What were the spare wheel options on a 2010 Focus Hatchback?

[Nick Charles]

I've just emptied the boot and taken off all the linings ready to fit some tow bar wiring. Now I know I didn't need to pull it all off but glad I did as I know now where all the wiring runs are and can better understand many of the helpful posts here on electrics in the boot.

Anyway I have a full sized spare wheel that sits on top of a thick lump of polystyrene foam that holds the jack. Surrounding the wheel are two deep polystyrene trays molded to fit around the tyre. Now it occurs to me there may have been other options that give you more boot room. For example without all the polystyrene foam under the spare and a different foam surround you'd gain 100-120mm of boot depth. A space save wheel would provide even more space.

So am I right to think there were various options and what were they?

[RAIDER32]

Yeh my previous car was a 2009 Focus with a space saver, the jack was underneath the wheel and carpet was flat to the floor (no foam) so I had maximum boot space.
Kinda wished I had your foam type, I bought a full size alloy for trips to Cornwall so it was too big to fit under the carpet, it took up a lot of space.

Plenty of space saver options on eBay from breakers if you wanted more room.

[Nick Charles]

The space saver is one idea I have, funnily enough for trips to Cornwall 😀 I just wanted to know if they existed so I could start checking to see what the breakers have.

[RAIDER32]

56 minutes ago, Nick Charles said:

The space saver is one idea I have, funnily enough for trips to Cornwall 😀 

This looks like the one I had https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174070380961

Went with full alloy for Cornwall because I was worried of smashing a wheel on a country road and being nearly 400 miles from home,
It would be an expensive nightmare trying to get a new Zetec S 17" alloy & tyre at short notice, better to have a second hand spare off eBay.
Currently looking on eBay for a spare alloy for the ST for this years trip, also a reason I went with an Estate this time too.

[Nick Charles]

LOL Don't come over here to Ireland then 🤣 A lot of our roads are dire.

I can see your point though as I did reverse into a really high curb in Trago Mills (Newton Abbot) car park and bent a steel rim so badly the wheel almost fell off - I was going to look for a new one but a handy guy in a local garage fixed it with a sledge hammer.

Was looking for an estate but they aren't as common in Ireland and we've just changed our laws to make it more expensive to import the sort of older car I can afford.

[Lenny]

1 hour ago, Nick Charles said:

The space saver is one idea I have, funnily enough for trips to Cornwall 😀 I just wanted to know if they existed so I could start checking to see what the breakers have.

The space saver wheel was standard; 

Your full size spare kit was an optional extra, it was also used to provide the ST and RS models with a space saver because they don't have a tyre well.

Your carpet is smaller than the standard boot carpet and is part of the foam surround kit, the centre bolt for securing the tyre is also longer than standard.

If fitting a space saver and you want to keep everything propper as it should be then you need a shorter centre bolt, and a bigger boot carpet, 

The foam piece which hold the jack and wheel brace are the same for both space saver and full wheel 

[Nick Charles]

47 minutes ago, Lenny said:

..

Your full size spare kit was an optional extra, it was also used to provide the ST and RS models with a space saver because they don't have a tyre well.

...

But was there an in between option? My standard size spare easily fits in the tyre well but is about 100-120mm high because of the foam wasting the space below it. If the tyre went in the bottom of the well with the jack inside it then it would only need a thin foam insert under the carpet to level it all up - best of both worlds.

[Lenny]

Just now, Nick Charles said:

But was there an in between option? My standard size spare easily fits in the tyre well but is about 100-120mm high because of the foam wasting the space below it. If the tyre went in the bottom of the well with the jack inside it then it would only need a thin foam insert under the carpet to level it all up - best of both worlds.

The foam below the tyre prevents the tyre from rubbing off the body work which would lead to rusting within 12 months 

I don't think there was an alternative option; I have my focus since September 2010 when I bought it brand new from ford; I chose the full spare wheel kit and they didn't say anything about an alternative to the foam storage compartment surround pieces. 

[sussamb]

If anyone is close to Worthing and wants my space saver in exchange for a full size tyre just ask as I'd happily swap 

[Nick Charles]

29 minutes ago, Lenny said:

The foam below the tyre prevents the tyre from rubbing off the body work which would lead to rusting within 12 months 

I don't think there was an alternative option; I have my focus since September 2010 when I bought it brand new from ford; I chose the full spare wheel kit and they didn't say anything about an alternative to the foam storage compartment surround pieces. 

Wifes Mk1 has a full size tyre in the well rubber on metal with a thin surround to make up the height in the boot so wondered if there was a similar option on the Mk2? Don't see the problem of rubber against the metal of the car especially as the manufacturer can always put a layer of the thick sealer down in the well. The massive thickness of the foam under the standard tyre for the option I have really is taking the p!ss unless you want a load of hidden awkward to get to storage under the boot carpet.