Eclat 2.2 Spare Wheel / Wheel Carrier Help

[Slotus]

Hopefully someone can help with this:

My Eclat has a nice set of wheels, with a matching spare. I'm assuming the spare is supposed to fit under the rear, held up by a carrier frame type affair, but unfortunately my car has no carrier present.

So I'm hoping firstly that someone can confirm if the Eclat is supposed to have a standard wheel as a spare, or a thinner "space saver" type?

Secondly, I'm guessing the chance of anyone having a spare carrier frame thingy laying around I could buy is zero... but if I could get some photos and accurate measurements off of an existing one, I'm reasonably handy with a Mig and Grinder, and I could probably fashion up a reproduction.

[EXCEL V8]

Beautiful Eclat!!

If you have space below the boot floor then that's where the spare goes.  At some point - I'm not sure when (maybe the Series 2 cars?) - the spare fits inside a wheel well within the boot as it does in the Excel.  The Elite certainly has a full size spare so I assume the Eclat does as well.

My frame is off the car at the moment if you want to come and have a look and take some measurements.  Do you have any of the assembly?

Pete

[Slotus]

Hi Pete,

I think my phone must have been set to "very flattering" mode when I took that snap - it does look very shiny!

Yes, I figured the nice round space underneath the rear must be where the wheel is supposed to go, but have nothing of the carrier frame thingamyjig at all, couldn't even see how or where it was supposed to attach - admitedly I was only on my knees on the sharp gravel... I dare say with it up in the air things might be a bit more obvious!

Mine was first registered 1st August 1981, so middle year of the 2.2 production, and the year they made the least (only 31) it seems according to the book... maybe the spare went inside the boot on 1982 models, or perhaps the first of the "Eclat Excel" models? ... dunno... all interesting stuff!

Sounds like a trip to nottingham might be in order then! - how long will yours be in bits? - would make sense to come in the Eclat, but it has just gone in to Stratton's for some work, not sure when it'll be back just yet.

Steve

[EXCEL V8]

Mine will be in bits for a while yet - bit of a resto-mod going on!  You're probably actually better off making your own than trying to find an old one - the frame is tubular and easily bends especially where the board rivets - one made from solid bar would be much better and more able to withstand attempted theft of the spare.

You can also get under my Elite easily - pit in the garage.

Pete

[Slotus]

Yes, that's why I wondered about if it was intended to be a standard wheel as its a fairly hefty and heavy lump to be hanging under the back there, so assume the carrier thingy must bolt through with reinforcing plates (or ought to!). I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to make something that could take a padlock, or maybe a pin that goes into the boot and secured in there or something 🤔 - in any case not the kind of car I'd likely be leaving anywhere too "dodgy"

 

[exeterjeep]

6 hours ago, EXCEL V8 said:

'm not sure when (maybe the Series 2 cars?) - the spare fits inside a wheel well within the boot as it does in the Excel. 

I could not find the exact changeover in the parts  manual  but it refers to the Elite stage 1 body and then the stage 2 body. I found that having the spare slung under the car was a bit of a pain particularly trying to get the wheel back on and pushed up  the frame - usually sitting on the ground and shoving up with my feet. That was certainly the case on my elite 501.

Looking at the auction for an elite s2 in gold  (mentioned elsewhere ) I think I can spot the spare wheel frame under the car and the long bolt/clamp thing that clips the underneath of the frame up into the boot.  Still got one of these but it may be a bit old by now.

[Slotus]

Ah yes, just looked at that gold Elite again and I can just see the wheel carrier.

Yes, it is a bit of a pain of a design - very similar to what I had on transit truck.

Thinking out loud, I wonder how feasible it would be to cut the fibreglass "bowl" out that the wheel fits in to and invert it so that the wheel could live in the boot? - I'm guessing that is essentially what the later ones are like, but maybe there's some structural differences to chassis or suspension components or something under there? ... need two side-by-side really to compare.

I remember one of the people carriers I had for a while had a system where the spare wheel was under-slung, but wound down on a little steel cable and the kind of inverted "T" piece that held the wheel just unclipped from the cable when the wheel was flat on the ground... pretty easy to use.

The one advantage of under-slung spares is not having to unload the boot of course to change a tyre, which if it is raining means getting all your stuff wet on the side of the road... the downside is of course sitting in a puddle (twice) whilst changing the wheel! - so pros and cons...

Edited February 29 by Slotus

[exeterjeep]

1 hour ago, Slotus said:

The one advantage of under-slung spares is not having to unload the boot of course to change a tyre,

Not true    in the elite I had,  as the nut you have to undo is in the centre of the boot floor area, Need to turn it down with a wrench and it gradually comes down.

I have found the release mechanism in my garage, it is complete with the nut and strengthening plate.

A pic to show my s2 eclat had the clip and wheel underneath,

[Slotus]

7 minutes ago, exeterjeep said:

I have found the release mechanism in my garage, it is complete with the nut and strengthening plate.

Surplus to requirements? 😊

So the bit the wheel actually sits on looks like a "hairpin" bend bit of round section, presumably hinged at the front end? - my car isn't here at moment to look at, but when I looked I can't even remember seeing any hinge brackety thingies at all.

[exeterjeep]

3 minutes ago, Slotus said:

Surplus to requirements? 😊

Been in my garage for at 20 years, it even came down with us to Devon 16 years ago.

Seem to think it was hinged across a bracket just to the rear of the diff, never took it off to see where it actually fitted. A reasonably substantial bit of metal, and one of my cars had the plastic/grp plate that protected the wheel from dirt etc.

Suppose if you get to look at the car mentioned above you will be able to see it.

[exeterjeep]

Found this poor pic of an eclat chassis( 82 Riviera) ,  think you can see the carrier and where it is attached

 

[Slotus]

Well if you'd care to sell me that bit, that'd be a good start!

Yes, I think a trip to the NEC might be in order... and try hard then to buy the Elite! - it does look rather nice.

10 minutes ago, exeterjeep said:

Found this poor pic of an eclat chassis( 82 Riviera) ,  think you can see the carrier and where it is attached

 

Is it just a tiny picture? - doesn't seem to want to enlarge

[Don.Hasi]

Most of your questions are already answered. Below a pic of the spare tire attached. I should get the measurements of it at the weekend if necessary. It has a shape of the window frames.

[exeterjeep]

3 hours ago, Slotus said:

Is it just a tiny picture?

yes it was one of the first ones I found, once saved you can zoom in a bit.

Anyway been in the garage and I found the hoist ;part. It still screws in and out, but I can't remember how much was needed to raise/lower the wheel.

Here are a couple of really exciting pics....

 

[Slotus]

3 hours ago, Don.Hasi said:

Most of your questions are already answered. Below a pic of the spare tire attached. I should get the measurements of it at the weekend if necessary. It has a shape of the window frames.

Great thanks! - it is beginning to make sense now... looks like it is attached to the metal cross-member part?

1 hour ago, exeterjeep said:

yes it was one of the first ones I found, once saved you can zoom in a bit.

Anyway been in the garage and I found the hoist ;part. It still screws in and out, but I can't remember how much was needed to raise/lower the wheel.

Here are a couple of really exciting pics....

 

Very exciting pics! - all makes sense now... was difficult to visualise when literally none of it was there to start with!

[Don.Hasi]

it is hinged on the chassi. If you look for the rusty bits on the bottom on the picture, you may be able to recognize it

[Slotus]

Ah yes, I see... thanks!