Toyota Spare Wheel Don't Fit

[99BigLad99]

Ok on the way to Pattaya last Tuesday the wife and i set off in the three month old Toyota Truck I like it a lot drives well comfortable the lot the only alterations I have had done to it is the boot lid cover that Toyota don't do and the screen tints that the garage don't do apart from that all is standard on the truck. Going along the road I know I have gone over a bit of steel work that was thrown by a car from one side of the road to the other and I went over it I thought at the time oops and when the car started to pull to the left i thought flat tyre and it was. I found a place to stop a bit safer than just on the hard shoulder a bit more off the road as I was on the toll road round Bangkok. Any way nothing for it but start to change the wheel at 2 pm in the heat of the day, why is it either pouring with rain or boiling hot when you get a flat? Get the instruction book where do I put this silly little jack that i think will lift the beast, while still reading the book and the tools laying on the floor a truck pulls up motorway assistance with four little Thai guys in it now this is a god sent gift from heaven, yes. Do they want to give a hand Oh yes they do and I take it easy, They have big jacks and things also in their truck but being only little they could not undo the dam nuts no matter how hard they tried, let the big falang in to do a man's job, eventually off comes the front wheel with a bit of effort the bloody thing was tight even for me at 19 stones and standing on the wrench.

Spare wheel I have already got down from its position under the boot and they are about to line the holes up BUT they all have a puzzled look on their faces I look and you could have thought that the ground was shaking once we told my wife that the spare wheel did not fit. That's right the spare wheel does not fit the hub because the brake calliper had at some stage been altered I would think with a change of model spec and this prevents the spare wheel from going onto the wheel hub. She went ballistic the telephone came out and I did not recognise all the words but after about ten minutes she said that the Toyota Garage manager is coming to see us at home when we get back to our village. Still back at the road side this did not help but the four guys explained that they could not fix the puncture but they would take the punctured wheel and spare away and swap the covers for me to get me mobile again, off they go.

About an hour or so later they turn up and duly fit the now pumped up wheel with spare tyre put on it polish all their hand marks off the body work and put the spare away in the boot. I ask them how much do I owe them and they say 80baht for the garage that did the swap. I gave them 500baht and told them to keep the change. Now that is what I call bloody good service and it is given freely because I was on a toll road these guys travel the toll road 24/7 looking for people to help. So if you ever do break down on a toll way look out for these guys they are the best thing since sliced bread and so polite you wouldn't believe it when I gave them the 500baht they all came to say thank you and all in their best English they could muster.

Below are a few snaps I took at the time not the wife NOT happy as the sun was too bright for her, it will be interesting tomorrow though as that is when the Toyota Manager is due here, just hope I am out of bed to see it happen.

Full of repect for the Highway Rescue Guys

I would be interested if anybody else has come against this problem or do all owners have a spare wheel that does fit ?

[Globeliner]

Had exactly the same thing happen with my Ford Ranger, the rear was flat so dropped the spare down only to find it wouldn't go over the rear drum, i had to take the front off and put that on the rear, the spare luckily fitted over the callipers and disc on the front, if that makes sense!

Just hope next time i have a flat, it's on the front

[PattayaDavid]

I too, will be interested to hear what the Toyota Manager tells you since I have the very same truck except in white color. I see that you had purchased your truck recently since you still have the red tag on it. I purchased mine on February 2nd. I certainly hope you will post whatever information you find out. If it is a brake caliper change, I hope there is a specific model number or name that I can check on inspection to see if mine is the same. I would hate to make the Toyota Dealership change my tire just to see if it fits or not.

Pattaya David

[99BigLad99]

The Toyota manager has been round to see us yesterday and we are waiting to hear what the outcome is as I want a new spare wheel that bloody fits

Edited February 25, 2007 by mgc

[Crossy]

Had exactly the same thing happen with my Ford Ranger, the rear was flat so dropped the spare down only to find it wouldn't go over the rear drum, i had to take the front off and put that on the rear, the spare luckily fitted over the callipers and disc on the front, if that makes sense!

Just hope next time i have a flat, it's on the front

Thanks for the heads up, task one when I get back to BKK, check the spare fits (New Ranger).

The guys on the toll roads are No1, my old beemer stopped (electrical fault that I knew about and could fix), guy in his truck arrived almost before I'd rolled to a halt

[mackayae]

Thanks for the story. Useful info for us. Let us know the outcome.

[Firefan]

Makes me think - my (old!) car have 17 inch wheels but was originally equipped with 15 inch only - and the spare wheel compartment fits only a 15 inch wheel I think.... so the wheel there is 15inch... wonder how THAT will work out when I have a flat and try to change to 1 15 inch wheel!?

Cheers!

ps. thanks for a great story btw!

[99BigLad99]

Makes me think - my (old!) car have 17 inch wheels but was originally equipped with 15 inch only - and the spare wheel compartment fits only a 15 inch wheel I think.... so the wheel there is 15inch... wonder how THAT will work out when I have a flat and try to change to 1 15 inch wheel!?

Cheers!

ps. thanks for a great story btw!

I have actually done that in the past with a Landrover Defender put the small wheel on the back what ever you do and take it easy it is a most unusual drive to say the least and illegal at that

[Jing-jo]

Makes me think - my (old!) car have 17 inch wheels but was originally equipped with 15 inch only - and the spare wheel compartment fits only a 15 inch wheel I think.... so the wheel there is 15inch... wonder how THAT will work out when I have a flat and try to change to 1 15 inch wheel!?

Cheers!

ps. thanks for a great story btw!

Hi if your 17" wheels were supplied by a reputable firm then it should be ok

the easiest way is to check the rolloing radius is very close if not the same

basically if your original tyre is 195/50/15 then the 17" version should be 225/40/17

BUT if the car is front wheel drive and the puncture is on the front

then remove the back tyre first and replace it with the spare

place the rear at the front of the car

make sure it is on the same side of the car if the tyres are handed

there will be a little arrow on the tyre

the resaon is that if you drive any real distance then the differential in the gearbox may be damaged

VW's are prone to this as the have a badly designed and sometimes assembled diff unit

if it is rear wheel drive then stick the spare also on the rear as the steering and braking may be affected

but the rear diff should be a lot stronger and will be ok for short and average speed journeys till you get it sorted

it is NOT illegal in the Uk to use tyres of a different size on the same axle so to speak as long as you are only doing so due to flat etc etc

but you most adhere to the limits

usually 50mph and only 50KM no more but that is for the really skinny tyres i.e 135 width

looks like akids bike compared to the car one

hope this helps

Jing-Jo

[mackayae]

Toyota! Where are you? The world is waiting.

[99BigLad99]

Still waiting to hear from Toyota Themselves the garaghe manager has put a report in TiT (This is Thailand)

[99BigLad99]

At last a result on this problem - A new spare wheel - big apologies from the garage they seem to have got the spare wheel mixed up when the car had pre delivery check. believe it or not I now have a spare that fits all four wheels on the car. The garage did say it was a one off and not a problem with Toyota but just took one hel_l of a long time to come to that decision.