Fiat Ducato spare wheel winch key.

[Fazerloz]

This aft we had a osr tyre blowout on the M62 jct 21 on our way home from Astle Park traction engine rally with the trailer on with 2 bikes in. Out with the box with the jack and keys in for the spare wheel winch only to find the key for the winch in the box was a hexagonal key and the winch had a pentagonal fitting so we were unable to lower the spare wheel. AA sent for and the AA man couldn't get it down either. Rather than cut it off or wait for recovery and then have to get it sorted I opted for a mobile tyre fitter to come and fit a new tyre. Ironically he came from Mirfield about 2 mls from our house.
Moral to the story, check you have the right gear in your jack box it may save you a few quid and some time.

 

[RichardHelen262]

That reminds me I haven’t lowered mine for quite some time, I usually lower and clean everything up once a year, just in case I have to change it whilst out and about

 

[Robmac]

This aft we had a osr tyre blowout on the M62 jct 21 on our way home from Astle Park traction engine rally with the trailer on with 2 bikes in. Out with the box with the jack and keys in for the spare wheel winch only to find the key for the winch in the box was a hexagonal key and the winch had a pentagonal fitting so we were unable to lower the spare wheel. AA sent for and the AA man couldn't get it down either. Rather than cut it off or wait for recovery and then have to get it sorted I opted for a mobile tyre fitter to come and fit a new tyre. Ironically he came from Mirfield about 2 mls from our house.
Moral to the story, check you have the right gear in your jack box it may save you a few quid and some time.

When I bought my van it was an ex Windscreen replacement vehicle, I later found out that the winch key was missing.

Apparently the company remove the jack and winch keys from vehicles for H&S reasons, they don't allow their drivers to change wheels at the roadside. (apparently many companies do this). It was a Torx fitting so I had to buy one from Renault and I put my Trolley Jack in the van.

When I got the key it was seized and took a lot of effort and WD40 to release it so like Richard I now lower and re-grease the mechanism once a year or so.

 

[Fazerloz]

When I bought my van it was an ex Windscreen replacement vehicle, I later found out that the winch key was missing.

Apparently the company remove the jack and winch keys from vehicles for H&S reasons, they don't allow their drivers to change wheels at the roadside. (apparently many companies do this). It was a Torx fitting so I had to buy one from Renault and I put my Trolley Jack in the van.

When I got the key it was seized and took a lot of effort and WD40 to release it so like Richard I now lower and re-grease the mechanism once a year or so.

Mine is a Swift factory conversion from new so i don't know how it has come about to be wrong. Unless it had the Fiat recall for the tyre winch and they didn't get an appropriate winch key given is all I can think. I have ordered one now rather than grind this one down, You never know one day it might come in.

Ps AA men do not carry grinders.

 

[colinm]

It's not just the lowering mechanism that needs checking, also the clamp to release wheel from cable.

 

[mike w]

This aft we had a osr tyre blowout on the M62 jct 21 on our way home from Astle Park traction engine rally with the trailer on with 2 bikes in. Out with the box with the jack and keys in for the spare wheel winch only to find the key for the winch in the box was a hexagonal key and the winch had a pentagonal fitting so we were unable to lower the spare wheel. AA sent for and the AA man couldn't get it down either. Rather than cut it off or wait for recovery and then have to get it sorted I opted for a mobile tyre fitter to come and fit a new tyre. Ironically he came from Mirfield about 2 mls from our house.
Moral to the story, check you have the right gear in your jack box it may save you a few quid and some time.

I had the exact same problem, ended up aquireing one from a scrap vehicle.
Luckily it was during a service.

 

[yeoblade]

I checked when I got the van , OK BUT, with the waste water tank in the way you cant get the spare out once lowered to the ground, without lifting the van 2" to clear the wheel, at least I know now

 

[alcam]

Mine is a Swift factory conversion from new so i don't know how it has come about to be wrong. Unless it had the Fiat recall for the tyre winch and they didn't get an appropriate winch key given is all I can think. I have ordered one now rather than grind this one down, You never know one day it might come in.

Ps AA men do not carry grinders.

RAC fekked the thing on my van . AM Philip (Edinburgh) fixed it under warranty

 

[guerdeval]

My van is now 10 years old and the spare still has the original tyre unused, I’ve come to regard it as just for show,amazingly it’s still hard