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Thoughts on this ,is it legal.


FRANKP60

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Just spent the morning tidying the cab after trip away ,from behind the drivers seat I picked up the jack and wheel type brace ,never having moved it before was really surprised at weight.My question is is it possible

that we don't need to carry them when away ,I certainly would not try to change wheel on the road ,but would call out breakdown service ,who have there own gear ie trolley jack etc etc. Is it a legal requirement ,am I thinking crazy.

What do you think folks

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No, there is no legal requirement for you to carry a jack (or any other tools for that matter), though I think you'd be ill-advised to deliberately choose not to carry the equipment necessary to carry out a DIY wheel-change, even if you think you'll probably never need to use it yourself.
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Guest pelmetman
I suspect over the last 10 years I have averaged 1 puncture a year split between 3 vehicles, and I think I have only physically changed the tyre twice myself8-).............I seem to end up having to call out the breakdown service*-)...........and they only ask if I have a serviceable spare, not if I have a jack:D  
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Unless you are very short on payload why would you not carry it?

 

At least them if you get a puncture a long way from help you can maybe enlist the help of a passing motorist / walker / climber / cyclist or whatever?

 

Bit of a no brainer to me - but then I have plenty of spare payload plus a belt and braces plhilosophy and I would rather carry an item for twenty years and never need it than leave it at home for twenty years and need it once!!!!!

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It depend if you would change a wheel yourself or use a breakdown service.

If you use a breakdown service, IIRC they are not allowed to use YOUR vehicle Jack.(Elf & Safety, Risk assessments, etc..) However I think it would be prudent to keep the Wheel Brace in the vehicle JIC.

There is no legal requirement AFAIA, nor for the MOT.

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With the spare wheel brace provided as standard you may well have trouble removing the wheel nuts in any case, especially if you have alloy wheels. I carry an extending type wheel brace available from Halfords but if you do buy one take into account the fact that he standard sockets supplied may not be big enough for the wheel nuts on your van so you may need to buy an additional socket. Oddly enough I have never had to use ours on our motorhome (though I have on the car) but on several occasions I have come to the aid of other drivers who have been unable to remove their wheel nuts.

 

If you ever do change a wheel yourself don't forget to have the wheel nuts correctly torqued up as soon as possible. This is especially important in the case of alloy wheels.

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