Thread: Bonnet Mount - Should I?

Originally Posted by jimbo110

With no wheel on it you don't even notice it's there, best of all you can wrap your legs around it when you go shooting, you can't slide off the bonnet and your bum stays warm too...................

I was thinking about it last night. I reckon I will, I can always use the mount for something else instead. Like jimbo110 said I could even go one better and bolt a seat on so your nads don't get ripped in a sudden stop

Originally Posted by leeds

My solution was to buy a second hand bonnet with a bonnet mounting kit already on.

Yes with the spare on the bonnet it does limit the view of the N/S front corner. Only have it on bonnet when need to carry two spares. Must admit I keep the second hand bonnet on with mounting kit on for normal driving as am too lazy to put original bonnet back on.

As for carrying a spare wheel on a roof rack, I am not too keen on roof racks. The maximum weight on a Defender roof is either 75 kg or 150 kg dependent on if you take the UK or South African figure. Assuming a rack weighs 20+ Kg and a tyre weighs 25 Kg you dont have much carrying capacity left on your roof rack if you go by the UK figure.

Personally I believe most people overloaded their roofracks.



Regards


Brendan

Second bonnet sounds like a good idea but they don't pop up for sale that often down here in Tassie and if they did I wouldn't be able to afford it

It's a full alloy rack with just the tyre so I still have a bit of weight to play with. Also I don't really like rear wheel carriers. For a number of reasons: they reduce your view through the rear window, if mounted on the door they place strain on the door making it hard to close, they are heavy making it hard to open on a side slope and lastly make it a tedious task if you have to open two seperate latches just to get in the back.

Originally Posted by rangieman

No i would,nt , they are a pain in the butt when cresting a hill and i hope your fit to lift that bonnet

only if you are a short arse....

The Defender Bonnets that came with the wheel mounting had a solid rod bonnet stut. The plain bonnets came with the scissor action bonnet prop.

My SIII had the spare on the bonnet with a scissor action prop, and that worked fine.

My Defender came with 2 bonnets, one with a spare mount on it and one without. I haven't used the bonnet mounted spare, but I would for a long / remote trip. Many extended trips I do include other Defenders, running the same tyre size; so by the time you add up all the spare tyres, there's no point carrying a 2nd.

I'd say, go for it and get the bonnet with the spare wheel mount, and if possible make sure the stronger solid strut is included, but if not, it won't really matter.

Had the wheel on bonnet of series III years ago.Didn't notice it at all, though I could see a problem for shorter people.
Easier to get on and off for changing wheels.
As for the problem of lifting the bonnet, two words:- harden up!
or get very strong struts fitted.
Probably do the same on the county soon.

Originally Posted by idletorque

A Land Rover's not complete without a spare wheel mount on the bonnet!!!

I fitted one to my Defender's bonnet and just as you plan to do, only ever use it for touring trips. After the first day you forget its there!

Just do it!!

Ditto here. Love mine. I use it for the second spare on trips or when my cargo area is chokkers (see below for explanation)

What I'm not so keen on is you having your roofie on all the time and your spare up there. It's bad for fuel econ (my fuel usage is quite consistent regardless of conditions but one thing that sends it right up is a roof rack) and limits your underground carparking options. Not that my solution is any better, I have the spare lying in the back cargo area, it's inconvenient and unsafe in a roll-over.

We both need rear door carriers. I just don't like the expense and idea of dealing with the swing away every time I access the back and the expense and installation trauma of a bearmach. I get close to committing then another bill comes up like my radiator.

I installed a Bearmach rear carrier on my 110 last week...isn't all that hard if you check, double check and triple check everything. The difference it made compared to having the spare mounted directly on the door - I'm kicking myself for not doing it sooner.

Back OT, I've not had much experience with bonnet mounted spare mounts...but having a place to safely mount a spare on long trips is a good idea. I'm not all that keen though on the reduction in visibility - I guess you'd learn to compensate for it.

I use mine a heck of a lot. My spare is normally lashed down on the deck of the truck but when camping/touring or gathering firewood (below) or otherwise need to utilise the full capacity of the deck I place it on the bonnet. Moving along the rough riverbed with the tyre on I am very aware of movement and all the extra 'force' onto the bonnet structure induced by the sudden bouncing but to date there has been no issues with either working ends of the bonnet (touch wood).



One thing to consider if concerned about blockage of view is the profile of the tyre. I run LT750/16 skinnies and have no worries seeing where I need to see. If the profile was any bigger I would however have concerns about throwing the truck around in the rough without eye-balling it all first.

The tyre even saved my windscreen from a flying rock on one road trip camping. Rock fell off a gravel truck coming the opposite way and it was big enough for me to see it hit the road, and bounce up and ricochet (sp)off the top edge of the tyre and bounce harmlessly up and over the cab. Would have been a screen had the tyre not been there...

Thanks for the replies

Had a chat to the bloke the other day, his old man doesn't want to swap

But I'll track one down. If you know of anyone in Tassie with a bonnet mount on a Tdi let me know

I'm pretty keen to get one now