Spare Tire

[Ian5700]

I had the spare tire down today to check the pressure and put some air into it. When reading the manual it seems to suggest that there should be a support bar that lies underneath the spare tire and secures to a bar with a wing nut.

I do not have this, i only have the wire winch, it doesn't look like it was ever there are there in no mounting bar hanging down for securing the bar at either end. The tire doesn't look like it has ever been down, all the stickers are still on the tire/rim and the thread looks brand new with the red paint.

I am wondering whether i should have this, or is the manual just misleading me like with its reference to the panic function that doesn't exist.

Do yours explorers have this bar???

 

[Howard]

Nope no bar and no panic button either.

 

[Ian5700]

Is there anything stopping the tire being mounted the other way round, so instead of the winch clip being mounted on the inner side of the rim, it could be mounted on the outer side of the rim.

This would enable one to check the tire pressure and add psi with the tire still installed, as the valve would be exposed not hiddle.

 

[Howard]

Maybe the wire isn't long enough, but the proof is in the pudding. Go for it, see what happens.

 

[Ian5700]

The wire is long enough, the winch wire lowers the tire right down to the front and then some.

The only thing i can think of is that putting it back up the opposite way may not hold it as secure, as there is a bigger gap from the rim to the frame than there would be the other way round, therefore allowing it more movement side to side maybe. The side with the valve on is of course different from the other side, so the winch fitting may also not work as well.

Just a though, if this is the first time the tire has been down, since new it was at 24 psi, so only a drop of 7 psi from 31 psi.

 

[Howard]

It was probably only 24 psi right from the start. They upped the pressure to 31psi after the tyre trouble.

 

[Ian5700]

Just in case anyone is interested, you can mount the tire so that the lug nut side with the valve is exposed, in the end i didn't do this, i just replaced it as i found it, however i placed it in a way so that you could get a guage and maybe even an air line in there.

 

[kevin p]

You are right about the support bar. I've read on other threads that this bar was fitted. Again my local Ford dealer couldn't find one listed on their computer. I've also read that the wire cable has snapped and people either don't know their spare has gone missing or it has fallen out at an angle and lifted the rear of the car up as it dissapears into the nearest hedge row! Scary. So in the summer months I'm going to fabricate my own support bar just in case.

 

[UKExploder]

Spare tire bar?

:exp:

My 1994 doesn't have one of these bars. Now my '87 Explorer pickup had to have a bar to support the spare....(my pickup said Explorer down the side of the bed)................Al