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Do You Have A Spare Tyre?


jmurray01
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No, I'm not talking about the three course meal you had tonight (though I do feel rather bloated...), I'm talking about whether or not you have a spare tyre in your car?

I realise that owners of new Fords probably won't because I don't think there is even the facility for one anymore (?), but for owners of older vehicles - do you have one loaded up or go without?

Years ago car manufacturers ALWAYS advised you had a spare tyre and people generally saw them as essential, but these days people seem to think "nah, I'll never get a puncture" and leave the spare in the garage just to save a tiny (and that is all it is) amount of fuel.

I would never be able to relax in a car that didn't have a spare tyre, especially at night!

I'm happy to say the Focus has its spare tyre with jack and wrench in the tyre well so if anything should happen to any of the tyres, I'm covered. Yes the spare is quite bald and scuffed on the inner edge, but it holds air and that's all that matters when you're stuck at the side of the road on a rainy night with a flat and just want to get home!

So, do you risk it or go prepared?

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My MK2 has a space saver (horrible things) and my MK2.5 work one has a full size but is a pig to get at because it's buried under about 50 kg of plywood kennel.

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No, I'm not talking about the three course meal you had tonight (though I do feel rather bloated...), I'm talking about whether or not you have a spare tyre in your car?

I realise that owners of new Fords probably won't because I don't think there is even the facility for one anymore (?), but for owners of older vehicles - do you have one loaded up or go without?

Years ago car manufacturers ALWAYS advised you had a spare tyre and people generally saw them as essential, but these days people seem to think "nah, I'll never get a puncture" and leave the spare in the garage just to save a tiny (and that is all it is) amount of fuel.

I would never be able to relax in a car that didn't have a spare tyre, especially at night!

I'm happy to say the Focus has its spare tyre with jack and wrench in the tyre well so if anything should happen to any of the tyres, I'm covered. Yes the spare is quite bald and scuffed on the inner edge, but it holds air and that's all that matters when you're stuck at the side of the road on a rainy night with a flat and just want to get home!

So, do you risk it or go prepared?

Your car is otherwise legal with the bald spare tyre but -

If you do have a puncture and you put the bald one on - if you get stopped or are unfortunate to have an accident (say someone runs into you) - thats 3 points and a £40 per bald tyre - so if i were you - i would leave that one at home,

The 5-stud 16" (205/55/16) (mondeo mk3/4, Focus mk2 ) weighs 17.4 kgs, with the jack/ brace brings it up to about 20kgs - thats a lot of weight and you will feel it in the car, for handling, accelerating braking, and traction (especially on snow/ ice & mud)

The (5-stud) spacesaver weighs in at 11kgs, personally if i had to carry a spare, i would make it a full size one (for the sake of 6.4kgs - a spacesaver is speed-limited to 50mph and not very "grippy") - and i would make sure mine held air, and was legal and even also a decent make of tyre with decent grip

I don't run a spare, just a can of tyreweld and a floorpump (together approx 1kg) although the car is 150kgs lighter than stock, (due to stripping un-nessisary weight, and lightweight parts) the spare is still the heaviest single component, putting it back in would undo a lot of the work done

The payload is also increased to 740kgs - about the same as a small van - the payload on a small car may not be that much and removing the spare increases it by the weight of the wheel

Its a difficult one - its a pity a spare is so heavy

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I take your point (no pun intended) but the chances of being pulled over when the car is insured, Taxed and MOTd are a lot slimmer than getting a puncture - so I'll take my chances if I have to use the spare.

Although the police would never admit this - I would put a pretty good bet that a bald full size tyre provides more traction than a new "doughnut" tyre.

Besides, it isn't completely bald, it is just a touch below the legal limit (which incidentally would still be legal in America as their limit is 1.2mm - which it is above).

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My Fiesta never came with one annoyingly but i ordered a new wheel when i hit a "pothole" which in second thoughts may have been a chasm in the road and it bent my steel wheel... very kindly they gave me a full size spare with tyre for free :D nice company have used them ever since

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I have a poor spacesaver, and also a tyre weld kit... Start with the weld, and replace if necessary...

