Spare wheel change!

[sidepod]

Chaps,
Just curious if anyone out there has changed a wheel in anger?
I had to yesterday on my Caddy. It’s the same concept as the Cali. I’ve taken my Cali spare wheel out several times but only in the confines of a nice warm dry barn.
What a nasty process. Truly unpleasant on the hard shoulder of a busy motorway.
For starters you need to lay on the ground to undo the two bolts holding the spare wheel cradle (not an ideal scenario on your own on the motorway) Only one bolt needs to be removed, the other loosened. The vehicle in question is only 2.5 yrs only but the bolts were already quite stiff.
Once free, the cradle is quite heavy and drops to the floor of its own accord. Keep your fingers out of the way. The alloy spare wheel was face down. In other words removing it is impossible without scraping the alloy face across the tarmac, ruining it in the process. The non removable tow bar didn’t help. Perhaps this is one reason for a detachable tow bar?
If your Cali is lowered, forget it. You’ll need to jack up the rear end.
So to conclude. I would recommend familiarising yourself with the process in a nice controlled environment like your driveway and regularly lubing the two bolts holding the cradle. In addition I’d take the spare out and wrap it in something that will protect it from damage when you drag it out.
I wouldn’t try replacing the flat in the cradle on the motorway. Just chuck it in the van and do it later somewhere safe, remembering of course to bolt the empty cradle back in place first.
Spod.

 

[SimplyDubs]

Yup... did this once (on the way back from Stamford Hall and couple of years back)

Difficult but not impossible. Less risky as I have a steel spare.

Lowering and raising the cage using the wheel brace at least made it doable, if not easy.

As has been mentioned on here a couple of times... the real real problem was removing the alloy that had effectively corroded onto the hub. (Common problem). Thank goodness I keep a 32 oz rubber mallet for the tent pegs in the van.

A 5 minute serious hammering with that and it finally gave. Without it, it would never have come off. (I've seen KwikFit have the same issue in the garage)

Good advice to give it a go once in a while or else rely upon your breakdown cover.

Rgds
Mark

 

[Hotel California]

Think it is wise to practice this at home ....even in a " nice warm dry barn" ....
Would be very usefull.
Also unscrew and rescrew the bolts once a year , preventing them to rust and locking up.
You could call assistance and pay for it....

 

[Freeley]

I had a hell of a job fitting my sparesafe, took ages.
I don't know if I could actually get it off now and I keep a bottle of slime tyre sealant and an electric pump on board.
Suppose I ought to have a go when I get time.

Sent from my Galaxy S6

 

[Martyn 4950]

1. The bolts to get to the spare are hindered by corrosion
2. Getting the punctured wheel off is impossible unless you have a big mallet
3. The jack is not up to the job and will even go trough the tarmac making stability unsafe

 

[Herman]

I had to change a wheel on my first long trip in a just -delivered Cali. It's a heavy vehicle with large wheels so changing a wheel is always going to be horrible. Better left to the AA. I found that a rubber mallet didn't help; I needed to loosen the bolts and rock the wheel off the central boss which is very scary as the jack has to be removed to do this. I can't imagine how hard it would be with an older vehicle with a well corroded hub. There is a lot to be said for steel rims!

 

[Freeley]

Was it californiaman who had the crafty tip of loosening the wheel nuts a bit then rolling back and forwards to release the wheel?

Sent from my Galaxy S6

 

[rookeryview]

And there we all are worried about having our spare wheels nicked....
I tried a dry run in the drive on a sunny day, and it was unpleasant, and nearly lost my fingers. Imagine a fast roadside, dark, wet, cold, .....so I think this is an AA job TBH. Maybe some slime will get you to a tyre place in an "emergency", but definitely have an electric pump with you.

 

[GrannyJen]

I don't even know where the jack is

 

[Freeley]

I don't even know where the jack is

Do you want to know?

Sent from my Galaxy S6

 

[Bigted]

Had the pleasure of removing the spare a couple of days after getting the van (dealer fitted incorrect sized spare). It's a job that would be interesting on a cold raining February night!

