Spare Wheel Cradle

[Guest RuDeaf]

Hi Everyone

 

I read on here several peeps commented that they had sawn off the spare wheel cradle.

Is this safe as was considering doing?

[Bob Tucker]

Yes.

It is not a structural part of the chassis.

[philshelton]

It's fine as long as you are not stuck with a flat tyre and no spare in the middle of a zombie invasion.

[fry61]

And please don't trust the magic goo to re-inflate your tyre --- 2 cans didn't do the job on our small trailer tent tyre.

[megadodo]

The "goo" has got me home in the past and yet it has also failed so I'd say its worth carrying as well as a spare! Personally, I like the look of the spare on the back, it's traditional!

[MarkBzero]

I have a zero and would like a spare wheel, for protection and looks.

[Bob Tucker]

Ask RUDEAF how much he wants for his once its removed.....

[phaeton]

Is there any strength in the spare wheel carrier? 

Would it be feasible to extend it further to make it so you could mount a bicycle on it, my MTB weighs 13.5Kg & the E-bike 23Kg only need one at once can't ride them both at the same time.

[richyb66]

On a 2B it's pretty robust, I've jacked my car up on it and people have used them as a towbar mount. Mounting a bike on it shouldn't be a problem.

[fry61]

On our 2B4 we removed the hoop back to the body-work & fitted a tow bar for our trailer tent --- no problems -- even on a tow down to Le Mans.

[phaeton]

1 hour ago, fry61 said:

On our 2B4 we removed the hoop back to the body-work & fitted a tow bar for our trailer tent --- no problems -- even on a tow down to Le Mans.

Do you have any images or a write up of what you did, I have a towbar cycle carrier so a towbar would be the ideal answer

[fry61]

This old fellow can't find a pic ATM. Not difficult to imagine though.  Cut hoop off & de-burr ends, find/turn on lathe two sections of thick walled pipe which need to be a virgin fit in the tubes. cut to length of over hang required to heavy 40 mm angle iron. A good tac weld required now to keep all in alignment , Take off car & complete  welding, drilling for ball & electrics if needed.  When the complete tow bar is re-fitted drill & bolt under boot.

I used a 50 mm/ M24 tail hitch so only needed a hole in the angle iron.  If later used for a trailer  I would suggest a 10 mm bracing bar (x2 ) from angle iron to top tube near roll-bar braces, threaded at base to impose a triangulation force on the hitch -- will prevent any bending force on the car chassis tubes where they terminate at cut off point.

Hope that helps.

[Kerry]

I cut the tube off on my 2B then made inserts so it could be fitted when towing the trailer tent, this would certainly be fine for carrying bikes.

[phaeton]

44 minutes ago, fry61 said:

Hope that helps.

It does thank you, I was sort of hoping you'd left the loop on & added the towbar at that point, as I quite like the spare wheel on the back

[phaeton]

2 minutes ago, Kerry said:

I cut the tube off on my 2B then made inserts so it could be fitted when towing the trailer tent, this would certainly be fine for carrying bikes.

Once again thanks, I suppose, yes that is logical, I could make it with inserts, so it could be either spare wheel carrier or towbar & swap them over as required & run the risk of no spare wheel when I have the bike on.