto the metal cap at the roadside when its lashing down with rain, is not at all encouraging.

It seems to me that I have two options: -
1. I manage to press the metal protective cap into the socket of the plastic tool and then, having fitted the Sparesafe, push the protective cap onto the bolt head and leave the plastic tool in situ.
or
2. I don't use the protective metal cap at all, when I risk the sockets in the security bolt head getting clogged up with muck, so that it is difficult or impossible, when the need arises, to fit the three pronged lock key.

Can someone who has used a Sparesafe over a good length of time, and has occasionally removed the spare wheel, advise please?

 

[Jabberwocky]

I left the plastic "tool" in place thinking it was, in combination with the thin metal protective cap an integral part of keeping the sockets in the bolts clear from crud. Nothing more. But maybe I have missed something (which is always possible!).

 

[JULIANLISMORE]

Many thanks Jabberwocky,

Have you found the need to remove the Sparesafe after fitting it and, if so, how did you get on removing the protective metal cap with the plastic tool?

 

[Jabberwocky]

Many thanks Jabberwocky,

Have you found the need to remove the Sparesafe after fitting it and, if so, how did you get on removing the protective metal cap with the plastic tool?

No trouble Julian, I have not had the need to remove the SpareSafe thankfully but in light of your comments I just went out to the Cali and the plastic tool was still in place and when pulled the protective metal cap came out too. Is it not surposed to work like this?

I agree getting the protective metal cap out of the plastic tool is, well, impossible without damaging it!

 

[JULIANLISMORE]

Hi Jabberwockie. The truth is that I'm uncertain what the manufacturer of the Sparesafe intends. Until I tried to get the protective metal cap fitted into the plastic socket I assumed that the intention was that the metal cap was to be pushed over the head of the security bolt (without the plastic tool in place) and the plastic tool was kept in the toolbox for use when one wants to remove the metal cap. If that wasn't how it was supposed to be used, I ask myself, why bother with the metal cap? Why not make the plastic thing so that it fits directly onto the head of the security bolt?

Anyway, with the parts I have got there is no way I would be confident of being able to push the plastic tool over the metal cap in situ (standing on my head at the roadside), it is far too tight a fit.

Someone else reported on this forum that their plastic tool had broken. If one has the metal cap fitted and the plastic tool breaks or goes missing, I don't know how one would go about removing the metal cap.

So your solution may well be what is intended. I was just looking for some confirmation from folk who may have had a Sparesafe in use for some time and had cause to release the spare wheel now and again.

Thanks anyway.

 

[Loz]

I was just looking for some confirmation from folk who may have had a Sparesafe in use for some time and had cause to release the spare wheel now and again.

For fear of not being able to get the cap off in the dark and rain at the critical moment I needed to, I didn't bother with it and just greased the head of the security bolt.
The cap and brittle removal tool went in the recycling bin...

 

[calikev]

The bolt is nothing to do with the sparesafe it is vw's own clever design for a locking bolt

 

[JULIANLISMORE]

Thanks Loz. My inclination is to do the same as you have done.

 

[Andyclockwise]

We fitted ours over a year ago and did not bother with the cap, it is still fine as I removed it just the other day to check my spare so I would suggest you do not bother with the cap but check it every now and then

 

[Jabberwocky]

For fear of not being able to get the cap off in the dark and rain at the critical moment I needed to, I didn't bother with it and just greased the head of the security bolt.
The cap and brittle removal tool went in the recycling bin...

Ah! Mystery solved. Thx

 

[JULIANLISMORE]

Many thanks Jabberwocky,

Have you found the need to remove the Sparesafe after fitting it and, if so, how did you get on removing the protective metal cap with the plastic tool?

We fitted ours over a year ago and did not bother with the cap, it is still fine as I removed it just the other day to check my spare so I would suggest you do not bother with the cap but check it every now and then

Thanks Andyclockwise, for your advice. I'd just about come to that conclusion myself.

 

[B J G]

I left the plastic "tool" in place thinking it was, in combination with the thin metal protective cap an integral part of keeping the sockets in the bolts clear from crud. Nothing more. But maybe I have missed something (which is always possible!).

The bolt is designed as a separate part to the Sparesafe.
If fitted as a bolt only part the metal cap would be put over the bolt head as you have done and the rubber part is to remove the metal cap prior to removing the bolt.
The metal, dummy nut, would just spin if a wheel brace was put on it leaving the lock bolt tight
As others have said the problem with this is that the lock bolt head is exposed for attack by molegrips etc.
The Sparesafe is a design to shroud the bolt.

I thought that if I put the metal cap on it would be too hard to get off on a wet dark night (when punctures usually occur) so didn't bother with it. Tried it before installation just tio confirm difficulty.

I also tried fitting a Sparesafe to the other bolt as a 'bloody minder' deterrent but it doesn't fit that side.

 

[JULIANLISMORE]

Thanks BJG. I appreciate the protection from illicit removal of a bolt provided by the shroud of a Sparesafe, which is why I've invested in a Sparesafe.

Like you I have concluded that trying to get the metal cap off the security bolt head on a wet dark night with the plastic tool is likely to be the cause of very bad temper, so I'm leaving the metal cap off.