Hi everyone. I bought a mark one Focus estate a while ago and I'm starting to wonder about how the spare wheel is meant to be fitted in the boot. So far I've not questioned how it was when I got it, like so:

The jack is screwed onto the car, with the spare wheel over it. I've not had anything to hold the wheel in place, and the brace has to be put loose underneath it too, as I can't see any other decent place for it to go. I recently bought two second hand brackets to hold the wheel down, because one was too short, the other was too long! So, at last I'm asking, anyone who has one of these - how is it all meant to be held in there? The loose brace even makes me wonder if there should be a foam holder or something. Thanks for any info :)

There should be two screw in hooks one shorter one for the jack etc and a longer one for the wheel

Thanks a lot, that's good then, so I have everything other than the right screw in hook for the wheel. What do you do with the brace?

It clips along the side of the jack.

The socket end goes into a recess on one end of the jack and the wedge end locates into a slot in the sprung base.

(you can also see the short securing screw passing through the center of the jack in the picture)

Well would you look at that! I would never have guessed it went on like that, but it's obvious when you've seen it. That's one less thing rattling around...

I'm going to try putting a couple of nuts onto the wheel's flying saucer on a stick to hold the plastic part lower, rather than cutting a centimetre off the end of the thread straight away.

While I'm asking how things should be, it's a bit of an odd one, but how much should the boot door's gas struts help you lift it? Mine ten year old ones only hold it if it's fully open, otherwise it gradually sinks down, which is a very mild annoyance.

Well would you look at that! I would never have guessed it went on like that, but it's obvious when you've seen it. That's one less thing rattling around...

I'm going to try putting a couple of nuts onto the wheel's flying saucer on a stick to hold the plastic part lower, rather than cutting a centimetre off the end of the thread straight away.

While I'm asking how things should be, it's a bit of an odd one, but how much should the boot door's gas struts help you lift it? Mine ten year old ones only hold it if it's fully open, otherwise it gradually sinks down, which is a very mild annoyance.

Have you got the right securing screw?

Mine looks like this picture:

As for the gas struts mine do the following:

Up to 1/4 open falls back

Between 1/4 and 1/2 open holds the weight

From 1/2 to full rises on its own

Actually, no, it seems I've got hold of a different type. It looks like mine's exactly the same as yours except it has a cone shaped piece of plastic (or nylon?) rather than flat metal which hooks over the wheel. It's a Ford part and from a mk1 so I don't know what that's about, maybe they changed it at some point. With a centimetre of washers holding it lower it's working well. Can't really argue, only cost a fiver. No more wheels and braces flying about in the boot, woohoo.

Yes, my boot's about the same so maybe it's not worth worrying about.

Thanks for the help :)

So how did you get your 6 speed wipers? Can you just change the stalk for one with the switch or do you need to do something with the electronics?

No changes to the electrics, you just remove the steering wheel cover, remove the old 2 speed stalk and clip the new 6 speed one in and away you go.

I got mine from ebay. Just make sure it is one from an estate or hatchback with the rear wash function.

Roger

Thanks, that's a thought for another day then. Interesting that you don't need to touch the electronics.

Certainly on earlier Focus's, Ford used the same looms for all models so all the connectors and wiring is in place to add things like fog lights, the wiper switch and even remote locking. You just need to plug them up.

Sounds like some mobile phones, they sell cheaper models with the same hardware but slightly crippled software, so you can just replace that with the better version and there you go, you have the higher model. Well it makes it cheaper and easier for us, eh