Running without a spare wheel

[beeRS]

I'm thinking of removing my spare wheel, jack and compressor and replacing all these with just a tin of tyre weld spray. It seems like I'm carrying around an awful lot just incase of a flat tyre!

Has anyone else done this? If so, is it an MOT failure or is there any other downsides that I've overlooked. I think some cars come from the manufacturers without a spare (eg Ford Focus RS).

 

[pauljmcnulty]

It's not a problem, lots of cars do without a spare now. The only downside is that you can damage the tyre beyond repair, although that might be a bit of a case of tyre suppliers being, shall we say, over-cautious and selling you a new tyre.....[8|]

Might upset the handling balance, though. Take 20KG out of the front as well. []

 

[bennyboy]

Sorry to go very off topic quickly, but have you seen your email from me BeeRS?

 

[JamesO]

Not a problem, the last mot I took my car for the guy didn't even open the boot. As far as I am aware if you have a spare it should be in good condition but there is no requirement to carry a spare.

 

[verysideways]

Keep the compressor. A can of tyreweld might fill the flat tyre, but not to a decent pressure.

Ask me how i know

 

[Copperman05]

Seeing that the space saver tyre is illegal on our roads and now some 20 or so years old your probably better off without it. As far as I'm concerned its just dead weight that will be pretty useless should you get a flat, especially as most people have AA or RAC cover anyway. I too carry a couple of cans of tyre weld, its messy stuff but could get you out of the s**t if need be.

Edd

 

[awattam]

I just carry a can of tyre weld and a pump, not had a puncture in 8 years of driving so I'm hapy to take the chance.

This is the spare which comes with the car......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9RQyth8uX4

 

[944 man]

The space saver isnt illegal: however there was a time when space savers per se werent legal in Britain, but EU rules over-rode ours.

Id certainly keep a compressor or manual pump. Tyreweld is alright, but youd be better off getting your tyres treated. One application will last the tyres life.

 

[Neil Haughey]

Our MX-5 is an example of a car with no spare, it has a little puncture emergency kit in the boot which looks good until you open it up and see a just a bogo can of Holts tyreweld.

 

[Eldavo]

ORIGINAL: awattam

I just carry a can of tyre weld and a pump, not had a puncture in 8 years of driving so I'm hapy to take the chance.

This is the spare which comes with the car......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9RQyth8uX4

Is it wrong that I find that VERY cool!

 

[944 man]

I drove across France on a 22yr-old space saver three years ago. It was quite impressive and it happily coped with 70mph without getting warm.

 

[944Turbo]

Only puncture I have had in the 944 in 100k miles was a sidewall hole - foam would have come straight out - damn welsh potholes - tiny back road trying to pass a wind turbine blade averaging about 6mph on the A5. swapped to space saver and got back on the A5 just behind the blimmin turbine again.

 

[zcacogp]

I've used the space saver spare, with the factory-supplied compressor.

It worked fine. Heavy, perhaps, but fine. (Slow to inflate and had to drive carefully with it on, but it got me to the nearest puncture repair place.)

I've never used the cans of tyreweld, but had four punctures in about 18 years of driving, one of which wouldn't have been solved without a proper spare. (I tore a hole in the sidewall of a tyre - as 944Turbo describes.)


Oli.

 

[Copperman05]

ORIGINAL: 944 man

The space saver isnt illegal: however there was a time when space savers per se werent legal in Britain, but EU rules over-rode ours.

Id certainly keep a compressor or manual pump. Tyreweld is alright, but youd be better off getting your tyres treated. One application will last the tyres life.

Under which legislation did you work that out? Most Porsche space savers I now do not have much less than 1.6mm tread depth over 75% of the wheel and are designed for the German market not the UK.

We have UK traffic laws here, EU laws do not come into it.

Edd

 

[peanut]

ORIGINAL: 944 man

The space saver isnt illegal: however there was a time when space savers per se werent legal in Britain, but EU rules over-rode ours.

I was informed by VOSN a few years ago that I could use the spacesaver tyre but only below 25 mph ie tractor speed to the nearest available garage.I was stopped and they found one of my tyres gashed on the inside. They wer'nt going to let me drive the car at all at first

 

[944 man]

ORIGINAL: Copperman05



We have UK traffic laws here, EU laws do not come into it.

Edd

EU law takes precedence over UK law: this is an unarguable fact. Very early 944 manuals stated that owners must call Porsche Assistance when they have a puncture, as the spare wasnt legal to use. This was deleted from later manuals.

 

[DivineE]

That spare wheel weighs more than the car! (scientific fact) I take it out and plan to ring the AA if I get a puncture.. but I've never actually had one.

p.s. 20kg off the front.. carbon bonnet skin it is then.

 

[Neil Haughey]

Well the reason why a lot of modern cars don't have a spare is because the statistics said you only get a flat on average once every 100K miles or so. I have had 2 blow outs in the last 6 years though, another about 14 years ago and maybe 1/2 dozen slowies. Total miles driven is roughly 200K miles so I am not far off the statistical average.

 

[AndrewS]

In nearly 30 years, I have never had to resort to spare. Removed my spare etc and kept them in the garage many years ago.

Regards,
Andrew

 

[944 man]

Punctures on worn tyres are far more likely; doubly so in the wet. That said the front tyre that I lost on the Scumball in 2007 was nearly new and Id have been in a whole world of sh*t without the space saver...

edited to add: lon my next continental tour I'll be taking TWO spacesavers! If I happen acros anywhere interesting then I'll take them out and lock them up, like you do with trackday wheels.