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Wheels and Tyres Defender TD5 spare wheel mount By Simon Ward-Hastelow Published: 28th Jan 2007 Original article: http://www.difflock.com/magazine/Wheels_and_Tyres/TD5_spare_wheel_mount.shtml

 RR Concept  rrconcept@free.fr  www.rrconcept.com  Price: €330

There is no official option for a bonnet mount spare wheel carrier for the TD5 Defenders. The bonnet is not structually as rigid as previous models and the engine is slightly taller. Mounting a spare wheel on the bonnet just creates a large hammer that will slap your TD5 cover at every opportunity. Step forward French company RR Concept with an ingenious and neatly executed solution.

They get around this weakness by creating a frame to hold the wheel 10mm (half an inch) clear of the bonnet. The frame itself anchors to the existing bonnet hinges at the rear and just above the slam panel at the front so NO pressure is applied to the bonnet at all.

In fact the frame replaces the existing hinges and just bolts into the existing holes using new bolts (supplied) However you will need to drill four holes in the front of the bonnet to attach the front of the frame.

It can accommodate all wheel types; alloy and steel, and most tyre sizes. The vehicle we drove with the RR Concept mount fitted was on BFG MTs and there was no visible movement or 'bounce' from the spare on any surface.

RR Concept are based in BRON, France (near to Lyon) and the TD5 bonnet mounts are available for 330 Euros plus shipping (roughly £220 at time of publication) Their Item code is RS00001.

Obviously there is nothing that is TD5 specific about this mount. It will fit to ALL 90, 110 and Defender models. So if you've had to replace your early bonnet with a later type or just don't fancy using the normal centre, surface mounted bonnet carriers this will also be suitable.

The RR Concept frame replaces the existing bonnet hinges	the front of the mounting frame has a plate that bolts through the bonnet transferring all the weight to the slam panel.
The Frame maintains a 10mm clearance from the bonnet	A neat and unobtrusive spare wheel mount.