Spare wheel carrier
Has anyone taken the spare wheel carrier off to clean it up? If so, how? Mine's getting rather hard to move with the stiffness in the joint (sounds a lot like me), and it would be a lot simpler to take the thing off to clean and grease it if I could figure out how to do it. I should add that I want to put it back again, so the usual hammer and hacksaw won't do the job in this case.
Some clarification is in order. I think you are talking of a hinged type wheel carrier as employed in a soft top or perhaps a twin rear tailgate door.
This is a common fault on the 163 and a easy fix, you will find a grease nipple on the pivot arm also they can be adjusted, failing that I have a spare one here kicking about that if required I can send you parts off, let me know.
A bit more info on the W163 MLs under-carriage spare wheel carrier, it is not clear from the diagram how the extending bit works but having worked it once I suspect it is very simple. If you can jack the car up from the back I am sure you can get in and and get it out and give it some R&R.
-edit- sorry I tried to upload a file from the EPC but failed...
Hi Rakesh, I'm talking ML, not G Wagen. The spare wheel carrier is underneath right where it gets the crud from the wheels, and fits into the chassis members either side at the rear. Then it drops and extends so you can get the wheel out. Unfortunately putting it back isn't so easy when it's joints are stiff and you have the weight of the wheel to lift and shove as well.