I installed 18" white steelies on my brand new 2024 Defender 90... as with all Defenders, there are three (3) lug nuts on the spare. Every photo on the internet shows the black center cap in place.

When I try to install it doesn't quite "catch." It seems that it needs the 4th and 5th lug nuts to be secure.

I tried to swap out others, thinking back to my classic Saab 900 days that the little tabs on the back have a tendency to break... but still, it is not at all secure.

Thoughts?

 

One of mine fell off the 2022 with steelies. I think I ordered a replacement or even 2 from the dealer because the price difference was minimal even cheaper from the dealer actually under $20 for one if I recall. An old email to my dealer shows part # LR130610. I want to say it just pressed on, gave it a firm smack with my fist and it stayed put, never lost it again. There's really not much to hold it on if I recall so in a case where you don't have all of the lug nuts on the spare I'm not sure what you can do to ensure it stays put. I had the spare tire cover on mine and never took it off, for all I know I never had a cap on the spare or maybe it had even fallen off in there. Official spare tire cover, problem solved, then maybe buy a couple of caps to have on hand just in case. Wish I had better advice.

 

You have to look at the backside of the cap and look for the logo that shows which part of the cover goes over the wheel lock. There's five lug holes, but only one goes over the wheel lock. If you don't get that part right they don't really latch.

Edit: I just looked and you have to match the star pattern to the wheel lock. They snap right on if you do that.

 

Thanks for this... I don't have a lock on my spare, as the 90 came delivered with 19" alloys and the associated alloy lug nuts. I bought a set of 23 factory steel lugs when I sourced the take-off 18" steelies.

I would have thought that if there was a particular position to set it at, LR would have aligned it so that the Land Rover script would be level.

Guess I'll have to get two more lug nuts and thread a couple of short bolts from the backside so that it can seat against five... I have no problem with the other four wheels that have five lugs.

 

And you don't have locking nuts on any wheel?

 

No. I live in rural Vermont... not much necessity here and have fortunately not had a wheel theft in my 35 years of driving (including the first several in Boston).