Grounding with 17” spare wheel and Sparesafe

[Ting Tong]

I’ve badly grounded twice on drop kerbs after fitting a 17” spare wheel and a sparesafe. I was not heavily loaded, though admit I did pull away sharply. I initially thought it was a drawback of the sparesafe but it’s just occurred to me that the spare may be too wide. It’s a 235/45 r17 and I guess it should be a 215/60 r17 which is 20mm thinner but can anyone confirm what size VW supply. Also, has anyone experienced this issue?

My next job is trying to straighten and remove the bolt as the sparesafe has twisted.it.

 

[Meoncoast]

Our T5 came with 235 55 17s . Our T6 came with 215 60 17 main tyres and spare (the 215's I have since changed to 235s) Only ever grounded the safe lock once which was the 215s

 

[WelshGas]

I’ve badly grounded twice on drop kerbs after fitting a 17” spare wheel and a sparesafe. I was not heavily loaded, though admit I did pull away sharply. I initially thought it was a drawback of the sparesafe but it’s just occurred to me that the spare may be too wide. It’s a 235/45 r17 and I guess it should be a 215/60 r17 which is 20mm thinner but can anyone confirm what size VW supply. Also, has anyone experienced this issue?

My next job is trying to straighten and remove the bolt as the sparesafe has twisted.it.

I have 235 x 55 x 17 steel spare. Never grounded anything. 4Motion and standard suspension. Always loaded apart from water.

 

[Bellcrew]

I’ve badly grounded twice on drop kerbs after fitting a 17” spare wheel and a sparesafe. I was not heavily loaded, though admit I did pull away sharply. I initially thought it was a drawback of the sparesafe but it’s just occurred to me that the spare may be too wide. It’s a 235/45 r17 and I guess it should be a 215/60 r17 which is 20mm thinner but can anyone confirm what size VW supply. Also, has anyone experienced this issue?

My next job is trying to straighten and remove the bolt as the sparesafe has twisted.it.

Might be worth checking the rear springs, they have been known to break.

 

[Rich20]

I have 235 x 55 x 17 steel spare. Never grounded anything. 4Motion and standard suspension. Always loaded apart from water.

Same here but not 4 motion. Never grounded even when fully loaded.

 

[AlanC]

Mine did with lower suspension.

Alan

 

[Sandyvan]

Never grounded, even lowered -30mm 18" rims fully loaded bike rack on the tow bar with a spare safe.

 

[s2bear]

Mine grounded badly last week going into a driveway and seems to have badly bent the sparsafe bolts or whatever the bolts fit into. I’m plucking up the courage to actually see how bad it is or if I can still get the bolts out. That’s with B14s on 4motion unloaded. Prior to this it occasionally caught when exiting a speed bump but not badly. I’d like to say the noise it makes means you only ever do it once but I did it twice

 

[briwy]

I really don't get how you ground the spare safe or the spare wheel. Are you driving off very high kerbs or what?
Even with the air suspension in Sport we have never grounded.

 

[Ting Tong]

No I don’t get it either and I’m still trying to understand why it happened (twice) when not heavily loaded. Hence my original enquiry whether it’s commonplace. I’m going to measure the distance and ask for comparisons. Plus, I’ll video it doing down one of the kerbs where it happened (once I’ve straightened the bolt up).

 

[s2bear]

Many of my local roads are very cambered down to the edges and then entrances to driveways rise up from that... so pulling into driveways the front is rising 40cm or more as the rear is dropping the same simultaneously. Makes grounding surprisingly easy.

Don’t get me started on the amount of speed humps here 5 metres from a junction in a narrow street etc. I think the council gave the contract to Cynthia Payne coz they were obviously paying on a ‘per hump’ basis.


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[s2bear]

Mine grounded badly last week going into a driveway and seems to have badly bent the sparsafe bolts or whatever the bolts fit into. I’m plucking up the courage to actually see how bad it is or if I can still get the bolts out. That’s with B14s on 4motion unloaded. Prior to this it occasionally caught when exiting a speed bump but not badly. I’d like to say the noise it makes means you only ever do it once but I did it twice

Make that 4 times. Very bent now.

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[TripleBee]

Never grounded my spare wheel (standard 215/65 R16).
Grounded my mud flaps a lot.
Grounded my fixed towbar now and then.
They are all lower than my spare, so when I ground one of the others, I know I have to be careful.

 

[clarinetbcn]

I have 215/65 R16s, Beach, almost always fully loaded with people and bikes. Have never grounded the spare or sparesafe, but have twice grounded and bent the electrical connector for the trailer hitch. It bends back into place but still, what a stupid design for original equipment.

 

[Joker 1299]

Make that 4 times. Very bent now.

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Did you ever post that video of the kerbs? Not really sure what you mean by driving off the kerb or why you would need to do it? Thanks

 

[s2bear]

It’s not kerbs, it’s heavily cambered streets that drop down at the gutter then rise steeply a cross the pavement into a drive or entrance. I used to own a Sports Car and that would ground the front on these too. Will find a pic and post.


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[TripleBee]

Still glad I didn't lower my van. Gives me more ground clearance.
BTW, my van's rear end is already lowered by itself from the weight.

 

[Ksar-el-kebir]

I’ve badly grounded twice on drop kerbs after fitting a 17” spare wheel and a sparesafe. I was not heavily loaded, though admit I did pull away sharply. I initially thought it was a drawback of the sparesafe but it’s just occurred to me that the spare may be too wide. It’s a 235/45 r17 and I guess it should be a 215/60 r17 which is 20mm thinner but can anyone confirm what size VW supply. Also, has anyone experienced this issue?

My next job is trying to straighten and remove the bolt as the sparesafe has twisted.it.

Mine has VB air suspension. When I park up I drop the suspension and there's no room for anyone to remove the spare.