Which tool for lowering the spare wheel?

[Kiwi MAN]

Hi everyone,

Our 1996 MK5 LWB van did not come with an original jack or wheel brace and I need to get the spare wheel lowered. From this forum I've discovered that there are two possible connections for the 'winch' - a 'female square' and a 'male octagon'. I'm trying to work out which tool I need to get, but when I peer down the hole in the bumper, this is what I see:



I'm not seeing a square or an octagon??
Am I looking at the wrong thing, is there something missing or...

Thanks for any help.

Mark, Wellington, NZ.

[Altransit]

Mine was a tapered, male square on the end of the jack winder thingy.

It goes in horizontally to a slot into the bodywork on the rear panel, just above the bumper. You need to push in, when winding, to keep it engaged

[Altransit]

Mine was a tapered, male square

Maybe it was an octagon, but definitely male (long time since I had a Mk5 )

[dumper]

Mine had a octagon it was tapered so when in the Jack you could turn it at a upward angle

[Altransit]

Maybe it was an octagon, it was a while ago now

All I remember was that it didn't fully "engage" in mine, and you had to keep it pushed in hard as you turned it

[Kiwi MAN]

Thanks for your replies. I'll try and find something square / octagonal and give it a go.
Local breakers don't have an original handle.

Cheers,
Mark.

[Chug]

Is the yellow bit some sort of cover over the octagon/square winder bit? And I've seen more octagon ones than square ones

[MinorMatt]

The mk4s had a jack handle with a square on the end. That square was the drive for both the spare wheel and the jack.

The mk5s have a jack handle with a square on the end, but there is a recessed octagon on the end of the square. The square drives the jack, the octagon lowers the spare.

What you have pictured is the mk5 type

I might have a spare handle knocking around

[MinorMatt]

This is what you need. I have checked it has the drive with the seller...

https://ebay.us/m/sNZwyc

[Kiwi MAN]

Thanks everyone. I'll be back in the UK in a couple of weeks, so I know what I'll be bringing back with me!

[Kiwi MAN]

This is what you need. I have checked it has the drive with the seller...

https://ebay.us/m/sNZwyc

Thanks - I've bought the handle and will collect it from my parents house when I'm back in the UK next month.
Now I'm wondering what other 'rare' bits I should look out for...

Cheers,

Mark,
Wellington, NZ.