How to mount large spare tire in Syncro/Vanagon

[ripvanagonwinkle]

Will the diy approach work on 215/65/16 if you air down? Any one have a diagram/shopping list? thanks.


CLK rims cheap! http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1610435

[Dogsled]

I have 215-65R16 nokian tires on 16 x 7.5 alloys. Just tried the Van-Cafe oversize spare tire carrier- not even close to fitting.
The tire & rim hit at the rear when one tries to put the tire in.
Clearance between the lower mount & the shifter box is too tight. Looks to me like the cross member that the two hinge points mount to needs to be lowered - a major hassle.
Keep in mind the van has only so much clearance at stock height to drop the carrier, allowing tire entry & egress.
I suspect a narrower wheel & 205"s might fit however, with the aftermarket tire carrier.
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Don't make a fuss, just get on the bus...

[kevinm]

I have the same Van-Cafe tire carrier, and I was able to fit a 27x8.5x14 tire but had to deflate it quite a bit.

It looks as if 215 65R 16 has a similar width and diameter...have you tried deflating it?

- Kevin

[Dogsled]

Yep, the 215-65's are mounted on a 7.5" wide wheel so deflating doesn't help much. Just too large to get into location. I'm going to try dropping the rear hinge point by either u-bolts or extensions, will post a pic to show.
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Don't make a fuss, just get on the bus...

[davevickery]

I would try again. That tire is only 27" diameter. People including me have fit a 27.7" tire in the stock location. At first it seems like no way it will fit. You may have to drop the hinge points down an inch or so using a horshoe clamp. At least with the bigger tire you do. Put it in the hinge and put the other end in your tire carrier. Up front you can use a longer bolt and spacer to drop it a bit if needed. I have not used the Van-cafe carrier, but it is bigger than stock and the stock carrier can be made to work.

[T3 Pilot]

These replacement hoses help to allow more space above the larger wheel/tire combo

Here is the link to one of them.....

http://www.van-cafe.com/home/van/page_1626
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1988 Vanagon

The most important part in every vehicle is the nut behind the wheel......

[SlowGoing]

Resurrecting this thread as I'm trying to modify my clamshell --

When you use U bolts to drop the clamshell at the rear, do you need to cut the clamshell at all? I bought a pair of 1" U bolts but found that I can't align things properly because the rear of the clamshell rests on the frame member. In order to get the U bolt to fit, the whole clamshell slides forward, putting the front bolt out of alignment. Any tips?

Thanks!

[Tomasz]

what's your tire size?

[SlowGoing]

I have Yokohama Geolandars in 215/70/15. Haven't tried actually squeezing one in there yet though because I haven't finished modifying the clamshell. So far I've just taken it out and removed the bars. I have the U bolts and a longer bolt for the front but haven't quite figured out how to put it all back together again in a way that works

[davevickery]

[SlowGoing]

If you have one handy, could you post a picture of how you cut it / how it looks in the van? It'd be helpful to see just for reference (and posterity). Many thanks!

[alex97jazzblue]

I have 16x8 setup. Im wondering if anyone thinks its crazy to find remove the shell totally and fab up some type of web strap mounting system.

[rmcd]

Here is Sodos solution

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=600650&highlight=
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VW LT40 build. Like a Vanagon but 30% larger in every direction and 40% slower even in metric.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=749359&highlight=

[crazyvwvanman]

It depends a lot on the tire size. Having 8" wide rims makes the tire wider and the problems worse than with narrower rims. Also the larger the overall diameter of the tire the more it makes the tire width into a problem.

Mark

[Sodo]

15x7.5 have been tested (on Syncros) and it seems possible to make it fit an 8" wheel.
See this link to another thread called installed (Syncro): big brakes + Audi 15" Wheels where Samba member UngaWunga's hinges use a steeper angle to drop the carrier down a little lower (for a wider tire). He ended up not needing his "extended drop hinges" and offering them up to other members. But anyway there's options.

Notes:

UngaWunga has a pic of black plastic pipe that snaps over the steering shaft in case the tire touches the shaft. On my van I just lever the tire away from the shaft and it never migrates over to touch the shaft, but YMMV.

UngaWunga used quick-release pins for his hinge pivots, which seems like a good idea, with the spring bales above the pivot where they're less likely to be torn off. He doesn't mention what he intends to use the quick-release for. Maybe so he can use his tire-pan as a fire-ring (in a pinch).

Putting numbers to the non-specific title (How to mount large spare tire in Syncro/Vanagon) the BFG215/75R15 is 27.8" diameter, and the "hole" for the tire is about 28.9 inches. If your tire measures larger than 27.8" you may have to do some clearancing on the frame flanges. Don't grind off any spotwelds.
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[flomulgator]

My van came from the PO with a new 215/70/16 BFG KO jammed up in there, had to be deflated a bit. That also works out to 27.85". If you have a pump and a deflator anyways it's still a good solution. Get the Burley steering shaft protector though, particularly for a wheel wider than 7".

On that note, anyone in the Puget Sound want to buy (for cheap) an old but never-used 215/70/16 BFG KO?
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She's built like a steakhouse, but she handles like a bistro!

[Sodo]

That's a good data point. What year is this Syncro that 27.8" did not fit? Keep in mind that the spare-tire cavity is not a precision hole. There could be variations even within a year, or even if the van had an owwie at one time.

You probably have to test-fit a 27.8" tire in every van. But this is the first time I've heard/read of 27.8" tire NOT fitting.
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[flomulgator]

You know darn well it's a 1987, I just think you're trying to get me to state that publicly
I think the bigger issue is that the "diameter" is a calculation based off fairly imprecise tire metrics. The only true measurement ever provided by a manufacturer is the RPMs. The listed revs per mile for that tire are 743.

I could go physically measure it, but it would be an un-inflated number.
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She's built like a steakhouse, but she handles like a bistro!