My daughter turned up late the other day with a space saver spare on her car. At least it was the same diameter as the other wheels. She had got the RAC or a next-door neighbour to put it on for her.
I suddenly remembered that our car has one of these and I had never looked at it, or just once, so I took a look. It was coated evenly in khaki road filth and deflated. When I tried to reinflate it at a garage pump it just wouldn't take any air through the valve.
So I took it to the very reliable and agreeable Elite Tyres in Pulborough and a bloke there managed to inflate it without difficulty. He didn't charge of course although he got his hands dirty and spent five minutes on it. Elite Tyres have always been good with me, good prices, proper work and a genial demeanour.
The goddam space saver is an absolute disgrace. Our car's is a good two or three inches smaller in diameter than the other wheels. Would it be good to drive 100 miles with it on a front wheel with traction control engaged? Is it good to have to kneel on the ground and fiddle with the lowering cage mechanism to get the damn thing out? WTF is wrong with a spare wheel the same as the other wheels in a well at the bottom of the boot, with a bit of something over it to protect your Louis Vuitton fishskin jewellery cases?
And that's without even thinking of the spidery, unstable little jack working on a muddy grass verge, and the wheelbrace that would just bend and distort if it met a rusted bolt or nut. Even if I took a socket and a big tommy bar or the torque wrench - long enough to shift quite resistant wheelnuts - everywhere in the car as I did with my last one, what I used to do in five minutes without thinking about it would now take at least twenty and leave me breathless and knackered. Age has disadvantages as well as the obvious advantages.
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Don't think the modern motorist is bothered about such things as underslung tyre cages or flimsy jacks, they simply call for the breakdown service to come and do its thing.
I couldn't do that, pride and not having to wait would see the spare on and us en route again.
I'm not a fan of space savers, i don't expect a full size alloy and spare performance tyre anymore, but neither do i want a tyre that looks like it came from a wheelbarrow on my car, though thats preferable to the can of goo and toy pump found in many toolkits.
The C2 has an underslung carrier, i don't mind them too much as i'm still fairly strong if not any longer supple, the tyre and wheel are not exactly the same as the low profile alloys fitted to the car, but are equivalent size on a steel wheel, 185 section on 15" rim as against 185 section on 16" rim as fitted to the car, and i'd be quite happy running round at normal speeds on it for as long as it took to get another tyre delivered...without having me pants pulled down by having to buy a tyre desperately.
Do any gentlemen still offer to help a female in distress if he espies such a creature with flat tyre?
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Both my cars have a full size spare; same steel wheel as other four. I intend to stay that way.
Under slung cage is OK for me. You're going to get mucky whatever and to me better than havving to put my liggage in the rain while I get the spare out. And I can let it fall to the ground and lift it properly instead og risking my back bending to lift it out of a well in boot floor.
As to helping females I'd offer but risk being failed when undoing nuts. Even a jumping on a Tommy bar's not a cert when you're 8 stone 10 wet through!!
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I prefer females with inflated tyres.
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>> Do any gentlemen still offer to help a female in distress if he espies such
>> a creature with flat tyre?
Funny you should ask. Walking up to our village this morning a young lady was stopped with a large hole in the wall of her tyre. I asked if she had a spare and a jack (she did - space saver and spidery jack) so I volunteered to change it for her. Took about 5 minutes. Meanwhile SWMBO who was with me noticed a large bulge in the wall of her rear n/s tyre as well - looks like she has used "the other way of stopping" involving kerbstones at some time! I told her I wouldn't want to go far or fast with it as it is - after all she didn't have a spare any more - and directed her to the nearest reputable dealer - about a mile from where we were.
Don't know if she took any notice though.
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There are occasions when, like AC, I get a good service from some firm (usually cars, computers or mobile phones) I make a point of making a cash contribution to the Xmas Party fund if it is that time of year or putting some coins into any charity tin that they have on the counter or in reception.I am not swimming in money but equally I feel awkward about getting good service for nothing.
