Damaged spare wheel mechanism

Rog · Post by **Rog** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 10:24 pm

Tried to get to the spare wheel on our new Bongo and couldn't! The pole (unused and unmarked)would not locate in the winch bit.

Closer inspection the following day under torchlight revealed that the pole was a good inch (25 mm) above the winch's socket, and the winch's body or bracket looked to be bent forewards which made the socket aim downwards. I tried bending the bar slightly to coax it toward the socket, but the three bulheads that it passes through were keeping it too high....after much frigging about I had to make the bar hit the last bulkhead below its propper hole and bend the metal upwards. This allowed the bar to drop just enough to locate and once the spare was out the winch body was indeed found to be well and truely bent. Also the thin plate that is part of the bongo floor that the winch bolts to was badly distorted as well.

I can only conclude that some Neanderthal has jacked the Bongo up on the centre of the spare wheel and crushed the winch! Has anyone else had similar hassles?

I will make up some suitable dollys to bash all the tinplate back into shape and take the winch into work for a clean up /straighten. The pole will need some TLC as well as it has gone from sleek and shiny to bent and buggered....I will straighten it in the lathe and give it a rub down and re-paint.

Only had the Bongo since Saterday and we are hitting it with hammers already!

Rog, Birmingham

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 10:50 pm

Stick with it Rog - things will pick up (except the weather - that's a gonner)

Veg_Ian · Post by **Veg_Ian** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 7:32 am

If it's any consolation, mine was completely seized when I got it so I dispensed with the whole thing and attached a long piece of threaded bar to the now useless housing that winds out the wire. Laying on my back I can offer up the wheel over the bar and tighten up with a wingnut. I've tried this with the van off the jack so know in an emergency it can be used in this fashion. Obviously this is with a space saver wheel. Not sure I would fancy it with a regular one. Not ideal I know but a fallback method for you if you don't get it sorted.