Car jack and wheel brace with new Fiesta

[Marlburian]

I ordered a spacesaver to be fitted to my new Ford Fiesta and have just checked it out. It took me two attempts to realise that the jack acts as a mount for the wheel, but I'm now wondering where the wheel brace is. All I can find is the key thingy to operate the jack and a white plastic funnel thingy, whose function I can't work out.

(I was just a little surprised that there was no tube of punctured tyre sealant - not much good, I know - that I thought might have been standard.)

[Paulius55]

The white plastic funnel thingy is to allow you to pour fuel into your car from a can as Fords have a special automatic fuel cap.

[pcaouolte]

Usually the wheel brace clips to the jack, both are painted black. The wheel brace is about the same length as the folded down jack.

[alexp999]

The handle of the jack is the wheel brace for the Mk8 iirc.

[Marlburian]

Nah, I've just removed the spacesaver for the third time this morning and removed the jack for the first time and there's no handle attached. On my model there's a long threaded bolt that passes through the spacesaver hub and through the jack into the bottom of the well. The jack is partly extended and supports the tyre.

A plastic tray fits over the centre of the spacesaver and contains the plastic funnel and a black version of the jack handle in Paul's photo. There's also a loose wheel-lock security bolt. There's nothing like the combined brace and hub-cap remover.

I am in a protracted  debate with the dealer about what might be described as "smoke & mirrors" invoicing so shall mention it when we continue the discussion once he's recovered from a busy end-of-month sales yesterday (which he gave as his reason for concluding our telephone conversation). Probably I shall regale bore you with the saga in a few days' time.)

Thanks to those who've replied so far,

 

[pcaouolte]

49 minutes ago, Marlburian said:

A plastic tray fits over the centre of the spacesaver and contains the plastic funnel and a black version of the jack handle in Paul's photo.

Try that black "jack handle" on a wheel nut. If it fits then it is your wheel brace.

[Marlburian]

Just been out to the garage for the nth time today to check! There's no way that the jack handle could turn a wheel nut, and it's only 19mm long, so there would be insufficient torque anyway. I recall struggling to undo wheel nuts with a 12in wheel brace on my MGBs.

(Life was so much simpler then. Back in the 1970s I was driving the office Vauxhall Viva (🙄) when a tyre punctured on a damp day. I wasn't familiar with the car, but managed to change the wheel without messing my suit and arrived at my appointment on time with only slightly grimy hands.)

[pcaouolte]

I agree that it is not the best tool for the job but it is the only tool that Ford provide as a wheel brace. Because I agree with you that it would be difficult to undo a wheel nut with it I carry one of these which extends to give much better leverage:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0001K9QGI

[Bobr]

4 minutes ago, pcaouolte said:

I agree that it is not the best tool for the job but it is the only tool that Ford provide as a wheel brace. Because I agree with you that it would be difficult to undo a wheel nut with it I carry one of these which extends to give much better leverage:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0001K9QGI

I carry one one of these and they are brilliant.   Extend it to undo wheel nuts and close it to tighten them.

[Marlburian]

Solved it, having RTFM.

As explained above, the jack supports the spacesaver in the well and is already half-open. The brace is clamped inside the jack, which one extends a bit more to get at the brace. One then unfolds the brace and an attached handle.

I then had to work out how to reassemble it, and was relieved to have taken several photos to refer to.

Fiendishly clever, with the emphasis on "fiendishly" and not something that I would like to work out how to deploy at the roadside.

[Guest]

Haha  just noticed your thread and was just about to put a reply together, but this last post of yours beat me to it.

I got my 2019 fiesta last year, and got caught exactly like you did  after making a right proper Charlie of myself with the dealer who was 100% convinced my jack had the wheel brace, and I argued like he'll with him, only to discover the same as you.

It really is well camouflaged that wheel brace and you really struggle to see its a fold out as it looks like part of the jack.

Its not much of a wheel brace though is it? I put another one in the boot 

[Marlburian]

Well, it's a relief that I wasn't the only one to take a while to work it out. I'm not sure how strong it is, either. I have memories of the Bad/Good Old Days of having to put my foot on brace and apply nearly all my bodyweight to undo wheel nuts.

I console myself that the only time I've had to change a wheel at the roadside was with the Vauxhall Viva, as mentioned above. But several times I've changed wheels at home because of slow punctures.