Spare wheels | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

Wed 29 Oct 2014 18:32

Spare wheels - ian reeve

Your recent video clip showing how easy it is using a tyre repair kit instead of changing the punctured tyre with a spare wheel completely ignored the biggest disadvantages, apart from what you have to do in the many cases when the sealant not work you failed to mention that once the sealant has been used it is very very hard to get any garage to clean out your tyre to fix your puncture so instead of a £10 repair it will cost you a new tyre. There's progress !

Edited by ian reeve on 29/10/2014 at 18:33

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Wed 29 Oct 2014 18:43

Spare wheels - Bolt

Not seen it myself,but you usually have to buy a spacesaver if you are not happy with repair kit.(dont know many that use or keep them) I threw mine away because I`ve seen what they do to tyre and wheel

Idea is to save weight and cost but I would rather have a standard wheel/tyre personally

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Wed 29 Oct 2014 18:49

Spare wheels - Andrew-T

Idea is to save weight and cost but I would rather have a standard wheel/tyre personally.

So would I. The main reason is that all but the smallest cars now have huge fat wheels that eat into the boot space much more than they used to. And of course flat tyres are a fairly rare occurrence - it's a trade-off of one convenience for another.

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Wed 29 Oct 2014 19:07

Spare wheels - Happy Blue!

I would say that on average, the wife and I suffer a puncture every four years each. I cannot recall anything other than a screw or nail causing the hole and in each occasion it wss possible to keep enough air in the tyre to get to a tyre repair shop. Last changed a tyre at the side of the road about seven years ago at least.

Have never needed to use the gunk in the can.

Am I happy about it? No, but unless I ws travelling overseas with the car I am reasonably comfortable with the situation.

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Wed 29 Oct 2014 19:32

Spare wheels - Wackyracer

The video seems bias towards to the repair kit due to the time it took to change the wheel as opposed to using the repair kit.

I can change a wheel much quicker than the 15minutes it took him.

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Wed 29 Oct 2014 20:52

Spare wheels - Smileyman

Also, a distress purchase of a tyre is always more expensive than a planned purchase having researched brand and price.

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Wed 29 Oct 2014 20:55

Spare wheels - galileo

The video seems bias towards to the repair kit due to the time it took to change the wheel as opposed to using the repair kit.

I can change a wheel much quicker than the 15minutes it took him.

A few months ago I had two punctures in the same week (courtesy of the builders who seem to be permanently extending houses in our road and strew screws around the tarmac).

Being blessed with a full size alloy spare neither caused me great inconvenience other than the £10 each repair cost.

I will never buy car which only has a can of goo and / or a pump. Totally useless for sidewall damage or major holes.

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Wed 29 Oct 2014 21:05

Spare wheels - Bolt

A few months ago I had two punctures in the same week (courtesy of the builders who seem to be permanently extending houses in our road and strew screws around the tarmac).

I will never buy car which only has a can of goo and / or a pump. Totally useless for sidewall damage or major holes.

I had 4 in a month last september because of builders screws including 6" roof nail went through sidewall, each puncture was close to or on sidewall so had to buy new tyres

I thought all cars now had goo & pump,unless you bought the spacesaver?

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Wed 29 Oct 2014 21:27

Spare wheels - Wackyracer

I wonder how many people actually maintain their spare wheel? I checked and topped up my tyre pressures tonight, Including the spare.

I always check the spare when doing the tyre pressures, Except on one of the cars with an underslung wheel designed to be stored with the valve upwards(great design there) and in this case it gets a good poke on the sidewall and if it feels softer than a roadwheel I drop it and pump it up.

If it is an underslung spare, I always remove it during servicing to clean and lubricate the release mechanism as well as check the spare.

It is surprising the amount of people who get punctures and then find their spare cannot be removed due to a rusted up release mechanism or that the spare is flat or not safe to use.

Edited by Wackyracer on 29/10/2014 at 21:34

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Wed 29 Oct 2014 21:45

Spare wheels - RT

I'm fortunate to have a cheap Hyundai Santa Fe - which gets a full-size matching alloy spare - I've included the spare in the regular rotation pattern.

I won't buy a car that doesn't have proper storage space for a full-size spare AND either comes as standard with such a spare OR can have one as an option, any extra cost being added to the car price for comparison with others.

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Wed 29 Oct 2014 23:12

Spare wheels - Andrew-T

I always check the spare when doing the tyre pressures, Except on one of the cars with an underslung wheel designed to be stored with the valve upwards(great design there) and in this case it gets a good poke on the sidewall and if it feels softer than a roadwheel I drop it and pump it up.

My 205 has an underslung spare which I store with valve downwards so I can clip the pump on with a bit of contortion. At least I don't have to drop the wheel. But I haven't had to use it in anger for many many years ....

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Wed 29 Oct 2014 21:50

Spare wheels - Avant

I was surprised at the video (in case you haven't seen it, it's in HJ's newsletter which is free to sign up to): it started off well but at the end Mark Nichol implied that the repair kit would always inflate the tyre.

There must be a sizeable percentage of punctures where the damage to the tyre is too extensive for it to work. As mentioned above, but not in the video, even if it does work most tyre shops won't repair a tyre inflated by the gunk. And the increased call-outs to the emergency services will result no doubt in even higher subscriptions.

With wheels so much wider than they used to be, I can accept the need for a space-saver. VAG probably get it about right with a spare standard on VWs and Audis, and a cheap optional extra on Skodas and SEATs.

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Wed 29 Oct 2014 23:01

Spare wheels - Bolt

Dont forget the tyre pressure sensor as well(where fitted) could be ruined using goo

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Wed 29 Oct 2014 23:22

Spare wheels - bathtub tom

I've recently bought a newish car with gloop and compressor in the boot. I was surprised to see the gloop should be renewed every three years. Instructions also state the glooped tyre should not be used for more than sixty miles and then a new tyre purchased!

I coughed up for a space saver and jack kit, although I don't know where you put the punctured wheel as it won't fit the boot well.

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