Check the spare!

[Justin Time]

Back in 2025, I acquired a new Gen 5 OB - one of the lasts. I bought a new, full size, alloy spare for it and the Subaru spare wheel kit 

I've just bought a new Gen 6 (one of the last petrol ones). So, I wanted to take my Gen 5 spare with me - 'brand new' never used (phew!). Easy peasy - just lift it out and install in the new OB. But! Unscrewing the wheel holder bolt that holds the spare securely in place, I reached the near end of the bolt and it stuck. Real hard. It took lots of WD40 squirts and mins waiting to allow it to penetrate before the threaded bolt came out. I didn't want to force it and risk threading it. It seems the lower part of the threaded bolt protrudes into 'air' beneath the car and so is exposed to the elements and gets rusty.

Had this have happened on the road side, after a puncture, especially the dark wet and rain I would have been majority p-eed off. So, note to myself - check the spare more often, and as I put the spare into the new Gen 6 I gave it a liberal coating of heavy duty grease!

Worth a check?