I'm considering getting a 2005 Jeep Cherokee but have been told that the 
spare wheel will get in the way of my AlKo stabiliser handle.  Does anyone 
have a recent Cherokee and is the spare wheel a problem?  Many thanks.

In message <SQ4Qj.15730$244.10676@newsfe1-win.ntli.net>, Ralph Williams 
 writes
>I'm considering getting a 2005 Jeep Cherokee but have been told that the
>spare wheel will get in the way of my AlKo stabiliser handle.  Does anyone
>have a recent Cherokee and is the spare wheel a problem?  Many thanks.
>
>
Measure the height from the hitch to base of spare wheel and compare 
with length of handle on ALKO hitch. Bear in mind you need to raise the 
hitch to clear the ball and also the effective length of the ALKO handle 
can be reduced by removing the plastic end.

Cherokees have 15" wheels so you might be OK.
-- 
hugh
Reply to address is valid at the time of posting

hugh  wrote in news:tYrDRPEkIPEIFA$P@raefell.demon.co.uk:

> Cherokees have 15" wheels so you might be OK.

So do Pajeros, but AKS hitches foul the spare wheel on them.

On the Pajero, you can often hitch up with the back door open if it clears 
the jockey wheel. You can also fork out twenty-five quid or so and buy one 
of Al-Ko's 4x4 kludges (the removable handle), or take the screws out of 
the standard handle and use that the same way and you would the kludge. If 
you use a removable handle, don't leave it on the stabiliser when 
travelling - they can drop off.

HTH,

Geoff

Thanks Hugh.  Unfortunately the Cherokee I'm considering hasn't got a hitch 
at present so I can't measure the distance but it doesn't look very big as 
the spare wheel appears to be hung quite low on the back door.

"hugh"  wrote in message 
news:tYrDRPEkIPEIFA$P@raefell.demon.co.uk...
> In message <SQ4Qj.15730$244.10676@newsfe1-win.ntli.net>, Ralph Williams 
>  writes
>>I'm considering getting a 2005 Jeep Cherokee but have been told that the
>>spare wheel will get in the way of my AlKo stabiliser handle.  Does anyone
>>have a recent Cherokee and is the spare wheel a problem?  Many thanks.
>>
>>
> Measure the height from the hitch to base of spare wheel and compare with 
> length of handle on ALKO hitch. Bear in mind you need to raise the hitch 
> to clear the ball and also the effective length of the ALKO handle can be 
> reduced by removing the plastic end.
>
> Cherokees have 15" wheels so you might be OK.
> -- 
> hugh
> Reply to address is valid at the time of posting

In message <uVgRj.16417$244.14053@newsfe1-win.ntli.net>, Ralph Williams 
 writes
>Thanks Hugh.  Unfortunately the Cherokee I'm considering hasn't got a hitch
>at present so I can't measure the distance but it doesn't look very big as
>the spare wheel appears to be hung quite low on the back door.
>
>"hugh"  wrote in message
>news:tYrDRPEkIPEIFA$P@raefell.demon.co.uk...
>> In message <SQ4Qj.15730$244.10676@newsfe1-win.ntli.net>, Ralph Williams
>>  writes
>>>I'm considering getting a 2005 Jeep Cherokee but have been told that the
>>>spare wheel will get in the way of my AlKo stabiliser handle.  Does anyone
>>>have a recent Cherokee and is the spare wheel a problem?  Many thanks.
>>>
>>>
>> Measure the height from the hitch to base of spare wheel and compare with
>> length of handle on ALKO hitch. Bear in mind you need to raise the hitch
>> to clear the ball and also the effective length of the ALKO handle can be
>> reduced by removing the plastic end.
>>
>> Cherokees have 15" wheels so you might be OK.
>> --
>> hugh
>> Reply to address is valid at the time of posting
>
>
Got a dealer anywhere near?
-- 
hugh
Reply to address is valid at the time of posting

"Ralph Williams"  wrote in
news:uVgRj.16417$244.14053@newsfe1-win.ntli.net: 

> Thanks Hugh.  Unfortunately the Cherokee I'm considering hasn't got a
> hitch at present so I can't measure the distance but it doesn't look
> very big as the spare wheel appears to be hung quite low on the back
> door. 

Standard height to the top of the towball is 17 inches from the ground. So, 
if you park the car on level ground, measure the height from the ground to 
the bottom of the spare wheel, and subtract 17 inches, that will give a 
good idea of the distance between the top of the towball and the bottom of 
the wheel when the towbar is fitted.

HTH,

Geoff

Thanks Geoff, that sounds a very simple and effective method.

Regards

.
"Geoff Lane" <geoff@nospam.invalid> wrote in message 
news:Xns9A8EE16C5CD7Dgeoffnospam097akdsh@138.199.67.64...
> "Ralph Williams"  wrote in
> news:uVgRj.16417$244.14053@newsfe1-win.ntli.net:
>
>> Thanks Hugh.  Unfortunately the Cherokee I'm considering hasn't got a
>> hitch at present so I can't measure the distance but it doesn't look
>> very big as the spare wheel appears to be hung quite low on the back
>> door.
>
> Standard height to the top of the towball is 17 inches from the ground. 
> So,
> if you park the car on level ground, measure the height from the ground to
> the bottom of the spare wheel, and subtract 17 inches, that will give a
> good idea of the distance between the top of the towball and the bottom of
> the wheel when the towbar is fitted.
>
> HTH,
>
> Geoff

In message , Geoff 
Lane <geoff@nospam.invalid> writes
>"Ralph Williams"  wrote in
>news:uVgRj.16417$244.14053@newsfe1-win.ntli.net:
>
>> Thanks Hugh.  Unfortunately the Cherokee I'm considering hasn't got a
>> hitch at present so I can't measure the distance but it doesn't look
>> very big as the spare wheel appears to be hung quite low on the back
>> door.
>
>Standard height to the top of the towball is 17 inches from the ground. So,
>if you park the car on level ground, measure the height from the ground to
>the bottom of the spare wheel, and subtract 17 inches, that will give a
>good idea of the distance between the top of the towball and the bottom of
>the wheel when the towbar is fitted.
>
>HTH,
>
>Geoff
Not really accurate enough - we are talking millimetres.

Handle clears spare wheel - happiness
Handle fouls on spare wheel - misery
-- 
hugh
Reply to address is valid at the time of posting

hugh  wrote in news:3JLVVHBjAvFIFA0u@raefell.demon.co.uk:

> Not really accurate enough - we are talking millimetres.
> 
> Handle clears spare wheel - happiness
> Handle fouls on spare wheel - misery

If the distance between ground and spare wheel is 17 inches plus the height 
of fully raised handle or less and the handle will almost certainly foul 
the spare wheel (unless you can find a towbar that puts the towball behind 
the spare). Between 17 inches and 20 inches plus the height of the handle 
and you might get away with it. Over 20 inches plus the height of the 
handle, and you will almost certainly get away with it. Nobody said it was 
exact, just that it could give you an inkling.

Of course, the only way to know for sure is to fit a towbar to the actual 
vehicle and try to hitch up - but then it's too late. Even if you find a 
Cherokee with a towbar, you've no guarantee that another towbar will 
present the head of the towball in the same position. Also the A50-X 
towball required for an AKS hitch is usually slightly higher and to the 
rear than the more common A50-1.

HTH,

Geoff