When I got 16" rims I had to modify the front carrier. Using 4 gate hinges
and cutting them up so I ended up with 2 hinged "inserts" which effectively
lowered the rear hinge point by a little over 2". The top of that hinge
bolted to the hinge on the van and the lower end bolted to the tire carrier
pan. I then just screwed the bolt in until it was snug, using a washer to
load pressure onto it.
bob

> There are two different styles of spare tire holders!
> I have two 1986 syncros. They are pretty much the
> same, but the front catch piece is shorter by about 2"
> on one, requiring a skinny spare tire.  If you are
> having trouble getting yours to fit, look to see how
> long the catch part in the front the carrier is. One
> style is ~3" and theother is about 1" long. If you
> have the short one, lengthen that catch.
>
> Modifying your carrier to fit a larger spare is easy.
> You can do it a a few ones. One is to bend the rear
> hinges on the bus down. that will get you 1" more in
> the back. Then you can lengthen the front part, or
> just use a longer bolt throught the catch.
>
> If running even bigger tires, cut off of the spare
> tire carrier the portion that is rear of the hinges.
>
> -matthew
> 86 syncro westy
> 86 syncro singlecab