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I got a full size 17" steel spare tyre, heavy stuff but it gives me max confidence on the road, i don't have breakdown cover, never had it before don't want it, i think if breakdown cover is needed, the car isn't for me. those foam can things doesn't help incase of a blow outs and although that is very unlikely, it's also very unlikely i would be driving my car without needing to be somewhere at a specific time.

From my experience tyres are very impressive stuff. i have seen people do 70mph on space savers and run flat tyres, chatting away and laughing, I do not believe they are aware of the limitation with such tyres.

For the sake of your licence get rid of that bald tyre, £15 (£10 many places round my area) for a used tyre at any used tyre shop. Insurance is far too expensive to take that risk, never mind the police. a blow out damaging someone else's car can lead to a whole new level of insurance headache. Just talking about insurance makes me sick lol

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my fiesta had a repair kit of what ever you call it, it was factory, if you took the spare full sizer wheel they took the other repair kit away. dont ask why lol cause there is the space to put both underneatht eh boot

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Used tyres are a good alternative only for a spare, as you need to drive at lesser speeds. Its better to have a part worn than a bald for this purpose, but your own sake (anyone reading this) dont ever get part worn tyres, unless its your mother who gives you them off her car. She most likely wouldnt want to see you dead and would give you the full truth about them!

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my punto evo had one of those puncture repair 12v compressor kits in its boot went straight to the scrappy for a spare, theyre useless if you get blow out anyway and i could just imagine my mrs trying to fill up a shredded tyre because the instructions said to

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Using the inflation pack ruins the wheel anyway, it sticks to everything and is near impossible to get it off.

Ok for the dealer when they charge you £300 for a new wheel though.

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Nope, I use my spare wheel well for putting stuff for if I get stuck in winter or as of now, bbq's :P

I can always ring the RAC if I need a wheel :P

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I was lucky mine came with a 16 inch full tyre on steel rim, still only good for short distances though as it doesn't look the same as the 17 inch alloys. Would hate to have to drive on a space saver on a motorway at the 50mph it says on them. My parents Mitsubishi asx only came with a can of tyre foam.

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Ordered a spacesaver, do not like the idea of repair thingy, have heard too many bad things.

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I found this -

http://answers.halfords.com/answers/4028/product/122260/questions.htm

With the tyreweld the maximum recommended speed is 30mph (its designed as an emergency to "get you home")

The tyre cannot be used again, but the wheel can have the tyreweld cleaned off and used again (as long as it was not damaged during the puncture when driven with the tyre flat)

a 500ml can is only big enough for upto 16" wheel, if the wheel is bigger than this 2 cans are required

A spacesaver is limited to 50mph/ 80kph they are not very grippy and again are designed just to get you home or untill you can get you full size tyre repaired or replaced - on a front engined, front wheel drive car, it is safer to put the spacesaver on the back

A full size spare (legal,(1.6mm or better) in decent condition and a good make, will perform just as well or even better than a larger- diameter alloy wheel/ tyre (eg a good set of 205/55/16s on steel rims will outperform cheap 18" tyres on 18" alloys (even if they dont look as pretty)

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We carry a full sized spare tyre when going on long journeys but it takes up half of the boot depth,

Most of the time we carry a foam kit and have AA Road side assistance for 120 euro per year saves a few mpg not carrying the spare plus more boot space not having to carry the full sized spare wheel. I like the peace of mind the AA cover gives too

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We carry a full sized spare tyre when going on long journeys but it takes up half of the boot depth,

Most of the time we carry a foam kit and have AA Road side assistance for 120 euro per year saves a few mpg not carrying the spare plus more boot space not having to carry the full sized spare wheel. I like the peace of mind the AA cover gives too

Good idea - ive got a "premium get you home" insurance that will take me, my car (and its contents) home/ or to one location (garage/ scrap yard :lol: ) anywhere in the UK (from lands end to john-o-groats, apparently, not sure about Ireland) - it does this for no extra charge - it also works with any car as long as i have the (credit card sized) card (i got it for free(work))

Whats the AA one like?

