V60 spare wheel problem solved

[wimorrison]

Originally Posted by TrueBlue

Duh! - as My Management says "Because"

1. There's no room in a modern bodyshell to put a full size spare
2. Full sized spares disappeared in Volvos some ten years ago (?)
3. A compact spare is quite adequate to get you home and for a few days thereafter. (done it).
4. At least there's room in the V60 to put a space saver tyre for a reasonable sum, but you lose the capacious bits & bobs tray.
5. In some cars there's no room to put any sort of spare wheel. Be grateful.

Pah!

Absolutely agree, however you forget that it is also fuel economy that drives the need for a space saver. The weight of a full size wheel plus tyre eats up fuel, plus the cost of the tyre is extortionate

Haven't had a full size spare wheel for 20 years and have never needed, or seen the need for one. A space saver will get you to any garage, kwikfit, or whatever in the UK albeit at a slightly more sedate, but much more economic speed

[mike95]

Originally Posted by TrueBlue

Duh! - as My Management says "Because"

1. There's no room in a modern bodyshell to put a full size spare
2. Full sized spares disappeared in Volvos some ten years ago (?)
3. A compact spare is quite adequate to get you home and for a few days thereafter. (done it).
4. At least there's room in the V60 to put a space saver tyre for a reasonable sum, but you lose the capacious bits & bobs tray.
5. In some cars there's no room to put any sort of spare wheel. Be grateful.

Pah!

I agree too.

I am just thrilled that the spare will fit in the boot so no worse off now than almost all other cars on the road.

Thanks again to Mike for putting my mind at rest. Wheel already ordered.

[KeithR56]

It’s good to see that people have found a solution to the lack of spare wheel. However, I’m still not quite there yet.

I have a 17" Space Saver wheel from a 2004 S60. As it’s the same tyre size (125/80/17), I assumed it could be stored under the floor of my recently acquired V60 if I removed the under floor storage tray. The problem is that the boot floor (grocery flap type) doesn’t close properly with the wheel underneath. I’ve tried moving the wheel to various different positions and turning it over, but I just can’t get the boot floor to close. At best, there’s a gap just big enough to put your fingers in.

The pictures that Trueblue posted clearly show that everything fits, but I wonder whether Volvo have used more than one design of boot floor. I don’t want to order a new wheel only to find that doesn’t fit either.

Can anyone tell me whether the V60 Space Saver wheel is narrower than the older s60 wheel? When laid flat on the floor (rubber side down) the highest point is 6.125”.

[andymcp]

Can't answer your wheel size question this evening, but if nobody else has got the tape measure out by the end of the week I'll check it then.

I'm one of the mugs that opted for the official solution, and had a first look round it today. Very neat (as you'd expect) and there's room for the snot kit that came with the car as well, along with towbar, emergency triangle etc all stowed in there too. Dealer gave me the old under-floor tray and original boot floor in case I ever decide to revert to original. They also gave me two foam inserts that none of us could work out where they go. Apparently they arrived with the kit but don't seem to fit anywhere - now taking up garage space along with the rest.

I know it was a lot of money but the wheel is secured (there's a screw fastening through the middle) and all the electrics in that part of the car are safely guarded by the moulded base. I've never had a shopping bag holder so I doubt I'll miss it. Apart from anything else, when Mrs McP hits the shops there's usually an issue of lack of space rather than worrying about things rolling around.

[Winchy]

Been reading this thread and am throwing it out to all "will this space saver fit a S60". Mine is a D5 SE LUX 10/11 model and having had the misfortune of a blow out (totalled tyre side wall included) I was left with the only option of being trailered home.Sticky goo stuff was as much use as a chocolate fireguard. Even the 'friendly' police man who stopped for all of 2 minutes commented on how useless it was and I quote "that'll teach you to have a s****y repair system fitted to your s****y car". Your thoughts much appreciated.

[S60D5-185]

Originally Posted by KeithR56

It’s good to see that people have found a solution to the lack of spare wheel. However, I’m still not quite there yet.

I have a 17" Space Saver wheel from a 2004 S60. As it’s the same tyre size (125/80/17), I assumed it could be stored under the floor of my recently acquired V60 if I removed the under floor storage tray. The problem is that the boot floor (grocery flap type) doesn’t close properly with the wheel underneath. I’ve tried moving the wheel to various different positions and turning it over, but I just can’t get the boot floor to close. At best, there’s a gap just big enough to put your fingers in.

The pictures that Trueblue posted clearly show that everything fits, but I wonder whether Volvo have used more than one design of boot floor. I don’t want to order a new wheel only to find that doesn’t fit either.

Can anyone tell me whether the V60 Space Saver wheel is narrower than the older s60 wheel? When laid flat on the floor (rubber side down) the highest point is 6.125”.

I know we are talking about entirely different cars here but on my 2006 S60 I wanted a full size 17" alloy as a spare instead of my factory spacesaver and as such had similar issues to you due to the inbuilt grocery flap.

I removed the grocery flap from the boot floor ( 4 bolts ) and hung it up in the garage reasoning that I never used it anyway and can refit it should I ever return the car to standard.

I wanted a full size spare after last years Holiday in France when I got a puncture on a Saturday evening 200 miles from our accommodation.

200 miles at 50mph on a French AutoRoute with a spacesaver fitted is positively dangerous ! Never again.

[KeithR56]

Originally Posted by mike95

I agree too.

I am just thrilled that the spare will fit in the boot so no worse off now than almost all other cars on the road.

