Device for loading and unloading a spare wheel of a vehicle, comprising: - a flexible cable, movable between a lifted wheel position and a lowered wheel position, - an actuating device, operable to move the flexible cable between said lifted and lowered wheel positions, - a support anchored to the wheel, which is elastically suspended to a support member carried by the flexible cable, and - a bracket secured to the vehicle structure, on which the weight of the wheel is discharged through said support member, when the flexible cable arrives to its lifted wheel position, said device being characterized in that: - said support member is constituted by a rod having an upper portion connected to the flexible cable and a lower portion on which said support that is anchored to the wheel is supported by the interposition of a spring, - said bracket secured to the vehicle structure is provided with an axially fixed bush, which is traversed by said supporting rod following an actuation of the flexible cable, - said supporting rod has a side surface provided with projections adapted to pass through guiding passages of the inner surface of said bush during movement of the flexible cable, said projections coming out upwardly from said bush in a final part of the lifting movement of the flexible cable, and - said supporting rod and said bush have respective cam surfaces (247, 142) which come into engagement with each other in the final part of the lifting movement of the flexible cable, so as to cause rotation of said bush relative to the supporting rod to a position in which, following a subsequent lowering of the flexible cable, said projections are received on seats arranged on an upper end surface of the bush, so as to discharge the weight of the wheel, through said stem and said bush, on said bracket secured to the vehicle structure. - a flexible cable, movable between a lifted wheel position and a lowered wheel position, - an actuating device, operable to move the flexible cable between said lifted and lowered wheel positions, - a support anchored to the wheel, which is elastically suspended to a support member carried by the flexible cable, and - a bracket secured to the vehicle structure, on which the weight of the wheel is discharged through said support member, when the flexible cable arrives to its lifted wheel position, - said support member is constituted by a rod having an upper portion connected to the flexible cable and a lower portion on which said support that is anchored to the wheel is supported by the interposition of a spring, - said bracket secured to the vehicle structure is provided with an axially fixed bush, which is traversed by said supporting rod following an actuation of the flexible cable, - said supporting rod has a side surface provided with projections adapted to pass through guiding passages of the inner surface of said bush during movement of the flexible cable, said projections coming out upwardly from said bush in a final part of the lifting movement of the flexible cable, and - said supporting rod and said bush have respective cam surfaces (247, 142) which come into engagement with each other in the final part of the lifting movement of the flexible cable, so as to cause rotation of said bush relative to the supporting rod to a position in which, following a subsequent lowering of the flexible cable, said projections are received on seats arranged on an upper end surface of the bush, so as to discharge the weight of the wheel, through said stem and said bush, on said bracket secured to the vehicle structure.