Spare tire mount

[Ricardo]

Can anyone tell me if the spare tire mount changed during production after the mid 230 change from the verticle spare? I have a later glovebox parts book for the 250-280 and it shows a different style of tire mounting post than the round one that I'm familiar with and perhaps a different jack mounting clip too. Another safety feature change perhaps [:p]

[Jonny B]

I will take a look. I have several of the parts picture books from early to late, but they are at home. The parts books can sometimes be deceiving. A late reprint of an early book, can have the later parts shown, argh! I know, but that is what can happen.

Jonny B
1967 250SL Auto

[Naj ✝︎]

Seems to me the change came at chassis # 007204.
Thats when the trunk mats changed to 2 piece.
naj

65 230SL
68 280SL

[Jonny B]

Interesting question. The parts book I have (with the part numbers) shows a different configuration for the spare tire holder, more like a tripod set up than the post. This parts book is the reprint and coverst the later cars (250SL through 280SL).

I looked at the small parts picture books (230 SL, 250SL and 250/280SL - these are originals), and they show the same style as what is in my car. There were a few minor differences that could be made out in the picture (hole in the underside clip is about it) and a different type hold down screw, wing nut versus the earlier lever style.

For what its worth the part number in the book was 113 890 00 81.

Jonny B
1967 250SL Auto

[Ricardo]

Thanks Jonny and Naj
I was looking in the glove box or small book without part numbers and the early 230 book shows the round type that it sounds like Jonny has and I do as well, but the later 250/280 book showed what looked like a square type post on a slightly different angle and with the jack clip looking a little different too. I wondered if they were mounted in the same place as the earlier style. My car has 205/70 tires and though the spare fits, it rubs on the cover over the gas tank filler tube and also on the wheel well. I wondered if maybe they had changed the mount on later 280's to allow for different sized tires or maybe they found a different supplier for this part or
Anyone have a square post or a tripod tire mount?

Ricardo
'67 250 4 sp.

[Naj ✝︎]

Hi Ricardo,
I understand your problem now. I too have a 205/70 spare in my 230SL and while I managed to squeez it in, I was not able to remove it the last time I tried.
AFAIK, but could be wrong, even the last 280s had the 185 tyres with alloy wheels. My 280 parts book shows the same round spare tyre carrier as the late 230s.

naj

65 230SL
68 280SL

[Ricardo]

Naj
That's what I originally thought too, that there was only the one mount style and one tire (tyre   ) size....so when I happened to see this different looking mounting post in the '72 version of the 250/280 spare parts book, I wondered if there had been a change. As Jonny mentioned, it looks as though the bracket for the tire chock was a little different and as he also mentioned they went to a wing nut to hold the spare, instead of the lever type. It looked to me like the jack clip was different too and I understand that they changed the jack type as well, to the one with the crank handle attached, I believe, so maybe the clip was located differently as well.
I found that my spare went in easily but like you, I found it's difficult to remove.
Maybe someone with a late model car can chime in with their observations....
Only another two months and our 2 meters of snow will be gone....sigh

[Cees Klumper]

Not sure I completely follow the discussion here (in fact I am sure that I don't) but, for what it's worth, my '69 280 SL spare tire mount has a lever-style nut, I believe that the top of the mount is round and, yes, I have a 205/70 spare tire that is difficult to squeeze in and out of this tight spot.

Cees ("Case") Klumper in Amsterdam
'69 white 280 SL automatic

[George Davis]

I hope this link works:

http://www.sl113.org/forums/uploaded/280sl71/2004442072_Jack_chock.jpg

It's a picture of Jeff's trunk ('71), mine is the same ('69).  Mine has the lever-style spare tire holder-downer.  I recall a discussion maybe 2 years ago about how jacks are mounted, and seem to recall that there are a couple different ways, but can't find the discussion and don't remember the ways, so maybe I'm making it up...

George Davis
'69 280 SL Euro manual

[Ricardo]

Hey George
That's a good pic! This is the same post I have and the tire chock bracket looks to be the same, but I don't see the jack clip where mine is located. My jack is the earlier style with separate crank handle and the clip is right where the red knob is in your photo.
I'll include a picture where you can see the clip, but I'm still interested to find out if there is a different post. I'll take a picture of the page in my parts book tomorrow and add it to this post
Maybe it was used on the sedans?

Download Attachment: reduced spare tire post.JPG
66.15 KB
Here is a pic of the two different mounts shown in a Nov. 64 spare parts book and a '72 US version


Download Attachment: sparemount small 009.jpg
61.43 KB

[George Davis]

Hi Ricardo,

Jeff gets credit for the picture, it's in a post he made a couple of years(?) ago.  The clip is in the same place.  Start at the red crank handle and follow the crank toward the top of the jack, you can just see the clip a couple of inches from the handle.

My tire holder-downer is different than the one in your picture, it's just a bent rod, doesn't have that ball like yours.

George Davis
'69 280 SL Euro manual

[rwmastel]

George,
Having a 230SL, I didn't realize that there were newer style jacks in the later cars.  The one in the picture you posted looks almost exactly like the one that came with my 1994 E420.  Extreamly little changed over 25 years!  I don't know why, but I find that amusing.

Rodd
Powell, Ohio, USA
1966 230SL, Euro, Auto, Leather, both  tops
1994 E420

[Jonny B]

The two pictures from the parts book are the ones I have as well, the one on top (the shorter version) is the one shown in the later full parts book (repro).

And BTW tire "holder-downer" I can't wait for that to show up in the next Mercedes manual! A superb technical term!

Jonny B
1967 250SL Auto