21 replies to this topic

[cappers]

After a bit of advice.
Bit gutted my car does not come with a spare wheel, but rather this daft can of foam. Has anyone had any good, bad or indifferent experiences with the foam?
I am mainly concerned with the replacement cost of this. I guess a Ford like for like one is not going to be much less than £50, so does this "Tyre weld" or similar you can buy in Halford or elsewhere, work as well/do the same job (£10?). Can this be used as a replacement?
Can punctures be repaired post foam, or has the fact you have used the foam render the tyre irrepairable, if if it might have been repairable if the foam was not used?

Does anyone recommend to buy a space saver wheel, jack and brace (which I would rather have!. ANy idea of the cost? If so how does this work. Do I buy a 16" one as I have 16" alloys, or would a 14" one do, which some people say you can. Are these space savers vehicle specific, or as long as they have the right amount of holes would one fit another?

Any help/advice would be apprciated

[dLockers]

Breakers can give you a full Fiesta kit for very little (£20-£30)

It is recommended to have the space saver, as foam doesn't work well on blow outs, nor big gashes.

If you have a puncture again, the tyre is ruined.

[mark t]

Yes, if you use the foam, it renders the tyre useless!

In my experience, I'm on my 5th car
S ford ka2 one slow puncture nothing to worry about
03 Fiesta Zetec, not a problem (writtern off)
06 Fiesta Zetec, not a problem (traded in for...)
58 Fiesta Titanium without spare wheel, one month hit pot hole bending wheel, replace wheel/tyre, went flat, change to 17" wheels, same wheel bent (on different road) spare I had...that went flat.
60 Fiesta ZetecS, not a problem with it, as I carry full 17" spare in the boot!

Get a spare< in my experience I only have problems when I don't carry one!

[MRC89]

The only logical reason to have the tyre repair kit over the spare wheel is for space/weight saving.
I bought my car 2nd hand from motorpoint and they supplied a free 15" spare steel wheel. Although the car is on 17"s, the tyre sizes equal it out to be the same circumference overall. Ideally I'd get a matching alloy and tyre, but this will do for now

I'd recommend a spare, it's a lot less hassle, and probably cheaper in the long run if you do ever need to do any repairs.

[Motocrossmad]

im was thinking about getting a spare 17" alloy and tyre as a spare, does it fit in the wheel well ok? was my only concern before buying one. Personaly hate all the tyre sealant/gunk/weld. Its a severe pain in the !Removed! to remove some of the stuff from the wheel itself when getting another tyre fitted and some garages can charge you to remove it, also puts your wheel out of balance when its used, mabye not noticable on a car. but was on my motorbike when i had to use some as a last resort once.

[mark t]

also puts your wheel out of balance when its used, mabye not noticable on a car.

Neglected to mention with the previous fiesta one tyre had a screw that didn't affect tyre, and front drivers side developed wobble on the steering, which they couldn't sort, so put it on the back shaking the whole car, on taking the tyre off, they found it had been sealed before I bought it, and it came loose letting in water and flapping about inside the tyre!!

[cappers]

Thanks all, some valid points, will look into getting a space saver, jack and brace, hopefully no too much, poss 2nd hand

[Magenta]

Reading these posts has confirmed my worst fears about the 'can of foam' I have in the boot instead of a spare wheel. When I ordered my first new Fiesta Mk7,(2009), surprisingly, a steel spare was a no-charge option. Unbelievably, I had the foam can option ! This Mk7 I have now which I bought near-new has the foam can too. Reading the instructions for it puts me in dread of ever having a puncture.
I suppose the place to start in getting a steel spare, spacesaver or otherwise is to enquire at a tyre outlet such as Kwikfit etc ?

[KeithC]

The best thing to do is join a breakdown service, believe me, you'll wish you had when you need one. Then, if the puncture can't be repaired, give them a bell and job's a good 'un.

[Motocrossmad]

i do thik a breakdown service is a good idea, but not for a simple puncture. i have seen myself waiting 2-3 hours for the AA/ Greenflag/RAC to arrive to a call out. Nevermind getting a puncture on a back road at 11pm. It really is the simplest of jobs that everyone should know. It takes about 15 minuites to complete and without the breakdown services going out to countless puncture repairs every day it might even bring there response time down. Again if your ar not comfortable changing a wheel then the tyre weld/foam can be used.

[KeithC]

i do thik a breakdown service is a good idea, but not for a simple puncture.

I didn't mean it in the context of having someone to change a wheel for you, I meant if you were stranded and couldn't carry on your journey for one reason or another. Personally, I think changing a wheel should be part of the practical of the Driving Test and if you can't change a wheel you shouldn't be driving IMO.

i have seen myself waiting 2-3 hours for the AA/ Greenflag/RAC to arrive to a call out.

I've called RAC out twice in 3 years, never had to wait longer than 45 minutes, the first instance was 20 mins or so. I may have been lucky, I don't know, never used AA or any other company so have no experience of their waiting times.

Nevermind getting a puncture on a back road at 11pm. It really is the simplest of jobs that everyone should know.

Exactly, re my response above.

It takes about 15 minutes to complete and without the breakdown services going out to countless puncture repairs every day it might even bring there response time down. Again if your ar not comfortable changing a wheel then the tyre weld/foam can be used.

Not in all cases, that's the problem. If you have a proper blow out and it tears a gash in your sidewall, you're not going to repair it with a tin of foam. Never mind the amount of people who drive around with a spare, but a flat spare. You'll then be stranded, hence having breakdown as back up.

[Motocrossmad]

i totally agree with what your saying KeithC, just took the context of your post differently, sorry man

[KeithC]

i totally agree with what your saying KeithC, just took the context of your post differently, sorry man

Nay problem mon ami.

[Magenta]

I don't really have a problem using the foam and I have changed more wheels at the side of the road than I've had hot dinners. I got so that I could do it about 5 mins flat if you will excuse the pun. Yes, every driver should at least be shown how to change a wheel. On the other hand, there is the safety aspect of doing it on the hard shoulder etc. in todays traffic conditions and it certainly is safer to call one of the breakdown services.
What I object to is the 'throw-away' culture of ruining a good tyre after a simple puncture and having to replace it and buying another can of "bubble wrap".

[cyb]

Looking at things from a different view

Most punctures are caused by
1) not maintaining the correct tyre pressure
2) nails or other debris in the road
blow outs due to side wall damage is very rare, unless the tyre is old or you constantly hit kerbs while parking etc and most punctures are a slow deflation of the tyre over a period of hours rather than an instant.
With this in mind and before you grab the bottle of ‘gunk’ or even the wheel jack you should try to re-inflate the tyre.

Several years ago I bought a cheap 12v compressor from Argos that plugs in to the power outlet/cigarette lighter and has come in handy on several occasions to inflate the tyre to enable me to drive home or to a garage where the puncture can be fixed – I’m not sure if the compressor supplied by Ford works without the bottle attached, if it does great, if not I would recommend anyone to consider spending around £10 or less at Halfords, Argos etc on a small compressor and keep it in the boot of your car.
I’ve been driving for over 20 years and only once have I had need to change a wheel.