Some new cars have no spare wheel

[Avocet]

As for Avocet's concern of where the 7 seat MPVs could carry a spare...........4x4's have had the solution for years, a spare wheel carrier on the rear door.

Try that on a typical MPV tailgate and let us know how you get on!

 

[Avocet]

Here's one I had never come across before. Working on a friend's 20 year old Fiat (Uno, I think). Noticed she had a balding tyre and suggested she put the spare on. When we dug the spare out, the wheel rim was bright orange with a 50 MPH sticker on it. As far as I (or she) could tell, it was original equipment.

"Oh drat!" I said. "You've got a space-saver"!

But here's the odd thing. It was the SAME SIZE! The road tyres were 135 / 80 / 13s on 4.5" rims. The so-called "space saver" was a 135 / 80 / 13 on a 4.5" rim! The only difference I could see was that the space saver (or "temporary spare" to give it it's proper name) had a 69T load / speed rating whereas the ones on the car were 70T. I can't believe for one minute that the saving to Fiat would have been worth the hassle of ordering four of one and one of the other per car though?!

 

[robby71]

The RAC and AA now carry universal steel wheels/ tyres which are 16" and multi drilled so fit 90% of road cars.

I bought my car new last year and specified the space saver which i used several times as 1 tyre kept going flat (leaking hole where valve comes through) - as this meant fitting the temp wheel and driving slower and as it's illegal to use it for more than a "get you to garage/ home" i then bought a matching alloy off ebay which just sits in the boot well (doesn't sit flush but i can live with that) - at least if i get a flat miles from home/ garage i don't have to wait for breakdown van or use the gunk/ inflation system which most garages wont clean out to fix a puncture

 

[Avocet]

Yes, I've seen those AA / RAC "universal" temporary spares. I'm puzzled about the legality though. Certainly you can get a series of drillings so that with the aid of "wobble bolts" you can fit more hubs, but what do they do about different offsets? Also, different load ratings? When a car is type approved, they need to carry out braking tests with the temporary spare on each corner, fully laden, to make sure it stops (a) in a reasonably straight line and (b) within the permitted distance. I don't know how that can be done with a "universal" spare, unless they have really tested it with every make and model of car that it couild be fitted to!

 

[robby71]

Not sure what they do about the offset - maybe carry a selection of spacers? would also need to carry a selection of adapters for the centre bore?
I know they use ATS to change the tyres on the temp wheels so i guess they follow the car at a reduced speed to the nearest station?

 

[Burnerman]

Never knew those things existed! What happens if you have different diameter wheels to the 16".....tow in or something?
John

 

[AlanE]

From RAC:

Car manufacturers now find themselves under increasing pressure to reduce emissions, improve fuel efficiency and maximise space available to owners. One of the simplest ways for them to achieve these targets is to supply vehicles without a spare wheel as standard. Even though we are proud of our Patrols’ ability to fix four out of five breakdowns at the roadside, the rise of the puncture no-spare breakdown has led our technical team to develop an inventive solution to a modern phenomenon that seems to be here to stay.

The first port of call for all of our Breakdown Cover Patrols is to try and repair a puncture by plugging the hole, which has a 50% success rate. Where puncture repair is not successful, the next step would be to fit the spare wheel that came with the vehicle when it was sold. Even though this is a viable option when dealing with older cars, approximately half of all new vehicles do not come with a spare wheel. To overcome this problem we have developed a Universal Spare Wheel to help speed up fix time and minimise inconvenience for our members.

Developed with a specialist manufacturer partner, the five-stud, 17in lightweight alloy multi-fit wheel fits a high proportion of vehicles. In fact between January and October 2014 it was used over 30,000 times. While the five-stud universal wheel fits many of the new vehicles sold without a spare, we are also developing a four-stud wheel to fit a majority of those for which the five-stud version is not applicable – traditionally smaller cars like Fiestas and Fiat Puntos.

Where the Universal Spare Wheel is needed, our patrol will fit it swiftly and liaise with the nearest local approved tyre specialist on your behalf to find out what appropriate replacements are available. Payment can be taken at the roadside by the RAC patrol, ensuring you can drive straight to the tyre centre, or book a mobile fitting at your convenience. The RAC will then arrange collection of the spare wheel directly from the tyre centre, avoiding any further inconvenience for you.

And AA:

With close to a fifth (17%)* of AA members not having a spare wheel in their car, the AA is trialling a ‘universal’ spare wheel to allow members to continue their journey with minimal disruption.

The innovative wheel is the first of its kind in the UK and fits the majority of modern cars with a five-stud wheel. The 17” alloy uses a system of special adaptors of ten different sizes to find the best fit.

Punctures and other tyre-related issues are the AA’s second – after batteries – averaging 35,000 a month or more than one in ten breakdowns.

When the wheel is fitted, the car is subject to a 50 mph maximum speed restriction. It is for temporary use only.

The ‘universal’ spare offers a more convenient alternative by allowing you to drive to a local tyre depot yourself or continue your journey with the minimum of fuss

Convenience
Donald MacSporran, the AA’s head of technical, says: “Although punctures are thankfully rare for most drivers, you can’t beat the convenience of a spare wheel.

“If your car doesn’t have one, we can sometimes perform a temporary repair at the roadside or take the damaged wheel to a local tyre fitter but this can take time. The ‘universal’ spare offers a more convenient alternative by allowing you to drive to a local tyre depot yourself or continue your journey with the minimum of fuss.

“The patrol will reclaim the spare from the tyre depot or it gets couriered back to us after you’ve finished with it.”

The nationwide trial is the latest innovation by the UK’s biggest breakdown provider to further improve its ability to fix cars at the roadside. In the last 12 months alone, the AA has invested around £15 million in patrols’ training.

The wheel http://www.dynomec.co.uk/universal-spare-wheel.html

 

[Avocet]

Yeah, I spoke to them a while back. I think (and this is only a personal opinion based on reading the Construction and Use Regs) that what they're doing would be illegal on very recent cars, following a change in type approval legislation. As time goes by, I think it will be illegal to fit these to more and more cars as the ones for which they WERE legal reach the end of their working lives.

 

[Coaster]

better of in my opinion to buy a spare wheel n tools and do it yourself.. I think its a faff on otherwise

 

[Avocet]

Nowhere (literally!) to put one on my MPV.

 

[Steve]

My car has the electric handbrake where the spare wheel should go. Useful.

 

[Dave54]

I've only driven one car with an electric handbrake. It was OK, but I didn't quite get the point for someone who is able bodied, and I assume that cars modded for disabled folk have that sorted.
I recently watched the thing about "stuff" from the last century. Electric carving knives and so on. I was only half watching it. They drove a Mini though, and it made me remember how simple they were.
And they had a spare wheel!

 

[Burnerman]

.......and a battery box that shared the same boot space!
On the rare occasion when the dynamo could over charge the battery, the ensuing acid froth would happily rot the boot floor away. Bless!
Can you imagine having a crash in an original Mini, or am I being paranoid!
John

 

[Dave54]

Yes that's cleared the "rose tinted specs" John! I still liked them though, despite all their endearing traits. . .
"Fill the tank and check the rear subframe doesn't need replacing!"