i know my bfgatko 215/75/15 will NOT fit in the stock spare tray, no
matter what i did to it (even deflating it all the way didn't work).

so, i just had made for me one doug fitz-randolph special spare carrier,
and now my spare fits just fine up in the front...same space as the
original, just a different carrier.

check it out here.  just click into the "15 Inch Spare Tire Carrier"
album from this link:
http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/yarmovar/lst?.dir=/Vanagon/

note, i used a different approach to the hinge tubes, using a
cross-welded tube with the same inner diameter as the hinge tubes
mounted on the frame member.  it's a piece of steel rod drilled to that
ID.  the tig weld is very, very strong, so i don't worry about it
snapping off while off-road.

if you have welding skills (you do have welding skills, matt, don't
you?) and a good propane torch (for bending), you too can make one of
these in half a day.  but get it powder-coated.  i didn't, and the rust
is pretty bad already (eight months along).

good luck!

bill
'87 syncro westfalia
santa cruz, ca

On Friday, May 10, 2002, at 01:39 , Matthew Pollard wrote:

along the same lines... what is the largest 15 tire that'll fit in the
spare carrier w/o modifications?
matthew