BunnyGirl

Does anyone else have a problem with their spare tire wobbling all over the place (side to side) and just kinda spinning? Mine didn't used to when I first got it, but it does as of recently, actually since Monday when I took my car in to have my sensor replaced and they were checking all my tires, and I assume they probably checked the air in my spare also, since the cover on the spare tire wasn't like it had been either. Anyway, my problem now is when I tighten it so that it stops being so "loose" it won't stay and just falls back down and wobbles really bad like the screws may be stripped or something, although it appears to screw fine. Does anyone else have a similar problem or any idea how to fix it???

Gambit

hmm

mine only wobbles when the nut isn't tightened enough

BunnyGirl

That's what I thought. I just noticed this highly obnoxious clanking/rattling sound I never had before after I left the dealership from getting my TPMS sensor replaced and my tires rotated. I isolated it to the tire in the trunk. I doubt it would have just suddenly loosened up on its own, when it had been so tight to start with.

I know I'm having kind of a hard time tightening it myself because of my arm/ hand issues (and the fact that it's pouring down rain outside and getting on my nerves) but no matter how much tighter I seem to screw it, it just stays loose and spins around. Hopefully it will stop raining so I will at least have more patience with trying to fix it.

I discovered this rattle yesterday at work when I had to put stuff in the trunk and I noticed the tire was lower than it usually was and that it just spun when I bumped it. That and the fact that I couldn't get a box in my trunk that normally fits, although tightly.

My luck, they checked the air in my spare tire and then couldn't figure out how to put it back or something, or possibly stripped the screw. I swear they're staffed by a bunch of morons lately at my dealership. They keep making changes and shuffling people around to different dealerships lately. I think they sent all the idiots over to the Mazda dealership.

New Yorker

Do you have the Mazda spare tire installation instructions? Mine came with it, and it explains in great detail exactly how to install (and tighten) the tire. So if it were me, I'd just follow that and do it myself. Or you could go back and nicely ask them to check it, handing them the instructions so they know what the hell they're doing.

Good news is that the bolt that holds the wheel up in there (thing with the big round, black **** for your hand) is a really big *** bolt—so I'd be surprised if it was stripped. Bet it's just not fully tightened—or maybe they put the bolt in crooked and couldn't tighten it.

expo1

Here is the spare instructions LINK
If they didn't put part #5 ( the big washer ) it would wobble. make sure you have all the parts the spare should have.

BunnyGirl

Thanks. I printed it out and will be looking at it if the rain ever lets up, or I find myself inside covered parking somewhere before then. I ordered the car with the spare tire, so I would think it should have all its parts. I will definitely check it. I know the bolt felt tight when I tried it initially, but the tire is flopping around. If I held the tire up a little bit I could tighten it a little bit more, although it was pretty difficult to turn the bult and awkward to do it while holding up the tire and everything. I think I'll try taking the bolt out and starting over with it and see if that makes a difference.

Buffalo

I forgot to install Part #5 (called a tire clamp in the instructions) and had the same issues you are having. Either they forgot to replace it and it is floating around inside the tire cover like mine was, or they have misplaced it. In either case, you need to locate it and install it or get it installed properly and all should be good.

Cheers, Bill

New Yorker

Also make sure the fabric band (part #11) is looped on—it holds up the spare while you're tightening/untightening. (It would be very easy for someone to forget to replace the band.)

encorez

I bought a spare tire on ebay for $250 but it was missing some hardware, so I just have on the floor in the trunk.

tmak26b

It just wasnt installed correctly

BunnyGirl

I did some checking and I have all the parts. It was the "big washer" that was making the clanking noise against the metal on the wheel, I determined. Basically, the tire was just not screwed up there all the way like it used to be. Sounds like they seem to work their way loose judging by experience on here, although I know mine was the result of the dealership checking the air in it and not fully tightening it. During a very brief break in the rain I tightened mine up most of the way (which also required me to crawl in the trunk to make it easier). LOL I took the bolt out and started over since it was kinda crooked. It could still go up a little more (not much, though) but the rain started back up when I was working on it, as well as the heavy winds picking up (another huge storm has already knocked out power to over 200,000 homes right now. I'm on emergency generator backup at the hospital so at least I can still work for now). At least it has stopped flopping side to side now, so that I'm not getting that clanking sound. I also pushed a box (Christmas present) under the space at the front to put some extra pressure on the tire to hold it up so that it doesn't work itself loose or start to flop or anything until I can tighten it the rest of the way.