PS i don't normally carry a spare, just a floor pump (mechanicat/ does not flatten battery/ waste battery power) and a tin of tyreweld to reduce weight - but in snow/ winter i carry a full size 16" steel wheel (same as the 4 winter 16" steelies on the car) to add weight to the car - but i put it behind the seat to get the weight forward for more front-end grip/ traction

The "premium insurance" card weighs nothing the floor pump and tyre weld weigh 1.2kgs together, so a lot lighter than the 20kgs spare/jack/ brace - apart from the economy i recon it knocks about 1/2 a second off the 0-60mph (0-100kph) with the extra grip when im trying to put the 360NM down through the front wheels with no traction control!

The tyreweld has been in the car for years - i just noticed its 400ml and i need 500ml for my 16" tyres d-oh - i wonder if anyone else made this mistake?

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My car came with the tyreweld stuff took it out and sold it on eBay and bought a wheel and jack and even the moulded bit for inside the wheel again off eBay, tyre still had the chalk lines on it, fantastic deal for less than £90, Ford wanted something like £250. Itmight weigh a bit more but peace of mind is more important to me.

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My lenny and the chap that ownes aa seem to be only people that carry full spare!!!

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Good idea - ive got a "pet you home" insurance that will take me, my car (and its contents) home/ or to one .cation (garage/ scrap yard :lol: ) anywhere in the UK (from lands end to john-o-groats, apparently, not sure about Ireland) - it does this for no extra charge - it also works with any car as long as i have the (credit card sized) card (i got it for free(work))

Whats the AA one like?

PS i don't normally carry a spare, just a floor pump (mechanicat/ does not flatten battery/ waste battery power) and a tin of tyreweld to reduce weight - but in snow/ winter i carry a full size 16" steel wheel (same as the 4 winter 16" steelies on the car) to add weight to the car - but i put it behind the seat to get the weight forward for more front-end grip/ traction

The "premium insurance" card weighs nothing the floor pump and tyre weld weigh 1.2kgs together, so a lot lighter than the 20kgs spare/jack/ brace - apart from the economy i recon it knocks about 1/2 a second off the 0-60mph (0-100kph) with the extra grip when im trying to put the 360NM down through the front wheels with no traction control!

The tyreweld has been in the car for years - i just noticed its 400ml and i need 500ml for my 16" tyres d-oh - i wonder if anyone else made this mistake?

I've made that mistake foca

I've got a 500ml can but now rolling 18s

The AA card is the same as what you have and covers the named card holder in any car weather they own it or not.

My lenny and the chap that ownes aa seem to be only people that carry full spare!!!

Ah jeer sneer

You can use the foam next time then, don't call me or Conor faughan (AA Ireland managing Director) he was on radio one day recommending people join AA Road side assistance but they should also carry a full sized spare lol

I.e. pay me subscription but when it comes to calling: use the spare I told you to carry

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^^ years ago the AA were going to charge you if you called them after ran out of fuel, i wonder what they do now ^^

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Full sized brand new spare in the boot B)

Never used jack in the boot B)

Security wheel nut socket still in original Ford bag in the boot B)

NO WHEEL BRACE THOUGH!!! :o :blink::wacko:

Must get that sorted ASAP.

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Full sized brand new spare in the boot B)

Never used jack in the boot B)

Security wheel nut socket still in original Ford bag in the boot B)

NO WHEEL BRACE THOUGH!!! :o :blink::wacko:

Must get that sorted ASAP.

Heres one -

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mk2-ford-focus-wheel-brace-tool-toolkit-/140972332916?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item20d29b1774#ht_140wt_932

A 19mm socket and bar from a big socket set would fill in in the meantime - (but does not clip onto the jack like the original one does)

Its funny, once you have the brace you will never get a puncture, like if you are carry-ing an umbrella it never rains -

Or you never get a nail through your "almost bald" tyre/s - just your best one/s :lol:

seriously - I suppose you make your own luck, like if you use the tyre with the slow puncture for a spare (then forgetteng about it) - its going to be flat when you need it (ok - im guilty of that!)

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(but does not clip onto the jack like the original one does)

Funny how much difference a throw-away comment like that can make!

Had another(decent) look in the boot and found the original brace still attached to the jack! :)

Thanks for that B)

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In the last 3 cars I've owned all had a spare tyre in. But my current car doesn't. Always had a puncture near home, So I would able to drive it home. My last car had a very slow puncture.

I might decide to buy a spare sometime

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