wheel support

[les]

I've found that the spare wheel holder fitted to the wheel arch on a van is too narrow for a 4 1/2'' wheel, did later vans have wider wheel holders fitted? Not keen on cutting mine up if an alternative one is available.

[mike.perry]

Bungy strap the wheel to the frame.
It should be possible to weld in an extra piece of metal to widen the brackets

[rayofleamington]

What tyre is fitted?
I though it would fit with a 155 tyre but its a very long time since I ever looked.

[les]

Yes I can widen the brackets if nothing else is available. Ray, I have a 155tyre fitted but it will not drop into the holder.

[rayofleamington]

Ray, I have a 155tyre fitted but it will not drop into the holder.

hmm - might have trouble with mine too then - it still has the original skinny GPO black rims at present.

[IaininTenbury]

I've got an original 8cwt van at work, I'll look and see if the holder is any different on that, I suspect not offhand. My daily driver van, a 1965 6cwt is currently on 155/14s and I don't recall a problem fitting the spare into the holder, though obviously this is on narrow rims.

[les]

Ok thanks for that, would be nice to know. Think I'll alter mine anyway as getting wider ones, 'if they do exist' is likely to be rather difficult!

[IaininTenbury]

I did check today, and the 8cwt van has the same wheel supports as the 6cwt. 5 1/2" wide at the edge going down to 4" wide at the base. However I also measured a 5.60/14 crossply tyre - the size that was fitted to 8cwt commercials and unsurprisingly, it was 4" across the tread broadening out round the sidewall so would fit perfectly in the holder...
Probably best to cut and alter yours (or just warm up and reshape) if you're fitting wider tyres...

[les]

Thanks Iain, that's just the info I was hoping for. I'm using 4 1/2'' wheels with 14x155 radial tyres and figure I need to add 1'' to the width after calipering a 14x145 on a saloon wheel and comparing with a 14x155 on an 8cwt van wheel. Cheers for looking