Focus Space Saver Tyre

[Lenny]

Why are you removing the spare wheel/ tyre, to save weight?

If you sell the spare, will you have another spare of any kind?

Hi Foca,

Im currently carrying a full size 16" steel rim in the boot with the use of the ford full size spare boot kit.

Im upgrading the wheels to 18" so its pointless carrying a 16" spare in the boot,

So ive purchased a polystirene pad from ford designed for the mk1 RS focus, and it fits perfectly in to the tyre well bringing the surface flush with the boot floor.

I wont be carrying a spare wheel or jack anymore, but i currently have a can of Holtz tyre foam, and im working on purchasing a ford compressor to fit in to the designated slot on the new tyre well pad.

The down side of things is currenly the boot floor was raised by the fitment of the full spare kit to be level with the bottom of the boot door,

So the floor carpet for the boot is a different shape to those with a space saver.

End result; ive gotta buy a new boot carpet too lol

Now the full size spare kit is for sale.

Consisting of:

Polystirene raised pads

Boot floor carpet

Extended tyre clamp bolt

This kit is also used in the ST and RS focus as an option to carry a space saver tyre.

Because the ST and RS models dont have a tyre well,

This kit raises the boot floor allowing space to store a space saver tyre on the ST and RS models.

The kit is also used on the standard mk2 and mk2.5 to double the depth of the tyre well allowing the wheel brace, jack and a full size 205/55/R16 to be carried along with some additional storage compartments surrounding the wheel.

[FOCA]

The 16" spare steel wheel can still be used as a spare for the 18" wheels - the higher profile tyre on the 16" wheel means it has a similar circumference to the lower profile 18" wheels, it obviously fits on the hubs, the ST Mondeo is supplied with 18" road wheels and a 16" spacesaver in the boot - so i presume its legal - you might need (5) wheel nuts for steel wheels - (Ford used different nuts for alloys - is that still the case?)

The trouble with running without a spare, is you may get "caught out" the foam and/ or compressor does not fix every puncture, when you use the foam it "writes off" the tyre, if the foam does not work, you may "write off"/ damage your tyre and a wheel even a crawling speeds with a puncture, the AA/ RAC may not be able to help you , you may be stranded miles from home

"S0ds" law - when you have a good spare you go for 10 years without a puncture, take the spare out and you may get a puncture (unfixable with the foam/ compressor) at the worst time/ place, miles from home/ help with your good expensive 18" tyres wheels that you cant run on

If you had to replace a tyre locally on the day (because you had no spare) it may cost "over the odds" compared to buying online/ searching for a bargain - apart from the hassle/ wasted time etc

Another problem is if you damage a wheel (eg hit a kerb swerving to miss a little old lady or hit a bad pothole etc) the rim can be damaged beyond repair and fitting a tyre won't sort it, the car would be effectively disabled if another wheel is not available

This would be a bit inconvenient if you were far from home

I suppose you could keep a spare at home so if you had a puncture/ blowout damaged your wheel you could get your friends/ family to get it for you - but if you were going on a long trip it may be worth carrying a spare (full size or spacesaver)

Lots of people replace the supplied foam with spacesavers, or their spacesavers with full size wheels

Some buy a spare alloy to match the ones on the car (or 4 with winter tyres on)

Are you keeping your old wheels as backup/ for winter?

[Lenny]

The 16" spare steel wheel can still be used as a spare for the 18" wheels - the higher profile tyre on the 16" wheel means it has a similar circumference to the lower profile 18" wheels, it obviously fits on the hubs, the ST Mondeo is supplied with 18" road wheels and a 16" spacesaver in the boot - so i presume its legal - you might need (5) wheel nuts for steel wheels - (Ford used different nuts for alloys - is that still the case?)

The trouble with running without a spare, is you may get "caught out" the foam and/ or compressor does not fix every puncture, when you use the foam it "writes off" the tyre, if the foam does not work, you may "write off"/ damage your tyre and a wheel even a crawling speeds with a puncture, the AA/ RAC may not be able to help you , you may be stranded miles from home

"S0ds" law - when you have a good spare you go for 10 years without a puncture, take the spare out and you may get a puncture (unfixable with the foam/ compressor) at the worst time/ place, miles from home/ help with your good expensive 18" tyres wheels that you cant run on

If you had to replace a tyre locally on the day (because you had no spare) it may cost "over the odds" compared to buying online/ searching for a bargain - apart from the hassle/ wasted time etc

Another problem is if you damage a wheel (eg hit a kerb swerving to miss a little old lady or hit a bad pothole etc) the rim can be damaged beyond repair and fitting a tyre won't sort it, the car would be effectively disabled if another wheel is not available

This would be a bit inconvenient if you were far from home

I suppose you could keep a spare at home so if you had a puncture/ blowout damaged your wheel you could get your friends/ family to get it for you - but if you were going on a long trip it may be worth carrying a spare (full size or spacesaver)

Lots of people replace the supplied foam with spacesavers, or their spacesavers with full size wheels

Some buy a spare alloy to match the ones on the car (or 4 with winter tyres on)

Are you keeping your old wheels as backup/ for winter?

Your right mate, i had a space saver spare in my last car, got a side wall tear on the inside of the front tyre 154miles from home, but i was visiting my mothors, it happend when i pulled over on a country road to allow a tractor pass, as result the raised tarmac road cut the side wall as i pulled over on the hedge.

It was a bank holiday weekend at 8pm saturday, so no tyre repair open until tuesday, and you cant put a space saver on the front steering wheels, so it was a case of;

Off with puncture

On with space saver.

Off with rear wheel,

On with puncture wheel,

Off with space saver (front)

On with wheel from rear

Off with flat tyre from rear

Then finally on with space saver lol

And had to keep off the motorway all the way home arghhh!! 80kmh speed limit on wheel barrow spare. So since then i carried a full size spare,

I'll keep the 16" steel full size spare at home and try get a 16" space saver kit perhaps in exchange for the full size kit.

The existing 16" snow flake alloys and tyres have been sold to a fellow south east member of the forum im not sure if he wants to be named but time will tell lol, exchange will take place in may/june when i have fitted the 18's

[martyntdci]

bet ur looking foward to the more bumpy harsh ride lol..........

[Lenny]

bet ur looking foward to the more bumpy harsh ride lol..........

Yes lol counting the days, and trying to figure out how in any way i could get them sooner.

Id sell my granny if she was still alive lol