Thanks again to Mike for putting my mind at rest. Wheel already ordered.

I'd be interested to hear if this was a success Mike. My V60 is also a D5.

Regardless of what the motor industry statistics say; I average around one puncture every 18 months. I don’t live, or often drive in a city, so it’s unlikely that there’ll be a tyre depot for miles and never one open after 4:30pm, or on Sundays. The foam repair kits don’t always work and are not practical, or (IMO) safe to use on unlit roads. To use the foam kit you first have to find where the tyre has been punctured and position this at the bottom. Can you imagine trying this when out on the moors on your own on a winter’s night in the driving rain? This is why a spare wheel is an essential bit of kit for me.

I have a bag for my space saver wheel so it will sit on top of the boot floor, but takes up almost the entire boot space. It also means I can’t use the grocery flap when the wheel’s in the boot, or lift the floor to access the storage tray. I’ve just swapped from a MY04 S60 to a MY11 V60 so I could have better access for larger loads, but with the spare in the boot, I’d have been better off buying a Fiat 500.

I asked a seller who trades in Volvo parts on an online auction site whether their “genuine” Volvo space saver wheels fit under the boot floor. Their reply was “if you take the tray out it will just about close but not fully”. That just about describes my situation: The wheel fits, but the boot floor doesn’t close properly.

TrueBlue has successfully fitted a wheel under a “grocery flap” floor. Either the floorpan of my V60 is different, or my wheel is bigger.

As I see it, my main options are: -
• Buy another wheel and see if that fits better than the one I already have.
• Buy, or make a new boot floor (without grocery flap).
• Modify my existing boot floor by cutting away the part that is stopping it from closing. Unfortunately not as simple as unbolting it as on the old S60 models (but thanks for the suggestion S60D5-185).
• Fit Continental “Contiseal” puncture resistant tyres, or have my existing tyres filled with slime.
• Use AA Relay (or similar) to get me home every time I get a puncture. (The last time I used the AA, I had a 6 hour wait for them to turn up).
• Change my car for a make / model that has a spare wheel.

Sorry to keep going over old ground, but I’d love to hear from other members on how they solved this problem. If you have fitted a space saver wheel under a “grocery flap” floor, what size was it? And where did you buy it from?

One suggestion from a work colleague was to bolt the spare onto the top of the bonnet like his Land Rover. I’m not sure whether he was serious, but I think I’ll give that one a miss.

[mike95]

Originally Posted by KeithR56

I'd be interested to hear if this was a success Mike. My V60 is also a D5.

Regardless of what the motor industry statistics say; I average around one puncture every 18 months. I don’t live, or often drive in a city, so it’s unlikely that there’ll be a tyre depot for miles and never one open after 4:30pm, or on Sundays. The foam repair kits don’t always work and are not practical, or (IMO) safe to use on unlit roads. To use the foam kit you first have to find where the tyre has been punctured and position this at the bottom. Can you imagine trying this when out on the moors on your own on a winter’s night in the driving rain? This is why a spare wheel is an essential bit of kit for me.

I have a bag for my space saver wheel so it will sit on top of the boot floor, but takes up almost the entire boot space. It also means I can’t use the grocery flap when the wheel’s in the boot, or lift the floor to access the storage tray. I’ve just swapped from a MY04 S60 to a MY11 V60 so I could have better access for larger loads, but with the spare in the boot, I’d have been better off buying a Fiat 500.

I asked a seller who trades in Volvo parts on an online auction site whether their “genuine” Volvo space saver wheels fit under the boot floor. Their reply was “if you take the tray out it will just about close but not fully”. That just about describes my situation: The wheel fits, but the boot floor doesn’t close properly.

TrueBlue has successfully fitted a wheel under a “grocery flap” floor. Either the floorpan of my V60 is different, or my wheel is bigger.

As I see it, my main options are: -
• Buy another wheel and see if that fits better than the one I already have.
• Buy, or make a new boot floor (without grocery flap).
• Modify my existing boot floor by cutting away the part that is stopping it from closing. Unfortunately not as simple as unbolting it as on the old S60 models (but thanks for the suggestion S60D5-185).
• Fit Continental “Contiseal” puncture resistant tyres, or have my existing tyres filled with slime.
• Use AA Relay (or similar) to get me home every time I get a puncture. (The last time I used the AA, I had a 6 hour wait for them to turn up).
• Change my car for a make / model that has a spare wheel.

Sorry to keep going over old ground, but I’d love to hear from other members on how they solved this problem. If you have fitted a space saver wheel under a “grocery flap” floor, what size was it? And where did you buy it from?

One suggestion from a work colleague was to bolt the spare onto the top of the bonnet like his Land Rover. I’m not sure whether he was serious, but I think I’ll give that one a miss.

Keith, I can confirm that my spare fitted under the boot floor with no problem. I too have the grocery bag holder thingy.

I got my wheel here:

http://www.volvogenuineparts.co.uk/p...r-2011-to-2013

Excellent service.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Mike

[tem]

I removed the tray and popped in the spare and then put the bag on top of the wheel.
The floor closes flush.
I have the grocery flap.
Size is 125/80/R17.

tem.

[KeithR56]

Originally Posted by mike95

Keith, I can confirm that my spare fitted under the boot floor with no problem. I too have the grocery bag holder thingy.

I got my wheel here:

http://www.volvogenuineparts.co.uk/p...r-2011-to-2013

Excellent service.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Mike

Thanks Mike, Tem and everyone else who responded to my posts. I'll order a wheel from the recommended site. I'll let you know how I get on.