I am guessing you have a Peugeot AC? Re space saver or no spare at all, in most cases they are fitted to get the car weight and thus the emissions down, into a lower VED band. My car came with an electric pump and a can of sealant (chocolate teapot!)
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The Merc has a spacesaver spare which is better than nothing I suppose. However, I'm often a long way from home and wouldn't fancy trying to get back late at night on a skinny. Trouble is, the back tyres on my car are a different size to the front ones with the result that even if I had a full sized spare to fit one of them it wouldn't be the correct size for the other end of the car.
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Run flats are the future :-@
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As has been pointed out before, where are you supposed to put the full sized wheel after you've put the space saver on?
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>> As has been pointed out before, where are you supposed to put the full sized
>> wheel after you've put the space saver on?
>>
In a previous car, the full sized wheel had the same outside diameter tyre as the spacesaver but it was wider so it just took up more height in the wheel well in the boot.
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>> As has been pointed out before, where are you supposed to put the full sized
>> wheel after you've put the space saver on?
>>
On the back seat - and our first A2 came with a large white Audi branded plastic bag, bin bag size but stronger, to put the wheel in.
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My car doesn't even have a spare wheel well, so run flats are the way to go. Also bear in mind that a 17" wheel with a 235 tyre (not uncommon combination these days) weighs almost 30kg and takes up a huge amount of space making it quite a challenge to actually put a damaged one into your car.
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>>quite a challenge to actually put a damaged one into your car.
That'll be why small BMWs have run flats then.
Girl's cars y'see..
:-)
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>> Girl's cars y'see..
You're right. My 3 year old daughter loves the car - and the acceleration - reckon she'll be a bit of an adrenaline junky when she's older.
She looks very bored when I start lecturing her about twin turbos and variable valve timing though;-)
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A FB friend in Japan's getting a X1 - only this has the new twin turbo petrol engine....:-(.
My wife had a puncture in her MX5 - put the space saver on and had to carry the road-wheel in the cabin. Not a good solution.
Off at some point to see an acquaintance in the tyre trade at some point to see if the winters will fit the 3 series.
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>> My wife had a puncture in her MX5 - put the space saver on and
>> had to carry the road-wheel in the cabin. Not a good solution.
>>
No, espcially if it's being carried for reasons other than being punctured: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8600833.stm
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>> My daughter ...
>>>Would it be good to drive
>> 100 miles with it on a front wheel
hate to say it, but RTFM.
Space savers should only be used on rear axles, according to most - if not all - manufacturers.
so you have to change TWO tyres in the event of a puncture at the front.
I've written before about this - getting stuck somewhere 100 kms from the nearest town, on a Sunday. And having to bobble alonng at 80km/h.
Runflats? Tyre-weld (also only good for short distance, and a max of 80km/h)? Or build up your boot floor, with polystyrene, and carry a full-sized spare? And lose space on the deal.
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The F30 comes with no spare wheel, and being the EfficientDynamics model, mine doesn't have runflats either. They were about a £400 option, IIRC.
A colleague who had a puncture on his E90 reckoned driving with a 'flat' runflat was incredibly unpleasant. The noise and vibration was almost intolerable.
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>> A colleague who had a puncture on his E90 reckoned driving with a 'flat' runflat
>> was incredibly unpleasant. The noise and vibration was almost intolerable.
>>
I did 20 miles on one on the M40 earlier this year, only knew it was flat because of the message on the trip & dash but that was a 17" on a rear wheel may be different on lower profile tyres or on the front wheel
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>> Space savers should only be used on rear axles, according to most - if not all - manufacturers.
>> so you have to change TWO tyres in the event of a puncture at the front.
That was sort of what I meant Ian. So that would be forty minutes and a heart attack then.
Look, cars should have a spare the same as the other wheels, no ifs or buts. It's the fact that a lot of modern cars, while wasting plenty of space, don't leave room for one that I am complaining about essentially. All right, some cars are very tightly packaged. But what's wrong with designers these days? Two Citroens, the DS and the 2CV, carried their spares under the bonnet so they were nice and warm.
I don't want harsh expensive not-all-that-grippy goddam runflats, or a can of goo. A car driver needs a spare wheel, a proper one.