 

[GrannyJen]

Do you want to know?

Sent from my Galaxy S6

Useful to know...

 

[Freeley]

Back of the rear bench seat at the bottom, there is a black box bolted there. Unbolt, remove, open up and hey presto one jack and brace.
Couldn't be sited in a worse position as chances are the boot will be full in the event of a puncture and everything would have to be unloaded to get to it!

Sent from my Galaxy S6

 

[GrannyJen]

Back of the rear bench seat at the bottom, there is a black box bolted there. Unbolt, remove, open up and hey presto one jack and brace.
Couldn't be sited in a worse position as chances are the boot will be full in the event of a puncture and everything would have to be unloaded to get to it!

Sent from my Galaxy S6

I will stick with VW Assist

 

[gmymsx]

When i first got the van I removed each wheel in turn (some were fixed fast) in the comfort and safety of my drive and applied copper slip to each alloy, just in case of a puncher in the future.

 

[jts46]

When i first got the van I removed each wheel in turn (some were fixed fast) in the comfort and safety of my drive and applied copper slip to each alloy, just in case of a puncher in the future.

Had my wheels rotated recently in the uk and asked them to do exactly that "copper slip each wheel". The answer came back "we don't do that anymore "regulations""

John

 

[gmymsx]

regulations? I would rather be able to remove the wheel if it is late at night poring with rain than sit there unable to remove a wheel because of regulations

 

[jts46]

regulations? I would rather be able to remove the wheel if it is late at night poring with rain than sit there unable to remove a wheel because of regulations

I agree so saw my mate and he put some on for me, but they can still be a bugger to get off. Easy way is slacken nuts and rock van backwards and forwards. Then jack up.

John

 

[kave]

Dont you have winter wheels in winter season? Here we hange complete wheels two times a year. I used copper paste before, but I found grease is making a better job.
Maybe run on flat tires should be great for the california?

 

[sbmcd]

Dont you have winter wheels in winter season? Here we hange complete wheels two times a year. I used copper paste before, but I found grease is making a better job.
Maybe run on flat tires should be great for the california?

I change to winter tyres so wheels come off my van twice a year, first time I did the change van was only about 8 months old, alloy wheels had already seized onto hubs. Once freed I applied a thin smear of grease but found that it ran a bit once it got hot from the discs, now use copper paste which seems to stay where I put it.

 

[Hotel California]

I also change winters myself so the wheels come of twice a year but the original post was taking the SPARE wheel from under the Cali and those bolts not loosening!
Thats a thing we don't do often and maybe good to "practice" to all the drivers ( also the partner) .....
Think at COTF in 2014 they did a workshop on it ...
If not maybe an idea for the next COTF

Edit : @all please skip three posts lower , there has been some pollution posted ....
Excuses for this from MY side

 

[sbmcd]

I also change winters myself so the wheels come of twice a year but the original post was taking the SPARE wheel from under the Cali and those bolts not loosening!
Thats a thing we don't do often and maybe good to "practice" to all the drivers ( also the partner) .....
Think at COTF in 2014 they did a workshop on it ...
If not maybe an idea for the next COTF

No need to state the obvious, use of capital letters mid sentence and exclamation mark to make point also not necessary. This is supposed to be a friendly site with people adding what they think would be useful, or related to a post.

 

[Hotel California]

And why not ? Doing nothing wrong...
Just want point out that the original post was about the SPARE wheel ,
And COTF we all do know that way
Anyway , GOODMORNING to you also

Is there is anybody taking this in a wrong way , think they need to go there own way.

 

[sbmcd]

And why not ? Doing nothing wrong...
Just want point out that the original post was about the SPARE wheel ,
And COTF we all do know that way
Anyway , GOODMORNING to you also

Is there is anybody taking this in a wrong way , think they need to go there own way.

You have just reinforced what I thought, we really do not need this on our forum.

 

[alstevens]

the problem remains the same.... gave up trying to put the spare back into the cage... too big .. too heavy ...leave it in the back till my next dealer visit ....without the RAC I would be still out there in the dark and the cold glaring at the imoveable alloy ….