Spare tyre/wheel cover?

[Bertie]

My 2.8i spare wheel has a box lid type cover that the carpet is attached to, it looks like a 12 year olds woodwork project and can't believe it's original. Anyone got a pic of what should cover the spare or offer advice.

Cheers, Des

[pbar]

it looks like a 12 year olds woodwork project

Yours must be the deluxe version then

[Andrew 2.8i]

Hi Des,
Sounds like the correct item to me!

Andrew.

[Bertie]

Thanks guys....in that case I'll make my own...

[Caprigear]

The originals are a black board with some inch thick battens around the underside edge so that the board clears the spare wheel.

[Bertie]

Thanks for the confirmation Martin sounds just like mine so I'll definitely make another to fit..

Des

[pbar]

Mine has metal spring clips on the underside to hold it in place more securely which I assume are original.

[stevemarl]

I think the 2.8s had extra strips of wood arounjd the edge, raising the floor to accommodate the wider wheel? Sounds like that`s where the problem lies. Mine fits quite well too.

[Andrew 2.8i]

I think the 2.8s had extra strips of wood arounjd the edge, raising the floor to accommodate the wider wheel? Sounds like that`s where the problem lies. Mine fits quite well too.

Hi,
The extra height of the 2.8 boot board, which doesn't quite extend to the full width of the boot, means that the boot floor carpet doesn't fit at the LH and RH edges. That annoys me!

Andrew.

[pbar]

You've let me down here Steve, I was hoping you had a brand new spare one in your loft!

[stevemarl]

But did I specifically say that I didn`t....?

[pbar]

Actually no you didn't!

[Bertie]

As Andrew said the floor carpet not fitting set me off at first thinking it couldn't be right and sad as I am will annoy the hell out of me... It's obviously original as reading everyone's reply it has the fixings, black panel etc so I've cleaned it up and with the odd fix here and there I've decided to keep it in place...

Thanks for the info guys great feedback..

Des

[MattMe]

Oh.
When I was strippng my interior a few weeks ago I had noticed how the wheel cover sat proud from the rest of the boot floor and that the carpet didn't fit properly. It bothered me.
I just assumed it was there from when someone had fitted a larger spare wheel in the boot, so I pulled of the 1 inch of baton around the edge, and refitted the metal clips to hold it in place. It all fits a lot better now. Had no idea that crap was original!

Thinking back to how it was before I 'modified' it, I'm surprised that they got away with such poorly fitting parts.

[Bertie]

Thinking back to how it was before I 'modified' it, I'm surprised that they got away with such poorly fitting parts.

It was the 80's you could get away all sorts back then....

[Andrew 2.8i]

I pulled of the 1 inch of baton around the edge, and refitted the metal clips to hold it in place. It all fits a lot better now.

Hi,
Does the board still clear the spare wheel now?
The 2.8 wheel is 1" wider than the Laser wheel, therefore, it follows that the board must be 1" higher than on the Laser for the spare wheel to have the same space available.

Andrew.

[Stewb28i]

Don't forget the genuine Ford felt which is stuck to the battens for NVH purposes....

Guess if it really bothers you then you could run a brightly painted steelie wheel to allow the flat boot floor panel.

Must admit it's never bothered me...the thing which does bother me though is the standard jack which if used as directed takes a chunk out of the door rubbing strip. The fact that the wheel brace doesn't actually have any proper stowage arrangement & neither does the wheel nut cover key for the special/280 wheels. That's Ford for you - especially when it's a stop gap upgrade to an existing product line.

Stew.

[MattMe]

I pulled of the 1 inch of baton around the edge, and refitted the metal clips to hold it in place. It all fits a lot better now.

Hi,
Does the board still clear the spare wheel now?
The 2.8 wheel is 1" wider than the Laser wheel, therefore, it follows that the board must be 1" higher than on the Laser for the spare wheel to have the same space available.

Andrew.

It's just an old steely in the boot, so doesn't cause any issues.

Such a crappy solution to a wider wheel in the boot!

[Andrew 2.8i]

It's just an old steely in the boot, so doesn't cause any issues.

Ah, that's how the standard board fits in your car without any clearance issues. That's a decent solution, considering how often the spare is used it's probably not strictly necessary to have a full size spare.

Such a crappy solution to a wider wheel in the boot!

I guess the budget for developing the 2.8 didn't stretch to a new boot floor!

Andrew.

[Caprifan Rob]

It is laughable how bad this 'modification' is, you can imagine how the board meeting went:

Chairman- How are we going to address the fact the wider wheel is too high?

Design Engineer- We'll have to re-tool the floor pressing an inch lower, introduce a slimmer fuel tank, job done!

Chairman- Won't that be expensive?

Cleaner (passing by with the Hoover)- Why don't you just glue some inch strips of wood under the cover?

Accountant- Excellent idea, team, meet the new head of design ...