Spare wheels

[laserblazer]

My wife is driving her second Nissan Note. It's a nice car with a very high spec. and it is around the largest that will comfortably fit in the garage. The plan is to replace it early next year but I've just been looking at the new models and they don't have a spare wheel, just a can of fixit foam. Seems that the Micra is the only Nissan that still has a spare. What's the team's views on not having a spare?

[featured_spectre]

Every car I have purchased has a spare, a blow out or a puncture can happen, and its more of a hassle not having the spare (I can change a wheel on a car in around 5 mins - if that), and generally...easier to have and not need it, than need and not have it.

[sippo]

With new cars a spare wheel is an extra option.

[MrMat]

Alot of modern cars these days don't have them as standard.

 

It really doesn't bother me to be honest. If i have a blow out at speed then the last thing on my mind will be my spare wheel, and if only get a little puncture then the filler should be enough to get me where i need to go or somewhere to get it sorted.

 

In my 6 -7 years of driving I've never had a puncture so long may that continue!

[jonawd]

Personally, I've always had a spare, and would not want to live without it...

That said, if you only travel locally and have decent breakdown cover it might be less of a concern.

 

I do a lot of rural driving and don't fancy getting a puncture and not being able to fix it on a single track road.

 

From what I understand, using the foam renders the tire useless too, which could make the whole experience expensive very quickly.

[synaesthesia]

I can't stand the idea of the foam, it does indeed render the tyre useless, whereas putting in the boot and replacing it with a spare (or even a space saver) it can be fully repaired and used until the tread is below legal limits. Once it's got that crap in it, it's useless.

Won't be buying anything without a full size spare personally.

[MrMat]

Actually according to the manufacturer (Holts Tyreweld, as its one of the most popular choices):

 

[h=4]Features[/h]

• Seals and inflates punctured tyres instantly.
  
• Water based latex formula does not damage tyre.
  
• Formula can be washed out using warm water prior to tyre repair.
  
• Eliminates the need for immediate tyre change.
  

 

Source

[Sunnyknight]

A lot of companies now just give run flats (50mph max & 50 mile max) tyres.

 

You know what I've said to every car we bought?

 

Give us the same type of tyre and the correct size. e.g. Continental SC2's (and the size which has escaped me).

 

Obviously for various cars the tyre sizes are different, so a median for the tyre size would be optimal.

 

Do not, get, foam.

 

Get the damn tyre!

[synaesthesia]

What good is the foam crap when you've got something more than a screw in your tyre - blowouts indeed.

[unixman_again]

Smart Four Twos don't have them either, for two reasons I think. The car isn't big enough to carry a spare and the front wheels are a different size to the rear. When I was thinking about buying one, the dealer said they would throw in a years RAC membership. I think most new cars have that in any case. It was part of the deal when I bought my new Kia.

[Stone_Charli]

I have one of those foam can things in my Mini... I managed to drive into a kerb and slash the tyre, in which case it was completely useless. Personally I'd feel a lot safer if I had a spare.

[laserblazer]

I have one of those foam can things in my Mini... I managed to drive into a kerb and slash the tyre, in which case it was completely useless. Personally I'd feel a lot safer if I had a spare.

 

This is my fear. We were in the Northumbria National Park last week. No phone signal, very little traffic and lots of potholes. Chances are, we'd have been stuck for hours without a spare.

[CAM]

I don't like anything short of a full-size spare. Ran one on my Astra for a few years until I could be bothered to put the old tyre back on (MOT centre at the dealer was being picky about size even though the car had passed 5 years of tests elsewhere, never went back to them).

[plexer]

A different size tyre on an a side is an mot failure simple, a space saver should only be on for a short period of time.

 

Ben

[pcstru]

Lots of things can go wrong with a car - I've had more windscreens go in the last 20 years than I've had punctures but not carrying a spare windscreen has never bothered me. The one puncture I have had I could have used foam or if I had to wait for a breakdown service - that's just life.

[CAM]

A different size tyre on an a side is an mot failure simple, a space saver should only be on for a short period of time.

 

Ben

 

It only failed because I went to the dealer instead of the garage that normally did that car's MOT. Wherever the usual garage did their testing they didn't seem to care or notice (bearing in mind the car had full checkups before each test). Either way full size spare saved having to go out and get another tyre.

[GPT123]

I had a highspeed blowout a couple of years ago late at night, there is no foam that would have sealed that hole! So glad I had a (space-saver) spare as I didn't have a phone signal at that place..... Suggest you buy a spare.

[MrMat]

It only failed because I went to the dealer instead of the garage that normally did that car's MOT. Wherever the usual garage did their testing they didn't seem to care or notice (bearing in mind the car had full checkups before each test). Either way full size spare saved having to go out and get another tyre.

 

Sounds to me like the dealer did things properly. As Plexer mentioned, mismatching tyres is an MOT fail (generally speaking, there are exceptions).

 

Besides that, it's just a bit silly. Your tyres are the only contact points with the ground, they're the only things keeping you on the road. Mismatching tyre sizes (and brands for that matter) equals mismatching levels of grip, fine for tootling around town but not so good for an emergency stop.

Edited August 19, 2014 by MrMat

[laserblazer]

Lots of things can go wrong with a car - I've had more windscreens go in the last 20 years than I've had punctures but not carrying a spare windscreen has never bothered me. The one puncture I have had I could have used foam or if I had to wait for a breakdown service - that's just life.

 

If you are stuck in the middle of nowhere with no phone signal and your windscreen goes, you can always carry on until you can call for help. If you get a blow-out, your stuffed. I've just sent emails to all of the major manufacturers asking if they provide spares. That should reduce the shortlist.

[laserblazer]

I just found this list of cars that come with spares. Amazingly, only 23% of Landrovers and if you want to replace the foam can on a Vauxhall it will cost you £50!

 

Which cars come with spare tyres? - Punctures and car tyre repair - Car tyres - Driving your car - Which? Car

[CAM]

Sounds to me like the dealer did things properly. As Plexer mentioned, mismatching tyres is an MOT fail (generally speaking, there are exceptions).

 

Besides that, it's just a bit silly. Your tyres are the only contact points with the ground, they're the only things keeping you on the road. Mismatching tyre sizes (and brands for that matter) equals mismatching levels of grip, fine for tootling around town but not so good for an emergency stop.

 

I'm not talking sticking a 16" tyre on the car when everything else is 18" or something silly like that. I'm talking the codes on the tyre were off by one number. You wouldn't be able to tell unless you got down and read the black on black embossed text on the side of the tyre. They were practically the same size, only the text on the side was different.

 

Besides, I was more annoyed that the dealer supplied the tyres with the car in the first place and didn't find out in their supposed pre-sales check. And to top it off the previous owner was one of their mechanics!

[jonawd]

Im riding mis-matched wheels on my Land Rover Discovery at the moment. I got a puncture on one of my Summer wheels over the weekend, and my spare is a winter/offroad wheel.

So I've currently got 3x 19" 'Summer' Wheels, and 1x 18" Full Offroad Wheel until I get the other one repaired.

 

Still, glad I had a spare wheel!