CRV Virgin - Removing Spare Wheel

I am about to buy my first CRV but the models within my budget have the spare tyre on the back. I really prefer them without but sadly my budget won't run to anything after 2006. My question - how easy would it be to take the spare off and if I did would it look weird? Someone said that the older models have a rear door specially shaped to take the spare - is this the case on all of them?
Thanks for your advice!
Jayne

Not sure but I think that is the case. The door is molded to the spare. Possibly so it sticks out less and looks better.

I refused to consider CR-Vs until the got rid of the spare on the rear door. So I finally bought an '08.

Pre '07 CR-Vs have no rear bumper so to speak. The tyre was the bumper! While it gives you more interior room, from a crash worthiness point of view the '07 and up is a superior design. Should be lower cost too for low speed impact repairs. :eek:

I fell for you! :confused:

-Rg

The spare is what makes it even look like an SUV and not a station wagon. In my opinion, the new cr-v's are modeled after Volvo Suv's. Anyway, if you take the tire off, it leaves an ugly bracket sticking out on top of a bumper with a curve the size of the spare. You can modify the rear to have no tire, and no bracket, and clean back, but it's work.

I am not entirely sure but i heard that the bracket that holds the spare tire was bolted onto the back of the door/tailgate but i never looked. There is a person here that did it to his V hus user name was chris_98_LX or some thing like that.

I agree with serj that the tire looks better on the back of the V just my opineon. But if you take the spare off where would you put it? the tire is not exactly a small thing and it will take up space wherever you put it.

Unfortunately, this member has not logged on since October of 2007.

http://www.crvownersclub.com/forums/member.php?u=263

Here are photos of his gen 1 V with out the tire:

http://my.prostreetonline.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/4757


Welcome to the club! If you do get a V, let us know how you like it.

The tire on the second gen will fit under the carpet in the trunk, but you have to get rid of the table. THe bumper is the only thing molded to the tire, the body is flat. But there is a huge bracket mounted onto the outside of the door. It will not look good unless removed... but he tire needs to stay. You'd like it. Just give it time. Give it a chance.

The pics of the one with the spare off don't look too good IMO. I would leave it on. The side opening door would be more of an issue for me. I considered a RAV4 just because of it but saw several instances where it would be unhandy. Something you could do is get runflat tires. I considered it for my 2008 CRV just to pick up more storage space under the floor. Some one told me that the sport edition RAV4 had them in place of the spare on the door but I believe they have a space saver spare.

No I am sure that the Rav4 sport does have runflats as an option. There are aftermarket bumpers that do not have the cut out for the rear tire I think.

That is not a bumper! :)

It hardly protects at all on both earlier Rav4 and CR-Vs.

-Rg

No it works as a bumper at low speeds tested and tried. My mom didn't see it backing out of the garage with her suburban allthough I have all of the tires at 40psi even though the door pannel says 26psi:p

I meant that the early GEN CR-Vs do not have much of a bumper without the spare. With the spare the spare/rear door combo does not make much of a bumper either!

Either way it sucks in low speed impacts. That is one reason I never even considered the CR-V until they put the spare where it belongs and put a real bumper on the rear. With more than one inch of protection.

Yes I know, it is a matter of preference. Some of you like the rear of the V looking like their bigger cousins. The full size SUVs with the huge tire on the back and cute artwork on the cover. :)

-Rg

That tire assists in blowing your rear window out easier.

Precisely. Not that the '07 and up rear bumper is all that substantial but at least for low speed impacts you should not have to replace the rear hatch. The deeper the bumper the uglier it looks. The '07 is a good compromise with maybe 5" before the bumper 'beam' with foam absorber in between the cover. The bottom of the hatch and the rear sides of the rear quarters are all replaceable plastic parts. IMO there should be a lot less damage to the hatch, body and rear quarters in low speed impact below 5 MPH. As long as it hits the bumper! :(

At least it looks that way. I don't want to find out. :)

-Rg

I was just pulling your leg. but it did work in a slow speed collision.

Personally if we replace all airbags with a dagger paindet at the dricers throats then no one will drive over 3 MPH and we would not have the need for bumpers because no one would want to get into an accident

I was just pulling your leg. but it did work in a slow speed collision.

Personally if we replace all airbags with a dagger pointed at the drivers throats then no one will drive over 3 MPH and we would not have the need for bumpers because no one would want to get into an accident

THats actually an explanation for a really complicated micro-Economics theory I forgot what it is though been a little while since ECO 208. That being said it protects more against bumper damage simply because it absorbs 1 mph collisions while parking or others parking around you when the tire is hit in a real rear end collision this puts extra pressure on the bracket pushing in the rear door and subsequently blowing out the rear glass. Its kind of similar to those brush guards people get to protect their bumpers when in reality those metal bars being pushed into the bumper is worse than the bumper being directly contacted by another vehicles 5 MPH designed bumper. You can take off the rear tire and the door will look fine I think on my 04 there is a slight thing in the top of the bumper but the real issue is taking that bracket off and doing a re-paint at that point you are probably a couple of grand into the project and with this economy you can probably get something newer or just a different car for cheaper also you are stuck with the swing door. My 2 cents leave it alone extensive modifications to save money on a car only work if you can do the project yourself and have industry connections, also you are killing the resale once you make permanent changes.