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Good day!
I know many of you like the spare tire carrier delete look on a g wagon but I just got a g wagon and I am not feeling the spare tire delete look. I know there are a lot of threads about unmounting the spare tire carrier but didn't see any regarding mounting it.
So I had a few questions:
1. Can you mount the spare tire carrier without an actual spare tire? Asking because my rims are 19ich and I believe the carrier is for a 18".
2. Any one know where I can buy the triangle mount for a 03 g500?
3. Any ideas how you install it? Is there a DIY guide somewhere? As you can see below, the car has the holes filled in!!!
[QUOTE=momo!;8378522]
1. Can you mount the spare tire carrier without an actual spare tire? Asking because my rims are 19ich and I believe the carrier is for a 18".
2. Any one know where I can buy the triangle mount for a 03 g500?
3. Any ideas how you install it? Is there a DIY guide somewhere? As you can see below, the car has the holes filled in!!!
/QUOTE]
1. Not sure I understand what you're asking here. The bolt pattern for 18" and 19" wheels will be the same, so either size spare will fit the mounting bracket.
2. A mount should be available from MB parts suppliers, but check ebay and this forum for mounts that are take-offs.
3. I'd have a body shop do the install. Finding the original holes, opening them up, and rust proofing them could be a difficult DIY.
All spare tires for the G, regardless of year, were all 18" wheels with a standard 265/60R18. It won't be sized the same overall size as your 19" wheels/tires which is why it is a spare only and why they have their speed limit warnings in place.
It looks like someone either deleted the mounting holes for the spare carrier, or swapped rear doors for a 4x4^2 door (which doesn't have the mounting holes). The easiest way would probably be to find a rear door for sale with the mounting holes already there as modifying would be pretty difficult. It would also probably be relatively easy to find someone who has a standard door (with mounting holes) to trade if they're looking for a door without a spare tire carrier mount.
You should be able to get a spare mount used from ebay, or on the forums pretty easily as plenty of people remove the door mounted spare. Alternatively, 911 Motorsports makes a reverse tire mount (outside face of the rim will face towards the rear of the vehicle) which a lot of people also like the look of. https://www.911motorsports.net/1990-...W463_p_39.html
Now for mounting the spare tire carrier cover without an actual spare in there, that is a little more difficult. I did see, a while back, someone welded a custom metal structure that was basically the outline of a spare wheel/tire and it bolted to the spare tire carrier, so you could mount the tire carrier cover without a spare in there. I saw it as pointless since the welded structure was basically the same weight as a spare tire, the cost was crazy (>$500 for just the dummy tire) and it's actually useless.
Shiann's comments clarified for me what you're asking regarding the spare tire size. The 265/60R18 tire dimensions are 265mm W x 775mm D (10.4" x 30.5"). My G550 came with 275/50R20's mounted and a 265/50R20 as a spare. This spare has the same width and diameter as the 265/60R18. If your spare wheel is a 19", you can change out the tire to a 265/55R19. In other words, 265/60R18, 265/55R19 and 265/50R20 all have the same width and diameter and each will fit inside the spare tire cover. But as also noted, driving with a mis-matched spare mounted on an axle places a speed constraint for safety. My spare was marked "45 mph max". I switched out the OE Pirelli's to an A/T rated tire 275/55R20, and mounted a fifth one on the spare. The OE tire cover didn't fit, so I ordered an aftermarket cover from Boomerang (www.boomco.com).
I did the same as streborx when I switched to 285/60R18 BFG KO2's and had a 5th one mounted on my spare 18" wheel. Tire carrier didn't fit around the wheel anymore so I got the semi-rigid Mercedes cover from Boomco and it's been great so far and I have a full sized spare
Another possible solution - if your truck has, or can be equipped with a receiver hitch for towing, there are a variety of aftermarket spare tire mounts that attach to a receiver. The pricier ones are hinged so that they swing away to allow access to the rear door. This is more bothersome than an OE door mount, and the appaearance won't be exactly OEM, but this will be much easier to accomplish and probably cost less. The OE tire cover might need a minor tweak to adapt, but with the right tire on your 19" wheel, the job will be done, and you don't need to modify or change-out the rear door. And you can always restore its current appearance easily if you change your mind.
All spare tires for the G, regardless of year, were all 18" wheels with a standard 265/60R18. It won't be sized the same overall size as your 19" wheels/tires which is why it is a spare only and why they have their speed limit warnings in place.
It looks like someone either deleted the mounting holes for the spare carrier, or swapped rear doors for a 4x4^2 door (which doesn't have the mounting holes). The easiest way would probably be to find a rear door for sale with the mounting holes already there as modifying would be pretty difficult. It would also probably be relatively easy to find someone who has a standard door (with mounting holes) to trade if they're looking for a door without a spare tire carrier mount.