Perhaps as cars become more obsessively economical their tyres will become narrower again, reducing ultimate grip but improving comfort and in many cases handling. Most modern cars grip far too well for their drivers anyway. Narrower tyres will be easier to squeeze in as spares. But please, in the damn boot not under it.
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>> Two Citroens, the DS and the 2CV, carried their spares under the bonnet so they were nice and warm.
Plus I think the GS, the BX, the Ami 6 and 8 and for all I know the CX too... that's another four or five.
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Fiat 127, Panda...................
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The BX's was underfloor rear as others discussed above. The Visa, except in diesel form, and and the Peugeot 104 line from which it was descended including the Talbot Samba and Citroen LN all had underbonnet spares though. And with, in the case of the 104, tubed tyres deflations were pretty common.
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I'd forgotten some of those and never noticed others. But anyway, lots of them.
Another very good place for a spare is in or on the boot lid.
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I don't know where later MB's have them, if only i had Lud's money, sigh, but W124 estates had them upright tucked behind a lovely carpet upholstered panel behind the NSR wheelarch.
Didn't need to unload to to get at it, full size too, though full size in 80's and up to 96 was a bit different to now, probably the best spare wheel siting i've ever seen.
Best quality standard car jack i've ever seen on 124's too, you could launch missiles from it.
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Of course the proper answer of "where to stow the spare is:-
www.flickr.com/photos/44381054@N05/6332107369/
I am pleased that the car I am about to buy has a full sized matching alloy wheel.
At present I have a space save that is totally unused so at 14 years old is probably U/S
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>> Of course the proper answer of "where to stow the spare is:-
>> www.flickr.com/photos/44381054@N05/6332107369/
Or this:
tinyurl.com/crrcg2m
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Those two are brilliant Henry and Bagpuss, keep 'em coming.
Serious rust traps though.
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>> I am pleased that the car I am about to buy has a full sized
>> matching alloy wheel.
Sorry if I have missed it Henry; what is it that you are about to buy?
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>> >> I am pleased that the car I am about to buy has a full sized matching alloy wheel.
>> Sorry if I have missed it Henry; what is it that you are about to buy
>>
You have not missed out :-)
I have now paid for it ( the car with spare) and will pick it up in the next few days.
So far there has only been one guess what it is.
When I collect it and know its official colour I will publish details and maybe a few comments will be added.
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>>When I collect it and know its official colour
Wonder if it'll be green?
;>)
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>> Wonder if it'll be green?
>>
>> ;>)
>>
Yeah!
Green's a nice colour!
Just jog my/our memory/ies. Have we had any clues?
It now has a proper spare wheel?
Is it a Mondeo?
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>> Wonder if it'll be green?
>> Green's a nice colour!
>>
Only accident I had was in a dark green Triumph 2000.
I was in the middle of a very low speed sandwhich but a write off.
Total of all my cars to date 1 green, four white and the present one is silver
So not a dark colour
It is a traditional saloon.
>> Is it a Mondeo?
>>
Another give away clue - close :-)
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>> Focii?
>>
Thems too small. I want lots and lots of toys and comfort.
Perhaps my previous clue(s) are too subtle
Last edited by: henry k on Fri 18 May 12 at 13:14
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>>Insignia?
The right sort of size but am not a fan of VX.
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Hmmm
X-Type?
You got the clues. A virtual pint.
19- 20% Mondeo III so I read so I sort of stay with Ford :-)
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Very nice. Hope it is a 3 litre V6. :-)
When my Focus estate dies it might get replaced with an X-type estate.
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>> Very nice. Hope it is a 3 litre V6. :-)
>>
Not quite. It is a 5 year old low low mileage 2.5SE Auto.
I will publish details of it, reasons for choice, together with comparisons with my Mondeo, when I have collected it.
>>
>> When my Focus estate dies it might get replaced with an X-type estate.
>>
IMO the market is very slewed to trendy high mileage road warriors.
I had an interesting but frustrating search.
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>>It is a 5 year old low low mileage 2.5SE Auto.
