Spare Tire and Space Optimization Solution For LT model

Stovebolt6 said:

What size tire do you have on that spare?

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Coastal_Cruiser said:

This is a cheapo quick and dirty way of adding a non-oem "false floor" in the hatchback area, as the LT model does not come equipped with the false floor piece. The same simple way of adding a pseudo false floor works to optimize the space in the lower cavity occupied by the nearly worthless Styrofoam filler in that "spare tire" compartment.

I wanted to carry a spare tire in the car, and the fact that the spare can live between the lower and upper compartments on cars equipped with the false floor was so tempting that I decided to a buy the aftermarket OEM false floor kit, which sells for a somewhat reasonable $139. But when I went to checkout they added a $60 shipping charge, and that pushed the solution outside the envelope of what I wanted to pay for the false floor. I checked for a wrecked Premiere through a nationwide junkyard search engine, but it seems most wrecked Bolts are being sold complete, not parted out.

At the same time I was eyeing how to eliminate that foam filler in the lower compartment which doesn't quite fit even the donut spare from a Chevy Cruz (I assume that when Chevrolet modified the chassis of the Sonic to accommodate the powertrain of the Bolt they didn't bother enlarging the spare tire well to allow for the 1" larger wheels that the Bolt comes with).

I noodled an alternative for a few minutes and a remarkably simple solution presented itself. Both solutions came in the form of a board cut to 38 1/2" by 22". The lower compartment has an overhang on both ends of the opening that make this all possible. I just pulled out the foam filler, filled the cavity full of my stuff, including the jack and the tow hitch, and laid the cut board on top of the stuff. I then laid down the OEM carpet piece and threw a piece of cardboard on top to have something to kneel on when changing a tire.

I then placed the spare on the right side of the middle storage area, and a cut length of 1X6 Birch that had been ripped so that it was at the same height as the spare tire rim on the left side. By then placing another 38.5x22" panel (in place of the OEM false floor) on top of the tire and free-floating wooden bracket, the spare was now hidden from view, and a top storage now exists as with the Premiere Bolts.

Both panels have a length of cheapo weatherstripping nailed on at each end to prevent scraping the plastic side panels of the car.

I extended the hold down bolt that fastened the foam piece (or a spare tire) in place, but ultimately realized it just isn't needed.

By the way, a full size OEM wheel really seems the best way to go, but I was able to score both the Chevy Cruz donut spare and the venerable Chevy S-10 jack at a pick-n-pull for less than $25. Hard to pass up. Also, I noticed that member Sean Nelson had posted about the S-10 jack a couple of years ago, remarking that the jack lifted the car easily and in fact would lift both wheels off the ground from one position. I found this all to be true. It's surprisingly easy to lift the car with that very compact jack, and indeed both tires will come off the ground, which makes mounting the donut spare on the rear even in the case of a front tire blowout very straightforward.

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