You should be able to get a spare mount used from ebay, or on the forums pretty easily as plenty of people remove the door mounted spare. Alternatively, 911 Motorsports makes a reverse tire mount (outside face of the rim will face towards the rear of the vehicle) which a lot of people also like the look of. https://www.911motorsports.net/1990-...W463_p_39.html
Now for mounting the spare tire carrier cover without an actual spare in there, that is a little more difficult. I did see, a while back, someone welded a custom metal structure that was basically the outline of a spare wheel/tire and it bolted to the spare tire carrier, so you could mount the tire carrier cover without a spare in there. I saw it as pointless since the welded structure was basically the same weight as a spare tire, the cost was crazy (>$500 for just the dummy tire) and it's actually useless.
Thank you all for the reply.
Shiann,
With the flip mount installed, can I still install the chrome rim and carrier cover down the road if I want my spare to be covered like in winters? Will I still have the option to go with the original gwagon look if I install the flip mount or will it only be limited to spare facing out and no cover?
Another possible solution - if your truck has, or can be equipped with a receiver hitch for towing, there are a variety of aftermarket spare tire mounts that attach to a receiver. The pricier ones are hinged so that they swing away to allow access to the rear door. This is more bothersome than an OE door mount, and the appaearance won't be exactly OEM, but this will be much easier to accomplish and probably cost less. The OE tire cover might need a minor tweak to adapt, but with the right tire on your 19" wheel, the job will be done, and you don't need to modify or change-out the rear door. And you can always restore its current appearance easily if you change your mind.
Thanks for your reply.
Has this been done before? Any pics?
Ideally, it would be great to do a setup where I can alternate between this look and with spare tire to preserve the efforts of the last person who managed to get such a clean look.
Thank you all for the reply.
Shiann,
With the flip mount installed, can I still install the chrome rim and carrier cover down the road if I want my spare to be covered like in winters? Will I still have the option to go with the original gwagon look if I install the flip mount or will it only be limited to spare facing out and no cover?
Thanks.
The flip mount is intended to expose the good side of the wheel, so covering it with the tire cover is contrary to its purpose. While the flip mount should space the tire out sufficiently far from the door for the cover to attach, the OE cover disk might not install with its tube that slides into the OE wheel mount. This disk tube extends through the wheel's center cap, but I assume your 19" wheel has a removable center cap so that this can happen. You can probably modify the disk tube so it will fit into the flip mount -- calling the flip mount manufacturer might get this question answered. Have you determined if your rear door originally had a wheel mount on it?
Thanks for your reply.
Has this been done before? Any pics?
Ideally, it would be great to do a setup where I can alternate between this look and with spare tire to preserve the efforts of the last person who managed to get such a clean look.
Best option is to google "receiver hitch spare tire mount" and check out all the products and features available.
The flip mount is intended to expose the good side of the wheel, so covering it with the tire cover is contrary to its purpose. While the flip mount should space the tire out sufficiently far from the door for the cover to attach, the OE cover disk might not install with its tube that slides into the OE wheel mount. This disk tube extends through the wheel's center cap, but I assume your 19" wheel has a removable center cap so that this can happen. You can probably modify the disk tube so it will fit into the flip mount -- calling the flip mount manufacturer might get this question answered. Have you determined if your rear door originally had a wheel mount on it?
How to determine if it had it originally? How can you distinguish between 4x4 door and g500?
Also, if one were to drill the 3 holes for the mount then does the person need to find the assembly inside to match? Do the holes drill into some sort of a structure/pillars/frame inside the door that holds it or do the holes just drill in the door as is?
How to determine if it had it originally? How can you distinguish between 4x4 door and g500?
Also, if one were to drill the 3 holes for the mount then does the person need to find the assembly inside to match? Do the holes drill into some sort of a structure/pillars/frame inside the door that holds it or do the holes just drill in the door as is?
If you can trace the truck's ownership through the VIN and/or Carfax, you could ask if the door was replaced or doctored. MB seems to stamp p/n's on every piece of sheet metal, so maybe you can find one somewhere on the frame and look it up as being OE or aftermarket. You might also try pulling the inside door panel off to see if there are openings through which the door's interior construction can be seen. A door intended to support a spare mount bracket should have a stout reinforcement member that effectively transfers the spare's weight to the door hinges. You could also try to find if mounting holes on the exterior were plugged with body filler and painted over by using a small magnet to check for non-magnetic spots where the holes existed (this won't work if the door constructon is entirely aluminum).
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