>>
Do we know what colour it is?
Will I recognise you in Waitrose? (Well you can't go in Lidl with a Jagwar, can you?)
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>> >>It is a 5 year old low low mileage 2.5SE Auto.
>> Do we know what colour it is?
>>
It is a pale metallic blue. I think it might be Zircon Blue but not sure
I need to check out this and what I think the interior colour is - Barley?
>>
>> Will I recognise you in Waitrose?
SWMBO prefers Hersham branch. Means I can park it away from the mob.
An Esher meet ?
>> (Well you can't go in Lidl with a Jagwar, can you?)
>>
Sometimes the dark glasses have to employed!
I have to visit Aldi in Walton to stock up on Sea Bass ( what a bargain)
Lidl did have some at the same £2.99 a pop.
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Zircon blue was the colour of the rozzers Rover P6's.
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>> Do we know what colour it is?
>>
It is a pale metallic blue. I think it might be Zircon Blue but not sure
I need to check out this and what I think the interior colour is - Barley?
Could it be confused for a 'green' beemer, 3 series, with beige interior?
;>)
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>> An Esher meet ?
>>
>
Yes, I am up for that.
You show me yours and I will show you mine?!
I have just (Friday) had my other eye de-cataracted, so I am not supposed to drive for a few days. When are you taking delivery of your car?
I had your email many moons ago, but I think I have now lost it. I expect those nice chaps with the Olympic torch alongside their handle would forward an email.
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I've always liked X-type estates. If I had to go out and buy my own car with my own money tomorrow one of those would definitely be on my potential shopping list. The Ford Mondeo Mk 3 association, however close or indeed loose it may or may not in reality be, would actually count in it's great favour as far as I'm concerned.
Hope you are pleased with yours Henry, oh, and take no notice of anyone who suggests you take up smoking a pipe or signing yourself as Colonel HenryK Rtd...
:-)
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>>The Ford Mondeo Mk 3 association, however close or indeed loose it may or may not in reality be, would actually count in it's great favour as far as I'm concerned.
>>
The Jaguar boys view is
It is a Jaguar. It would not have existed were it not for the MK III Mondeo.
19 -20 % of it is Ford. Jaguar took some of the best parts from a top class car and incorporated them.
( One mod for the "fast" guys is to fit the Focus RS callipers)
>>Hope you are pleased with yours Henry.
To date I am amazed at my find and am awaiting to get by bum on the seat again.
I will need a training course to operate it. It is RTFM and then get savvy son to sort me out.
In spite of its mega spec I have a couple of small low cost, non imperative improvement to make to it. Hopefully I can also make one other significant improvement in the near future.
Would have liked a sun roof and 40/60 folding rear seats ( may not have been available for that year)
>>and take no notice of anyone who suggests you take up smoking a pipe or signing yourself as Colonel HenryK Rtd...
LOL
I am learning Jaguar speak so I am up to speed with "Leaper" and " Growler", how sad is that.
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I fear I may have forgotten most of what I once knew on those subjects Henry...
:-)
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>> am not a fan of VX.
Right, that's you off the Christmas card list ;)
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Family transport when I were a lad was Renault 12 estates, and those had an upright spare as GB describes, only on the right and under an elasticated vinyl cover. The '73 one had tubed Kleber tyres - only 155x13, though, so even I could lift one, which was just as well since it seemed to get about a puncture a month. The '79 had moved on to tubeless Michelins and went a bit longer between wheel changes.
I used the Volvo's space saver for the one and only time last year. Having just made it home on a damaged tyre, I stuck it on the nearside front (the bits of the FM I read didn't tell me not to, but I'll check it again now) and it got me the 20 minutes to where a new Primacy was waiting. I was impressed that after nearly nine years in the boot, everything slotted neatly together and worked first time.
Our Mercedes is the grown up model, unlike Humph's with its four different tyres (betcha they're directional, so you can't even swap them side to side.) It has four unfashionably tall 225/55x16 tyres, and a space saver spare in an underfloor cavern that looks big enough to take a full size wheel. Might look into that.
