I've noticed more and more vehicle manufacturers a not fitting a spare tyre to their cars and providing an emergency inflation kit. I've thought about going down this road as I'm running larger front calipers on the front the factory spare does not fit over it. Is this an avenue worth considering or should I be looking for a space saver from a GTR?
but What if you have a blow out, or split your tyre, You are rooted good in theory. less weight to carry.
Yeah thought about that possibility Max but in the 20 years I've been driving I've never had a catastrophic tyre failure. Actually I think I've had to change a flat tyre maybe twice.
As long as you are not going to venture to far off the beaten track then I don't see a real issue with no spare. Get a flat, try the magic fix in a can, if that doesn't work just call a tow truck With big brakes on the front & a stock spare you have to remove a rear wheel and fit the spare on there, then jack the front and put the rear wheel on the front - serious pain in the ass & if you have staggered wheels you may not even be able to turn very well. Starts making the call for a tow truck really easy LOL!
How much is a GTR space saver worth ? If reasonable I would keep the spare, it doesnt happen often but its nice to know you have the option. Hit a bad pot hole and wreck a rim, could ruin your day and if far from home can get expensive.
^ but if the spare doesn't fit...it's not going to save you from the pothole I think you may as well keep it. But that's me. It's not doing any harm, it has a designated hidey hole in the car that's not good for much else (and may even be supporting/strengthening the floor of your boot?), and the weight saving is pretty negligible.
Legally I believe if it comes with a spare you have to have one, practically around town use a can of tyre saver etc is more than sufficient as far as I am concerned however I am not anyone of any sway who can actually help if you end up in trouble for not having a spare
I know in Victoria if there is a spare wheel in the car it must be secured for the car to be roadworthy but if you just remove the spare wheel then that is perfectly legal as well. Up to the driver to consider the risks of having one or not, but if you've only got a 50% chance of it fitting because of bigger front brakes then you might as well save the weight a gain very very slight petrol savings and hp gains
If you have a big brake caliper clearance issue, then you might work around that with a bolt on wheel spacer and then use the factory space saver tyre. I have space saver and tyre seal in a can. Waiting for car makers to include these as spare tyres.
Thats called the tweel isnt it? Something like that? Havent heard much more of it since it was first shown..
I have a GTR spacesaver, I think I paid about $30 for it. If I blow out a front tyre, putting the rear wheel on the front/spacesaver on the back doesn't work for me. The rear wheels are wider and have different spoke design that doesn't clear big brakes (plus I cant imagine fitting a 10" wheel on the front with a 285 on it... would probably hit the upright).
Michelin tweed may have had stability problems and a tin shed startup developed a better design (Resilient has been acquired by Polaris)
I carry an emergency inflation kit instead with a can of green goo - (similar to what chrispy showed) Will do everything except a major tyre blowout - but if you have good tyres - this is almost a zero possibility. Has worked for me.
I remember looking this up a little while ago and I think in Qld if you carry a spare it has to be roadworthy but you can also not carry a spare. How many people still have a good condition spacesaver after 20 years anyway? Most I have seen are rock hard and probably not good fore anything let alone 80km/h. And then how many of you actually bother to check the air in it when you're at the servo (in a 2+2)? I'm planning to run without it and just have a can of goo instead. Another thing to think about, didn't one of the mods (sanouske I think?) cook the diff in one of his other cars running a spacesaver on the rear? I can't imagine it would be very good on the vlsd especially with the vast majority of us running larger diameter wheels than stock too.
