Have you tried delaying your spare? I hear they fit better
Printable View
Yes I did deflate the tyre when it was new. I rotate the tyres every 10K and only noticed that it had split this time. With the standard hitch in place even though its a D4 type, the tyre needed to be raised with the hitch side raised in 1st. However I did notice this time with about 40K on the tyre, it can now be raised like the old 19" tyre. Diameter of tyre is now a lot less. I do wonder if the heatshield is really needed in any case. It still hangs there on the two brackets, just that its now in two separate pieces.
Every time I have had the caravan out (quite frequently) the tow hitch was difficult to remove. Suitable persuasion with a rubber mallet while holding the green knob rotated usually did the trick but not always. The Land Rover Dealer method is to remove the spare and use a drift to knock the silver pin in to break it away from the dust/mud. Last time I found an alternative. Put a hydraulic jack under the hitch; put a small amount of upwards load using the jack and a small tap of the rubber mallet does the trick (all while holding the green knob rotated) - simples!