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>>Our Mercedes is the grown up model, unlike Humph's with its four different tyres (betcha they're directional, so you can't even swap them side to side.)
From what I have read directional tyres can obviously be used on the wrong side but the full advantage of grip etc is reduced.
No more details were supplled.
I suspect normal legal speeds in good road conditions would not be a problem.
Does anyone have any more info.
Now where can I find a big plastic bag with a draw cord to pop a dirty road wheel in when it is swopped for a spare ?
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I'm pretty sure our 04 Panda has room for a full size spare, but it only has a space-saving thingy there.
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>>Our Mercedes is the grown up model,
Well that caused a predictable trot out with a torch to check !
245/40/18 at the front, 265/35/18 at the back. Can't see in this light if they're directional or not. Don't think so. Continental Sport Contacts anyway.
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Of course I've now had to go back out and check what size the spacesaver is. 155/70/17 just in case anyone else is remotely...
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Well it saved me looking, so thanks :-)
Interestingly (or perhaps not...) mine hs the same size wheels/tyres, but is fitted with Pirellis. Having had a quick look on blackircles, it appears they're a little pricey....
Last edited by: PeterS on Tue 15 May 12 at 22:33
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>> Of course I've now had to go back out and check what size the spacesaver
>> is. 155/70/17 just in case anyone else is remotely...
>>
I could have told you that!
Not an easy tyre to get hold of......
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Most of the fleet's Fiestas have pump and goo. These are kept in a wheel shaped tray in the boot, under the plywood floor in a recess big enough to take a full sized spare. I had occasion to have to check one out the other day as the valeters had reported the goo missing...not uncommon at £40 a tub !. I was going to leave a Tyreweld in it's place but the goo was still there. The problem was that it had leaked and stuck itself in the tray. I managed to prise it out but it was evil stuff, like cold molten rubber. I chucked it and left the Tyreweld...only £7 !
The Suzuki has a sensible full sized steel spare firmly locked to the rear door where I can see and check it. The Note has a spacesaver but the same diameter as the alloys. The Javelin has a wind-down tray but the thing is substantial and not vulnerable to wire-cutters, etc.
Ted
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>> The Javelin has a wind-down tray but the thing is substantial and not vulnerable to wire-cutters, etc.
>>
Many moons ago a **** went through the companies multi story carpark and collected a set of 1600E Rostyle wheels fom the boots of several cars.
Poor Ford locks boot locks and no alarms ?
It was only because another worker alerted me else it would have been some while before I discovered the loss or worse when I got a puncture.
I guess it is unusual to have a lock on a boot stored spare.
As my next car has an expensive OE alloy wheel I guess the alarm is the protection.
Just for completeness the locking wheel nut key sits in a neat holder just inside the boot. Ideal for helping to a full set of wheels. Time to hide it ?
I can unlock the boot of my Mondeo with my key even though the alarm is on and I do not recall it sounding. Perhaps there is a delay to allow just popping shoping in.
From what I read the retaining screw has a double thread so not easy to substitute.
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You may recall that I did a deal with BMW on the X1's tyres and ended up with a set of new ones preloaded on to some rather smart mSport wheels.....225 at the front and 255 at the back...no spare.....
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>>Now where can I find a big plastic bag with a draw cord to pop a dirty road wheel in when it is swopped for a spare ?
To answer my own question I have found this onEbay - Tyre Tote carry bag @ £13 /14.
www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=tyre+tote+carry+bag&_sacat=See-All-Categories
A wee bit pricy but it does have a hole in the centre that the wheel retaining bolt can be fitted through.
I do not like the idea of a heavy grotty spare wheel being loose in the boot even though I am going to no longer have rear folding seats.
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>>Another very good place for a spare is in or on the boot lid.
Trialers know to have at least two and put them over the driven wheels (with any spare lead of course ;>)).
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150969932213420&set=a.10150969930843420.483939.728433419&type=3&theater
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Not the BX; the spare was in a carrier under the boot floor.
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>> I don't want harsh expensive not-all-that-grippy goddam runflats, or a can of goo. A car
>> driver needs a spare wheel, a proper one.
