Anybody ever heard of "EZ Spare"

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If I actually had a set of plans for the thing, I'd post them, releasing them as open source. Unfortunately, the closest I got to having a set of plans was the cutting diagram I drew up when I bought the plywood.

Just use 3/4" plywood for the rack. It will all come out of a quarter-sheet (2ft x 4ft) panel, with plywood left over for at least part of the dummy hub. Use oak for the face of the dummy hub; remember, you're going to be putting wheel lugs in it, and it needs to be hard enough for the knurled part of each lug to "stick," and tough enough that it won't split. The upright and the back should be the same height: just low enough to clear the back of the back seat. The upright should be in from the left (port) edge with just enough room for the portable charging unit in its bag, a lug wrench, and a jack.

Use a rabbet to join the back to the base, and dadoes to join the upright to both the back and the base.

The top edge of the back should be chamfered so that it doesn't damage the back of the back seat. The upright should have the exposed corner rounded to a nice, broad radius. And the base should be cut to match the contour of the floor, so it lies flat.

My trick for locating the bolt holes in the base (and the floor) is to buy a couple of cheap bolts, the same size as the bolts for "that silly little hook," and cut off the heads. Remove the floor and the hook, and screw the decapitated bolts in so they're almost flush with the floor, and swab them with yellow paint. Put the floor in, and press down. That will locate your holes in the floor. Once they're drilled, you can use the floor, or the bolts, or both, as a guide to locating and drilling the bolt holes in the base. Once drilled, countersink them for flat-head Allen bolts.

Apply black lacquer-based automotive primer, then several coats of black enamel. Let the paint cure completely, in the vehicle, before you start adding fixtures (or even putting the charging unit in its space). When you can get in the car on a hot afternoon, and not smell paint fumes, it's about ready.

When bolting the rack into place, use a long narrow screwdriver to line up the bolt holes.
 
LeftieBiker said:
If, like me, you are bothered by the smell of rubber, you may want to make or buy a plastic cover or bag for the spare itself.
I'm as sensitive to the smell of rubber as most people, and after the above post, I honestly wondered if the car would end up perpetually smelling like I was transporting a pallet-load of thongs.

But no. The spare outgassed more in the few hours it spent in my office (and the smell wasn't especially rubbery; more like some kind of paint or solvent) after being unpacked than it's outgassed in the two weeks it's been in my trunk. The paint on the rack outgassed more while it was curing, and that's over with.

Oh, and it's still easy enough to get at the compressor: just lift the portable charging unit bag out of its slot, and pull off the hatch for the compressor compartment.
 
Great job James! I've been considering something like that, except I have a full-size wheel/tire I can use instead of a temporary. Of course that takes up more cargo space (8.4" wide versus 4.9" wide). Weight-wise, my full-size spare wheel/tire is only about 33 pounds.

Not to detract from the EZ Spare suggestion, but I ran into a competitor in that space recently: Modern Spare. It looks to be more expensive though, and they only have one for the GT-R as far as Nissan models go. That one looks to have the right bolt pattern, but would need a smaller tire installed:

https://modernspare.wptantares.wptstaging.space/product/2007-2021-nissan-gtr-spare-tire-kit-options/

I believe that a 125/70R18 tire would fit that wheel and match the OD of the Leaf tires. I know you're already set up with the EZ Spare; I bring it up in case anyone else reads this thread.
 
The link is broken, but a Google search on "Modern Spare" does turn something up. But not something that inspires confidence (that's an awful lot of lug holes!), and I see hints of scare tactics in their pitch.
 
https://modernspare.com/product/2007-2021-nissan-gt-r-spare-tire-kit-options/

Their kits include jack/wrench/nuts/bag/etc. I really just need a small/light jack, which they do sell separately for a reasonable price.

I see the extra lug holes. I got directed to their product from this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDpsAnqX0aQ

He seems happy with the product. One improvement I see over the EZ Spare is the higher rated speed of the tire (81mph versus 55mph). Admittedly you probably don't need that extra speed.

Just putting this out there, not saying it's better.
 
Indeed. And we're all better off having a spare of some sort onboard, whether it's aftermarket or a compatible factory spare for a different model, than we are with just a compressor and a jar of slime. And having a second aftermarket spare vendor available never hurt anybody. (Although are you sure that "81" rating isn't kilometers per hour?)

Incidentally, for anybody who didn't already get the memo, the compressor also works without the jar of slime (which was very helpful when I had a slow leak in one tire, and had to wait nearly two days between discovering the leak and being able to take it to the local America's Tire).
 
From the linked-to webpage: "In addition, each spare wheel is equipped with a durable space-saving tire capable of traveling at highway speeds up to 81mph."

But this is for the Nissan GT-R. The same wheel could work on the Leaf, but would need a smaller tire (to match stock tire diameter). They do have a 'Contact' link where one could ask for Leaf support, and they may realize that it just needs a mix & match of tires & wheels they already supply.
 
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