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Can somebody with mechanical and body expertise tell me what the purpose is for the black transverse cross member that sits under the third row seats? The part number is 2136109202, and in the diagram it shows as number 21.
I would like to know if this is structural (i.e. for the mechanical intergity of the rear body, especially suspension), safety (as in collision design), or just part of the third row seat system. I am still on a quest to find storage space for a spare tire.
I thought somebody had posted that even after removal of #20 & #21 there is still not enough room in the wagon to store a spare wheel in the trunk? I have an E400S and would love to have the security of a spare on long trips.
I thought somebody had posted that even after removal of #20 & #21 there is still not enough room in the wagon to store a spare wheel in the trunk? I have an E400S and would love to have the security of a spare on long trips.
That might have been me, based on measurements I took a few months ago. I do think that without this cross member, two things might be possible:
1. A collapsible spare tire might fit in the space below the current floor.
2. A larger but still compact spare would fit below a floor 1 or 2 inches higher than the current floor.
Either one would be better than my current setup (full size spare, mounted vertically, and recessed about 4 inches into the space where the 3rd row seat back was when folded down--see the photo). But I do not want to remove the cross member if that compromises the rear floor integrity.
08-15-2018, 10:08 PM
