The Rover-Landers of BC

Just trying to get an idea on what everyone thinks of the tire on the hood? i have seen quite a few remove it and mount it elsewhere. and other still have them mounted on the hood.
any pros and cons?
what do you prefer and why.

I like the look of the tire on the hood and it works for me, also you can keep a tow strap in the tire :s3green: :rev:

B

For hwy and around town driving I like it on the hood but for technical off road it cuts into my field of view somewhat. The bigger the tire the worse it can block your view.

Lifting the hood always takes a little extra effort when there is 50lbs of tire and wheel on it...

HeadDamage wrote:For hwy and around town driving I like it on the hood but for technical off road it cuts into my field of view somewhat. The bigger the tire the worse it can block your view.

It makes a big difference how tall you are as well... :wink:

On my IIa, I always had it on the hood until a friend got a swing-away tire rack made for the back, and then it went back there. On the Series truck though, I soon discovered that the tire on the hood/bonnet did one more thing and that was keep the hood from vibrating & rattling at speed as the hinges and catch are so loose. I never had the hood flip up, the catch held, but it sure did wiggle around a lot.

So for a year or so I kept the tire on the back and enjoyed the more open view. But then in preparation for the Mackenzie Trail in 2005 I needed to find a place to hang several jerry cans. So the tire went back up front, and the rack on the back got converted into a really useful jerry can holder. And that's the way it's stayed most of the time since.

For technical off-roading, like Andrew referred to, I have an attachment point in the back box that I can throw the spare on so I can see out front.

Sorry for the long story... but its one of those things that you just can't say yes or no to.

cheers, Dave

thanks for all the info so far everyone.
although my truck is not a landrover, its an Iltis. I am adding some extras to my truck and was looking at adding a spare to the hood as it has the same lines and line of sight as the series. i see what you mean by impeding vision if you are a little short.

On the same note, i have also seen tires, especially on a few lightweight rovers, that did not use the tire mount to hold it to the hood, instead they were held down using cargo straps. this seemed strange to me as i would assume as soon as you open the hood the tire would slip and shift under the straps.

Throw one on the hood and see if you are OK with the vision impediment. Personally I cannot stand it, but others are perfectly happy. Make sure it is well secured. You don't need a tire flying in the event of a collision.

Vision impairment is a consideration as others have mentioned and the weight is a bit of a hassle when checking under the bonnet. I like it because spare tires are generally a pain and a bonnet mounted spare solves the "where do I put it problem" very nicely. One of the biggest bonuses of mounting it up there is the excellent windshield protection it gives you. Easily 80% of flying rocks and debris hit the tire rather than the glass.

...and it increases the aerodynamics of the vehicle....probably gaining "at least" an additional 1% speed gain... :lol:

The only time it has ever bothered me is when I crest a particular steep hill...that's when you say a little prayer to the Land Rover Gods as you go over top.... :shock:

Tire on the hood is also one of the only ways of getting weight off the rear axle, and on the front.
In another forum, a guy in the Netherlands said he always had a steering problem when it was windy, especially in cross winds. Mounting the tire on the hood seemed to resolved this.

I run a Lightweight with a large (phat) tyre on the hood. It's great for driving on the road as it parts the wind and my soft top does not billow and crack (which it does if I mount the tyre elswhere). However off road it is a liability when turning to the blind side making a descent. I'm RHD so left turns downhill are totally blind. On the Whipsaw last year we moved it into the back and lashed it to the hoops to improve off road vision (and to save on undergarment laundry costs). Driving home with it still inside the truck was when we discovered the advantage of having it on the hood/bonnet for highway driving. The Army ran Lightweights with the spare mounted forward of the radiator grill for the Faulklands war but I think a Jeep like rear mount would be better

Another advantage of the tire on the bonnet is that you get a steady breeze in you bulkhead vents when open. Without the tire, wind fluctuates depending on currents whether it blows in or not.

If anyone was still wondering how the tire on the hood fares in an accident-collision, check this poor souls predicament:

http://gunsandrovers.yuku.com/topic/574 ... -what.html

that is one strong tire mount.
are those series tire mounts bolted or riveted to the hood?
anyone have a spare one kicking around?