15” spare in clamshell

[markf1]

We are going from the stock 14” to 15” wheels. Going to put bfgoodrich T/A KO2 215/75/r15 tires on. Will that wheel/tire fit in the under van spare tire clamshell.

Maybe if deflated?

Or is there a modification that can be made to the clamshell to allow for the larger wheel?

Thanks!
_________________
1986 Westfalia Syncro
2.1 L Waterboxer
Some Westy supported adventure photos:
https://www.openrangeimaging.com/adventure.html

[jlrftype7]

Several threads on modifying the hardware to lower the Clamshell for sure.
There are also different tire carriers to take the place of the stock one.
I have one I bought here on Samba to fit our 205/65/15” tires.

_________________
'68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
‘84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto

[wesitarz]

205/65/15 using the original clamshell dropped at the rear bolts using U-bolts and the two wire brackets removed.

[Sodo]

Search "15 spare in clamshell" returns a long list of Samba threads.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/search.php?q=15%20spare%20clamshell

including (ahem) Modified spare tire clamshell to hold BFG 215/75R15
_________________


'90 Westy EJ25, NEW oil rings (!) 2Peloquins, 3knobs, SyncroShop pressure-oiled pinion-bearing & GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox.
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered original gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[markf1]

Thank you all.

jrftype7 - where did you get that carrier? I cannot find it. Looks like the Van Cafe one

Sodo - I had just started going thru 11 pages of search results for “spare tire carrier” when I got you replies. I recognize that should have been my first step. I will go thru the threads and try to determine what is best for us.

I think the van cafe carrier may be best solution for us. From reading here, I’m not,100% certain it would work with the 215/75/r15 bfgoodrich T/A KO 2. I think van cafe may know the answer and I will ask. The VC carrier is out of stock for @4 weeks.

Also not sure if we may need the steering rod protector that is often mentioned.

This kit for modifying the clamshell looks very good and very reasonably priced. Going to give that route some equal consideration. It appears one issue is the reduced ground clearance.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1927581

A lot to get sorted but will get there. Thanks to all!
_________________
1986 Westfalia Syncro
2.1 L Waterboxer
Some Westy supported adventure photos:
https://www.openrangeimaging.com/adventure.html

[jlrftype7]

Yeah, I don’t see the guy out of California that I bought it from posting right now in the AD Section.
As noted, many ways to do this. All clever. I haven’t noticed any rubbing on the steering shaft with this carrier.
Weller Design Works, found it, but he not be active anymore
_________________
'68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
‘84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto

[erste]

[Sodo]

If you can use the clamshell I'd use it.
The clamshell protects the tire sidewall from getting cut if you hit something down there.
_________________


'90 Westy EJ25, NEW oil rings (!) 2Peloquins, 3knobs, SyncroShop pressure-oiled pinion-bearing & GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox.
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered original gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[markf1]

Thanks you guys. I’m leaning towards using the clamshell for the reasons stated. Maybe best to keep the stock carrier versus entire replace with 3rd party fabricated one, although it has been clearly well thought out and crafted..

I’m going to contact Ben T and see if he has knowledge of our tire size working with his kit. It looks promising.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1927581
_________________
1986 Westfalia Syncro
2.1 L Waterboxer
Some Westy supported adventure photos:
https://www.openrangeimaging.com/adventure.html

[Sodo]

[markf1]

Sodo that is great and thanks for your offer. This seems like the best of all options. For sure like keeping the front of the clamshell up at original height above ground.

Per first post above, we are going to use the same 215/75/r15 tires you show in your install post. So the hinges should work. It does look like a very tight clearance for the tire between the frame rails, but if all things are equal that should work out also.

I will PM you for details on buying those. Thanks!
_________________
1986 Westfalia Syncro
2.1 L Waterboxer
Some Westy supported adventure photos:
https://www.openrangeimaging.com/adventure.html

[crazyvwvanman]

It isn't just the tire size.

The wider the rim the more difficult the fit.

I suggest you buy 1 rim and 1 tire of the exact model and try to make it work.
If you are satisfied, get the other 4.


Mark

[markf1]

Mark, thanks for pointing that out.

Both the wheels we are considering are 15x7
https://www.vancafe.com/15Carrot-B-p/15carrot-b.htm
https://www.vancafe.com/T815-p/t815.htm

For us I think it’s more getting the wheels we settle on (we are using the bfg t/a ko2 tires regardless). Then doing whatever seems best for carrying the spare.

If the hinges from Sodo would work that seems like best option for our particular situation. One concern is setting it all up including cutting part of the clamshell away and then finding it doesn’t quite work. Same issue with the other after market clamshell replacement carriers. Buy it install it and then maybe find conflict.
_________________
1986 Westfalia Syncro
2.1 L Waterboxer
Some Westy supported adventure photos:
https://www.openrangeimaging.com/adventure.html

[dobryan]

I have the Van Cafe carrier and am running 215/75/15 KO2s on Rhein rims. I had to air down the spare to 10psi to get it to fit between the frame rails but no mods to the Can Cafe carrier or longer bolts in front...
_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2010 Subaru EJ25 (Vanaru) and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[jlrftype7]

One interesting thing an open style carrier does, it seems to allow venting of the hot radiator air easier than the stock clamshell since it's more open to passing the air as the fan pulls it through the radiator and downward on our Vanagons.
Then, if you have a small amount of insulation around the center console where you would normally get heat soak from all that hot air hitting the body, there was ,for me, after switching tire carriers, much less heat build up in that usual area even with my thin insulation already installed.

Hadn't even thought about this when I was swapping over to that new style carrier, but noticed the benefits with hotter weather this year.
_________________
'68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
‘84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto

[Sodo]

My wheels are the Audi 5000, I think they are 6.5" wide. They are 6" wide.
A friend tested 7" wheels in my van spare carrier, and they fit. I'm trying to find a link to that, I think we took pics.

If not too much wider..... you can put a spacer under the bolt in the front.
It seems reasonable that for every 1/2" wider you might need another 1/2" spacer and a longer bolt.
A large nut like 3/4" can be used as a spacer.
But this method can't accommodate wider forever.

I used a longer bolt M12x50mm.
At first I was spacer-ing it down, then tried it with the spare as a "just in case" and it was fine with no spacer.

========================

This post has edits.
Note: Clamshell does fit 215/75R15 BFG AT on 15" Rhein updated
_________________


'90 Westy EJ25, NEW oil rings (!) 2Peloquins, 3knobs, SyncroShop pressure-oiled pinion-bearing & GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox.
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered original gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[crazyvwvanman]

I'm trying to save you from some headaches.

That size tire is a tight fit no matter what you do.
Using 7" + wide rims makes it worse.

I've put 215/75/15 spares up in that spot on 5 of my own vans including Syncros.

Mark

[Sodo]

[crazyvwvanman]

Are you now using 7" wide rims with current K02 215/75/15 tires?
In your earlier thread you mentioned Audi Turbo wheels which are much narrower.

Mark

[Sodo]