If people stopped buying cars which have runflats or cans of goo the manufacturers would revert to providing proper spare wheels. It's as simple as that.
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>> Our car's is a good two or
>> three inches smaller in diameter than the other wheels. Would it be good to drive
>> 100 miles with it on a front wheel with traction control engaged?
I'm struggling to believe that can be correct. Surely it will need to be the same diameter (within a few mm) as the normal wheel/tyre combo otherwise the traction control will throw up an error?
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Humph's spare is a 17" and the standard wheels are 18" its the profile of the tyre that's different. An inch deeper on the spare.
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>> Humph's spare is a 17" and the standard wheels are 18" its the profile of
>> the tyre that's different. An inch deeper on the spare.
>>
Wifey has a Honda Jazz which doesn't come with a spare, much to the dismay of typical Jazz owners, so it's often discussed on forums. It causes owners total confusion that both the 15" and 16" wheel equipped models use the same space saver!
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You know, I keep looking at this thread on the main page, and I keep thinking it says "Specs Saver Spares"
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>> ........ spare is a 17" ........ standard wheels are 18" its the profile of
>> the tyre that's different. An inch deeper on the spare.
Doesn't that make the outer diameter of the spare's tyre 1" bigger than that of the standard wheel's tyre?
;-)
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>> I'm struggling to believe that can be correct.
So did I BP. But it is so. And that's why you are supposed to put the spare at the back, perhaps having to change the wheels round to do so.
Total stupid pain, quite pointless and unnecessary.
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Tue 15 May 12 at 23:50
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>> So did I BP. But it is so.
IIRC AC your car has quite loud wheels which were optional when new, i wonder if they are somewhat larger in rolling radius than the standard set?, hence the huge difference.
small anecdote, collected a 6 month old Fiesta classic from Man Apt rental site togther with a load of other defleets, checked the undertray for the spare and a manky rusty old wheel from i think a late 60s or early 70s Escort complete with bald 155 x 13 (antique?) dropped out on the floor, they hadn't even bolted it back in.
Many used cars from auctions etc have the wrong spare wheel, mostly pilfered and any old thing slung in.
Might be an idea for to check that spare actually fits before its needed, check on a front wheel if anyone is going to, the larger front brakes sometimes won't accomodate a different offset (but same PCD) wheel though the back brakes will, a wet hardshoulder is not a good place to discover you have the wrong spare.
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>>
>> IIRC AC your car has quite loud wheels which were optional when new, i wonder
>> if they are somewhat larger in rolling radius than the standard set?, hence the huge
>> difference.
>>
That can't be the explanation either as the speedo would be wrong.
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>> That can't be the explanation either as the speedo would be wrong.
reset via electrikery when Carlos Fandango's optioned?
I really don't know, TBH i'd be double checking i'd got the right spacesaver if it was so much smaller in diameter to the normal fitment, the correct bolt holes or PCD means nothing if the offset is wrong anyway, offering up is the only sure check unless you know the correct part number.
As i said earlier, i've seen so many cars with the wrong spare (part of transporter drivers check list) wheel that i would never even on a new car assume all is well.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Wed 16 May 12 at 12:28
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My 2003 Focus has an optional extra full size spare, and my next car ~ the latest Focus when I get round to ordering it ~ will also have an optional extra full size spare. Well worth paying the extra £95.
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You may have to factor in a jack and wheelbrace too. A few £s
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>> You may have to factor in a jack and wheelbrace too. A few £s
Nope. Jack and wheelbrace standard. In any case I never use a manufacturer's wheelbrace ~ I always use my torque wrench which is part of my "get you home toolkit" in the boot.
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Good. My car came with pump and goo and no jack etc. I bought the whole wheel/tyre and kit for £145 and, like you, I have a proper big brace and socket in the boot.
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When I bought the 207 last year you had the choice of 3 no cost options, a full size spare, a space saver or pump & goo.
Took me 2 seconds to make my decision !
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Ok, perhaps it was a bit of an exagertation ! :-)
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I don't know what's in the boot of the Mondeo...I ring GEM and let them sort it out:)
It's what I pay them for.
