Upsizing wheels and tires on your Vanagon gives you one of the most significant improvements in handling available. The issue is that larger tires and wheels do not fit in the stock spare tire carrier under the van. The Van Cafe Vanagon Oversized SpareTire Carrier replaces the old clamshell and allows you to mount your larger spare in the stock location. Problem solved!

Vanagon Spare Tire Carrier Features

This spare tire carrier allows you to run taller tires such as the 215/70/15 after switching to 15" rims or 195x70x16 if using 16" rims. Staying below 27" diameter and 8.5" or less width gives you the best chance of fitting (every van is slightly different). 

With minimal effort, the carrier permits certain spare tires to stay under the front of the van instead of loading them on the roof, inside the vehicle or mounting it on the back.

It is often necessary to run the spare tire at a lower tire pressure to fit and not rub on the steering linkage, or you may consider purchasing a Steering Shaft Protector. It still may be necessary to lower the tire pressure even with the steering shaft protector installed. We recommend carrying a bike foot pump to get the pressure back up when needed. Additional steps such as adding drop-down brackets at the mounting pivot points can also help with wider tires (not included).

Although an inconvenience, we feel it is worth the effort to keep the spare tire where it was designed to be stored. Please note that your rim's width will affect the wheel's ability and the tire fit, and additional work may be necessary. There are limits to what will fit underneath there. Staying below 27" diameter and 8.5" or less width gives you the best chance of fitting (every van is slightly different).

PLEASE NOTE, in some cases, you can get marginally larger tires in the stock area by minor modifications to the stock carrier (clamshell).

To install the carrier in the stock position, there is a variation from vehicle to vehicle. The first thing to do is remove the carrier and the two-wire retaining pieces that restrict the spare's height and the double as hinge pins for the carrier. Use regular bolts with nyloc nuts as a replacement for the hinge pins. This allows the tire to sit higher. You can also run a longer bolt on the front bracket and use a spacer to lower it. This combination should enable it to fit, but keep in mind that the retaining wires serve to protect hoses and other parts from being pinched or damaged by the spare. We have found there to be no issue with removing them, but that has to be determined by you and your shop if you are comfortable doing this. If your van came stock with steal wheels, you may consider replacing the radiator hoses with the alloy wheel version silicone feed and silicone return for additional clearance.

Powder Coated Product Return Policy:

There is an additional 10% restocking fee applied to all powder coated products being returned.

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