Spare wheel stuck & sticky drum brakes

[spectrumz80]

Just had a bit of a fiasco with my Citigo (2016 bought new) - rear drum brake can be a bit sticky for some. It's a common problem on the Citigo/Mii/Up as seen elsewhere on this forum,

but normally I can just reverse a little and it pops free. Not this time! I left the car unused during some very damp weather for about 5 days. I got the driver side rear wheel free but

the passenger side was utterly stuck solid. I tried rocking the car back and forth etc - no joy. 

 

What I did next was be a bit brutal and dragged it along a bit in the hope that a bump might just free it. Stupidly I went at this too much and burst the tyre. Not too bothered about

that as the rear tyres are nearly due replacement anyway. However given I have premium AA membership I figured I'd just call them out - I don't have proper axel stands or anything like that. 

He took off the wheel and took a lump hammer to the drum - mountains of dust came out and the brake shoes released and that was fine then. 

 

He said it was unusual to see it stuck so solidly - I'd mentioned the sticking brakes to the main (Skoda) dealers at the last service but clearly they didn't do much about it.

They should have cleaned up the drum and shoes. 

 

The next bit is even weirder - the spare wheel had never been used. It was factory fitted from new and I'd never had a puncture in this car. But where I expected to see

a space saver was a full size spare. Initially I thought that's great, but it soon became apparent that the fullsize spare was not meant to be in there at all. The spindle that

screws the wheel down was notably off-centre. Neither I nor the AA guy could get the wheel out - wedged in tight. Of course the valve for the tyre was on the bottom so therefore

inaccessible too. So the only option was to use a crowbar in the holes of the wheel against the wheelwell floor to try and lift it along with generous sprays of WD40. We eventually

got it free after about 20 mins and then fitted to the car. AA guy said he'd never come across this in his work before.

 

But clearly there's been multiple failures here and this could have had me stranded needlessly unable to do do a wheel change myself. No way should a fullsize spare have been in there

in the first place - clearly a factory error. Then clearly the NCT (Irish MOT) must not have checked the spare tyre pressure nor the main dealer at the last service during the summer. 

 

Anyway just thought I'd recant my little story here - do check your spare and check you can actually get it out of the boot should you ever need it! 

[KenONeill]

@spectrumz80 - I think I agree about the drum locking on.

 

On most cars I've worked on the spare wheel hold has been offset, bolting through one of the wheel bolt holes rather than though the centre spindle.

 

Ref tests, I don't know your NCT, but a UK MoT does not test the spare tyre (not that it would matter since it's not compulsory to have one (source MoT testers)).

[AGFalco]

3 hours ago, spectrumz80 said:

the full size spare was not meant to be in there at all

What size tyre/wheel do you have on the car and what size tyre/wheel is the spare.

 

I have a full size alloy spare wheel and tyre which is exactly the same as the rest on the car that fits perfectly.

The spindle that holds the spare wheel down goes through the centre bore hole of the wheel. see quote below.

 

''Fitted 5 new All Season tyres on Monday, one to an ebay bought spare alloy wheel that is the same at the ones on the car.

This fits straight in the boot with the tool kit fitting inside it just like the normal steel spare did.

This was the first time that any of the wheels had been removed from the car including the spare.''

 

 

Thanks. AG Falco

[freemansteve]

Not a factory error. There are official part numbers for full sized spare wheels and kits - you were lucky to get one, and it may have been included with the particular car you bought!

I have a full-size steel with my 2019 - but I had to press the dealer into including it for free for me....

[spectrumz80]

Sorry only getting back to this thread now. 

 

Tyre on the steel wheel is 165/70R14 ("Falken" brand? )

 

Just too big for the spare wheel well basically. 

[AGFalco]

On 05/01/2022 at 16:13, spectrumz80 said:

The spindle that screws the wheel down was notably off-centre.

This is incorrect.

Was it fitted through one of the wheel bolt holes?

The spare wheel spindle goes through the centre bore hole of the wheel.

There is a raised dome on the boot floor, with the thread for the spindle,  that centres the spare wheel when you put it in the boot.

Then the tool kit fits in the centre of the upside down wheel. 

 

22 hours ago, spectrumz80 said:

Just too big for the spare wheel well basically. 

 

The size of your tyre is correct and I presume is the exactly the same as the rest on the car. 

Does the ( new / old ) spare wheel fit in the boot?

Do you have a photo if the spare wheel and spare wheel hole?

 

I have a larger tyre on a full size alloy wheel that fits in the hole.

Has the spare wheel hole been hit / dented from the outside making the hole too small?

 

Thanks. AG Falco

Edited 12 January, 2022 by AGFalco
added:- on the boot floor

[spectrumz80]

Mystery solved, (thanks @AGFalco !) 

I was rear ended when stopped in traffic some months ago. I'd forgotten all about it - I was the front car in a 3 car shunt. It didn't seem bad - no visible damage on the outside and I was consumed with other more serious things that day, so I just said don't worry about it to the guy at the back. But yes - the wheel well is clearly dented. That explains it all!!!  Probably will cost a fortune to fix that but maybe I can pop it back myself because there's no sharp edges in the dent it might be ok. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[AGFalco]

Lump of wood and a bigger hammer from the inside would be my method.

Slow and gentle with the end of the wood to have a curved end. No sharp edges.

Work from the edges going all the way round.

Don't forget to paint the outside of the spare wheel well after in case the paint is cracked.

 

Thanks. AG Falco