Pat
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I've had another thought on this one (as opposed to writing a QA manual from scratch!).
Why all this angst about spare wheels?
How many miles did you do between your last two punctures?
Pat
Last edited by: pda on Wed 16 May 12 at 09:27
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>> How many miles did you do between your last two punctures?
Crikey, Pat. I'm pernickety enough to record every litre of petrol I buy and the odometer reading at which I buy it, but I draw the line at recording miles travelled between punctures!
;-)
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Tens of thousands Pat but, as a firm believer in "Sods Law" I know that I SHALL get a puncture when I am running late, in a snowstorm, on a motorway and in those circumstances I want the easiest access to a properly inflated spare wheel which has the same tyre as the other 4 on the car and no speed restrictions.
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I have a full spare tyre in the boot.Next car will be with a full spare sods law.Meldrew.
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>> Tens of thousands Pat but, as a firm believer in "Sods Law" I know that
>> I SHALL get a puncture when I am running late, in a snowstorm, on a
>> motorway and in those circumstances I want the easiest access to a properly inflated spare
>> wheel which has the same tyre as the other 4 on the car and no
>> speed restrictions.
>>
Each to their own, but in most circumstances, running late, snowstorm etc I would be happy to drive on with the run flat until I get to my destination or a convenient point, after the snowstorm, to get the tyre changed.
In most circumstances IMHO the runflat is the best option.
I honestly did not notice any difference in motorway driving with a deflated runflat, if it had been at a different time I would probably have driven the 40 miles home from where I had the problem. It's a lot better than the option of changing a tyre, in the rain, at the side of a busy motorway
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And if you don't have runflats nothing beats a proper spare wheel and the kit for fitting it without having to worry about which end of the car it has to be fitted among other things
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>> The goddam space saver is an absolute disgrace. Our car's is a good two or
>> three inches smaller in diameter than the other wheels. Would it be good to drive
>> 100 miles with it on a front wheel with traction control engaged?
If you RTFM it will say that the space save must be fitted to the rear - it is the braking performance you worry about.
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How come its safe to put a wheelbarrow tyre with a thumb sized footprint on the rear, but you face certain death if you don't fit new tyres to the same axle should you be renewing a pair?
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That's torn it GB !
'ere we go again...
:-)
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Sorry H, it seemed 'fitting'..:-)
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Because, GB, you shouldn't do more than 40mph for 100km on a spacesaver. The risks of driving a car equipped thus are considerable, so it should only be done in an emergency.
Last time I had a flat, local yoof had punctured two of my tyres. One I could pump up enough to get to a garage, the other I had to swap. Using a can of goo would have *really* irritated me owing to the cost of replacing it.
I cannot, otherwise, recall ever having to change a tyre. And having made that point I am just off to check the spare is properly pumped up...
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This is probably tempting fate, but the last time I had a puncture was in 1999. I drive around 40,000 - 60,000km a year in my own and various rental cars, so no puncture in around 650,000km of driving.
In that time I've had to call out breakdown services a couple of times to rental cars that had given up the ghost, but not had a tyre problem.
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I've had spacesavers (always the same overall diameter as the real wheels AFAIK) in the spare wheel wells of Hondas since the Aerodeck in 1989. Only used one once, and on the front, but it got me 20 miles home and then to the tyre shop with no drama that I recall.
No traction control of course...
The XJS has one, which was a popular option because a full size spare would leave room for not much more than golf clubs in the boot. I wonder if it would make any difference to the limited slip diff? Not that I drive hard enough to find out, mostly.
Incidentally, the French call a spacesaver a 'galette' - a biscuit.
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>> Some good tried and tested solutions here:
That Triumph is such a lovely car, but i'd give me eye teeth for a motor like the Royce Phantom with running boards and a huge spare resting in the cut out.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Wed 16 May 12 at 15:56
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I like space saver wheels. Used one once - in 2006 when I had my first puncture for 15 years,,,
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Space saver spares... don'tcha just love 'em? - -
