Fiesta Space saver spare wheel question

forgotmyname

**woody123** wrote: »

Hi,

Thanks for the replies, but I would prefer spacesaver, so if anyone with a fiesta has one could they let me now what size please.

Thanks

You would rather fit a spacersaver with a 50mph speed limit and less grip etc etc?

Rather than a full sized spare which is the same diameter but 40mm thinner?

I have always replaced the spacesaver with a full sized one.

**woody123**

forgotmyname wrote: »

You would rather fit a spacersaver with a 50mph speed limit and less grip etc etc?

Rather than a full sized spare which is the same diameter but 40mm thinner?

I have always replaced the spacesaver with a full sized one.

Right, I've finally made my mind up. I've read several forums on the subject of fiesta spare wheels and I'm going for the 14" steel wheel (not space saver). Apparently, this is the wheel that ford supply for the 15" alloys.



So my tyres currently are 195 / 55 / R15
My steel spare will be 175 / 65 / R14


Fordparts uk stock the spare kit new, but without the tyre for about £80.


They do stock a 15" spare, but I don't want to risk my boot mat not lying flat over the tyre. And It's also dearer.



Thanks for all the input..

facade

The spacesaver for my Nissan, (that I replaced with a full size) is miles smaller in diameter. The handbook says to fit it to the rear only.

So with a flat on the front, first you put the spacesaver on the back, then put the removed back wheel on the front, then the flat front tyre goes in the boot, and you can carry on.

Whatever happened to Proper Olden Days Cars, where the spare wheel was clamped under the floor, and you twiddled a socket with the starting handle to lower it down, then put the flat one back under the floor, and never had to disturb the contents of the boot?

Whereas nowadays you have to empty the boot out, and likely the flat tyre won't fit the spacesaver space...

Isn't there a Porsche, and one of the Mercedes sports that cost house money, where the spacesaver is all folded up into a little space, and you inflate it out, but then have to make the passenger walk home if you want the dirty wet roadwheel on their seat, or you have to abandon the wheel at the roadside?

daveyjp

Fitting to rear is definately the correct thing to do, especially if you have no choice but to drive some distance to get to a fitter.

I used one over Christmas to get me 5 miles to the tyre fitter, but not having used one before and it having no warnings (apart from the handbook which was 250 miles away and I'd never read about the skinny spare anyway), simply swapped the punctured front nearside with the skinny (I can report a full size wheel fits the spare wheel well, but the polystyrene packing for the skinny has to go in the boot!)

The drive was fine until I came to brake, reduced amount of rubber on the front nearside resulted in the car pulling to the left violently.

For a short trip it was manageable, but you can imagine how I felt when a few weeks later whilst doing about 70 on the M1 I was passed by someone in a Micra doing 80+ with a spacesaver on the front wheel.

If the driver had had to pull up sharply at best he would have cut across a lane of traffic, at worst he could have barrel rolled the car.

forgotmyname

Are your wheel nuts suitable for a steel wheel?

Get one from a breakers?

patman99

My choice would be look online or at scrappies for an identicle wheel to the ones already on your car and buy that. No potential issues with speed limits or wheel nuts to contend with.

Marvel1

daveyjp wrote: »

Fitting to rear is definately the correct thing to do, especially if you have no choice but to drive some distance to get to a fitter.

Will keep that in mind.