No spare wheel?

Richard53

neil_999 wrote: »

And why wheels? Car manufacturers have never supplied a spare anything else?

I guess it goes back to the days when the wheels/tyres were frequently damaged (unmade roads, poor materials) and a spare wheel was essential to get where you were going.

I agree that manufacturers don't give you a spare of anything else. However, tyres are unique in that they are vulnerable to accidental damage in a way that most components are not, and failure results in complete immobility. I have only had a handful of punctures in 40 years and half a million miles of driving (and only one I can think of that actually needed the wheel changing by the roadside), but even so I'm happier with a spare.

I'd agree with Aretnap above - a space saver is a reasonable compromise. Thanks to all who contributed to this thread. It has clarified my own thoughts, and I have discussed the various ideas with my wife. She phoned the salesman today and told him we would definitely be wanting one, and to get his *rse into gear!

Result for MSE, thank you!

Bob_the_Saver

My wife has an inflation kit
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5FT-FEMALE-BLOW-UP-DOLL-STAG-NIGHT-MENS-PARTY-INFLATABLE-FANCY-DRESS-ACCESSORY-/111068968211?pt=UK_Health_Beauty_Make_Up_Cosmetics_Foundation_PP&hash=item19dc39f513

Ultrasonic

Richard53 wrote: »

I am amazed. Not only will this cause all kinds of issues with the diff (if on a driven axle), but it would totally mess up the dynamics of the car. I don't doubt you, but I am astonished that this is legal.

Like you I'd assumed we were talking width not diameter, can't quite get my head around why any car manufacturer would do this :eek:.

Facade, out of interest what type of car do you have?

noh

Richard53 wrote: »

I am amazed. Not only will this cause all kinds of issues with the diff (if on a driven axle), but it would totally mess up the dynamics of the car. I don't doubt you, but I am astonished that this is legal.

Often the spacesaver wheel is a smaller diameter than the wheels fitted to the car but the spacesaver tyre will be a smaller width and have a profile such that the overall diameter is the same or very close.
http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html
With the car that I have owned that had a spacesaver spare the manual told you not to use it on the driven wheels.
If you had a puncture on a driven wheel you were instructed to put the spacesaver on the non driven axle and use the wheel removed to replace the punctured one.

almillar

Don't be surprised by the space saving spares messing with the 'dynamics' of your car - it's plastered all over them they're not to go over 50MPH or whatever, and are just for emergencies, surely you're not going to test the handling?!
I've had cars with and without spare wheels, and the ones with, I take it out and leave it in the garage instead of carrying the weight round. An air compressor and can of gunk is lighter.
If I do have a tyre failure that the compressor or gunk can't help with, it will have been a big puncture and I'll be glad to be safe and sound!
Another problem I've just encountered with not getting a spare is that I needed to rotate my tyres - I had to borrow a wheel off my sister's car as you would usually put the spare on to hold the car up whilst changing the other wheels around!

facade

Ultrasonic wrote: »

Facade, out of interest what type of car do you have?

Nisan Note E11.

Spacesaver OD 54cm
Wheels on car OD 60cm, give or take a cm, I used a tape measure,.

I'm talking about the black rubbery bit, not the metal thing in the middle i couldn't care less what size that is as long as it fits the hub.


One other thing to watch with spacesavers is they sometimes come with special shortened bolts to hold them on. If you use the ones off the alloy wheels they go in to far and cause expensive damage.

Ultrasonic

almillar wrote: »

I've had cars with and without spare wheels, and the ones with, I take it out and leave it in the garage instead of carrying the weight round. An air compressor and can of gunk is lighter.

The difference in fuel economy from doing this really is pathetic. You might find this interesting:

http://green.autoblog.com/2009/10/29/greenlings-how-does-weight-affect-a-vehicles-efficiency/

I sometimes wonder if the government should try a new approach to encouraging people to lose weight by pointing out that it will improve vehicle fuel economy...

facade

Ultrasonic wrote: »

I sometimes wonder if the government should try a new approach to encouraging people to lose weight by pointing out that it will improve vehicle fuel economy...

We really have digressed now, but the best way to improve the performance of a motorcycle is to lose a couple of stone in weight :rotfl:
Costs nothing, and you don't have to tell the insurance;)

Richard53

noh wrote: »

With the car that I have owned that had a spacesaver spare the manual told you not to use it on the driven wheels.
If you had a puncture on a driven wheel you were instructed to put the spacesaver on the non driven axle and use the wheel removed to replace the punctured one.

Take something that worked perfectly well, and make it as inconvenient as possible. Don't you love progress?

almillar wrote: »

Another problem I've just encountered with not getting a spare is that I needed to rotate my tyres - I had to borrow a wheel off my sister's car as you would usually put the spare on to hold the car up whilst changing the other wheels around!

I hadn't thought of that - but that's yet another reason to have a spare of sorts.

eschaton

Even if you need to pay extra and the space is in the car, I would always go along with buying a spare wheel.

A car I bought 11 years ago only came with the foam and I was never comfortable with the idea.

Cars after that had a steel spare which was fine.

3 years ago I bought a Peugeot 308CC and the spare steel wheel was a £125 option. Car cost over £25k so a spare wheel at no cost would have been nice. I bought the spare as the well was there for it and when the car turned up, it was actually a full size 18" alloy. That was a bonus as I kept the wheel when I sold the car and ended up getting £280 for it :cool:

Current car is a Peugeot RCZ which came with foam kit. Space for a spare in the well but a spare WASN'T even an option as they didn't do a spacesaver for that size of wheel. A new alloy and OE tyre would have been way over £550 but with a tyre at £260 I wasn't keen on using the foam.

I ended up buying a set of 4 wheels/tyres fron eBay and use one as a spare, I still have the other 3 currently