spare wheel carrier for 1995/6 duetto

Hi folks
I need a spare wheel carrier for a 1995/6 Ford Transit for a 14 inch alloy wheel.  M/home repair place ordered one from Ford but it was the wrong one - not one for alloy wheels.  I know the serial number for the WRONG carrier, but not the number for the right one.  Both local garage and m/home repair place suggested Ebay.  I've had a look there but can't identify which would be the correct one to get.  Also, I have never used Ebay and have my doubts about it.  Can anyone suggest somewhere reputable who could supply what I need?

Ebay is probably one of the safest places to buy stuff like that - I've bought probably hundreds of items that way, and in the tiny number of cases where the item was not as described I got my money back.

The problem you're likely to have is that almost everything you're likely to see for sale secondhand  will have come from delivery/builder's vans, so will be designed for steels.

Have you asked on the UK Transit forum yet? They should be able to advise. I would have thought it may be easier to modify what you have than hold out for something exactly right.

As to part numbers - I'm surprised that a Ford dealer cannot give you the correct one. They ~should~ have the information available, but perhaps the one that you tried just cannot be bothered to look properly? I have found this in the past...

Thanks Mojo -   I haven't tried anything else yet, so no fault with the Ford dealer.  This is my first attempt to find the carrier.  The problem with the old carrier is that part of it had sheared off  during a wheel change, and when my own garage were going to refit with repaired tyre, there was nothing to fit the key thingy into so they had to cut off the remaining bit to get at the wheel.  I don't think there is anything left to modify.  

I might try the main Ford dealer myself first to at least get right serial number as it might be the m/home repair place just didn't investigate further.  I had forgotten about the Transit forum - will try there too if need be.  I have a friend who uses Ebay so he could help with that.  I will let you know how I get on.

You'll be fine with Ebay - it's been around for years, and these days they place more priority on protecting the buyer than the seller.

Before you do anything else I would try to find out from the Transit forum whether there really are two different types of wheel carrier. I don't know (my Mk5 had alloys, but I never needed to use the spare so never looked at the carrier in any detail), but it sounds pretty unlikely to me. It would make more sense (to me) to design one with a spacer for the smaller of the two wheels.

It's not unknown for garages to invent explanations for why they can't do something, rather than actually doing it - though that may of course not be what's happening in your case!

Would a rear door mount be any good instead..


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From personal experience, I would need a very good reason to leave unused an existing space under the van and use a door mount instead. I could give a fairly long list of things that I don't like about them.

I had one on a Rapport a few years back, and I can say (from having had it happen) that the weight of a 20+ kilo wheel can drag you out of the back of the van if you're parked on a sideways slope and you're not ready for it!

Thanks for suggestions.  The repair place did get the wheel carrier from Ford and tried to fit it - but I think I see what you mean about a spacer.  Two different serial numbers come up on Ebay, but as I've never seen the carrier I don't know what it looks like.  A door-mounted wheel crossed my mind, but I don't think the van's up to it - still got rust and weak spots!  I will try Transit  forum, and Ford for serial number if need be, then investigate Ebay again.  Burlington Boaby has suggested scrap merchants fairly local so that's another option.

I never even knew there was a different one for securing the alloy spare? I'm assuming the method of securing is the same as with steel wheels so can't really see what the problem is?

My van is on steels and the spare is held underneath at the van rear. Access is a bit of a faff, by pushing a long bar (should be with van as standard equip and often not been used!) through an access hole just beneath the bumper, then winding the handle to lower the wheel. It's held in place by a metal clamp which goes through the wheel centre. The clamp is attached to thick wire cable. First job i did on my van was check that cable and layer on loads of grease because if that rusts the first you will know is when your spare suddenly parts company!

Hi Bulletguy -

The problem with the old carrier is that unknown to me part of it had sheared off during a wheel change, and this was only discovered when my own garage was going to repair the tyre - there was nothing to fit the long bar into so they had to cut off the carrier to get at the wheel.  The m/home repair place got a replacement carrier from Ford but when they tried to fit it, it didn't fit, however, they were able to tell me the serial number of the incorrect carrier.  I now  need to find the number of the correct one.  I have now been onto the Transit forum and there are quite a few posts about wheel carriers, but also about serial numbers for various parts - and obtaining serial numbers appears to be a bit of an issue in itself by the look of it!  

You'll be after a part number, not a serial number.

This Ebay listing is by a Ford dealer, which seems to back up the view that 15" wheels have a different assembly than 14" ones:

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Helpfully gives a photo and a part number, so you should be able to see from the remains of your original whether it's correct. Whether you can find one for a sensible price is of course another matter. But... if you look at the listing for the 14" assembly (same seller has one of those listed on Ebay too) it looks as though, depending on which part is missing, your garage may be able to cannibalise parts from a 14" assembly to fit yours...

Edit: Bit cheaper at Arnold Clark here:

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Actually there's an even cheaper listing by Allen Ford - still near enough £200 though...

Edit again: but if the layout of those is right, I would seriously consider one of these, to see if it could be modified:

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macvanessa wrote:Hi Bulletguy -

The problem with the old carrier is that unknown to me part of it had sheared off during a wheel change, and this was only discovered when my own garage was going to repair the tyre - there was nothing to fit the long bar into so they had to cut off the carrier to get at the wheel.  The m/home repair place got a replacement carrier from Ford but when they tried to fit it, it didn't fit, however, they were able to tell me the serial number of the incorrect carrier.  I now  need to find the number of the correct one.  I have now been onto the Transit forum and there are quite a few posts about wheel carriers, but also about serial numbers for various parts - and obtaining serial numbers appears to be a bit of an issue in itself by the look of it!  

Right ok.......am in the picture now and judging by what Mojo has posted up they look almost the same as the Mk5. Phew......£200 quid is a bit stiff !! Probably Ford only shift two or three each year as it's not something i'd expect to replace.

I have a breakers in my locality which deals only in Transits. It's only a very small two man business but i'd lay good money they'd be able to help with that particular part. Worth giving them a call; Normacot Transits  01782 335270. If they have the right one, send me a pm and i will collect it for you and sort out delivery (Parcel2go is cheapest).

Here is a Ford parts specialist you could also try; [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Thanks Mojo and Bulletguy.  Around £200.00 is the price I'd found on Ford website yesterday (can't find it now needless to say).  Makes you wonder how a part that size can cost so much, but I see what you mean about the amount sold in a year.  I will check out the various websites you've mentioned, and try to ID the correct part.  That is very kind of you Bulletguy to offer to collect it - I will check out the breakers too.

A breakers is certainly an option, but bear in mind that a secondhand part will - like your broken one - have spent the best part of 20 years under a van having road muck thrown up all over it. So you really need to see it an assess its condition before parting with your money, or you'll end up with something that will ping apart at the first opportunity...

H'm....that's a point - thanks Mojo, I will keep that in mind.  Sounds like it might be easier to buy another spare wheel, fix the two of them together with a wee axle and tow them along behind.....!  

macvanessa wrote:H'm....that's a point - thanks Mojo, I will keep that in mind.  

Mojo has a point but personally looking at the item on the ebay photographs it's typical basic Ford crudeness in manufacture. The flanged parts either side where bolts must go through being the most important re condition. Other than that there isn't much to go wrong. The cable spends most of it's life wound up inside the 'cage' or box part and only the first few inches are continually exposed to weather (hence the reason mine got a damn good greasing). If you do get a used one i'd expect to pay no more than £15 -25 max. A good wire brushing and few coats of Hammerite and it's good for another 30 years or the life of the van....whichever comes first!

Thanks Bulletguy.  I will see what I can find online in the next few days.