Vauxhall Tigra B CC (2004 - ) - 08 1.8 - lack of spare wheel

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Fri 20 Jun 2008 16:23
08 1.8 - lack of spare wheel - John S
Mrs S has just bought a new Tigra with 17" pentaline alloys. For some reason this car (and Corsas with the same wheel option) comes with no spare wheel or jack - just a can of 'get you home' goo. I can see no logical reason for this - other Tigra and Corsa models with different wheels have either normal or space saver spares. The overall wheel diameter is the same as other models and doesn't preclude use of the spare wheel well for the displaced road wheel. I'm inclined to look for a Vauxhall breaker and buy a spare wheel, jack etc. Before I do, can anyone think of a logical reason for this decision by Vauxhall? I am mystified.

JS

Edited by Webmaster on 21/06/2008 at 01:12

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Fri 20 Jun 2008 19:28
08 1.8 Tigra - lack of spare wheel - Victorbox
They seem to have worked out that a can of goo is cheaper than a wheel & tyre. Obviously it saves weight as well. I notice most new Zafiras no longer have the cage to hold a spare wheel under the rear like my 2006 one does although I seem to recall you get a small air compressor built in and a can of goo in case of a flat.
Possibly better from a space angle to get one of those blow up jacks that plug into the exhaust & inflate along a section of the sill avoiding the damage that a metal jack can cause.
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Fri 20 Jun 2008 21:39
08 1.8 Tigra - lack of spare wheel - topbloke
i work at the dealers and we cant understand why the spare is missing (other than cost) the zafira still has the space under the vehicle for the spare just no carrier (the bad press from having the spare stolen thanks crimewatch did not help the cause) so it dont make no sense !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Sat 21 Jun 2008 10:31
08 1.8 Tigra - lack of spare wheel - John S
Thanks guys. I understand why the makers might 'delete' spare wheels (cost, weight etc) but am mystified why it appears to be limited to one particular wheel option on Tigra B and Corsa D models. Oddly, and in complete contrast, they've now started offering a 'full size' spare as an option on the Astra H , which I'd have gone for if it had been available last year when I bought mine. Inconsistent or what? I'd be grateful for even a space saver with the Tigra.

JS
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Sun 22 Jun 2008 19:42
08 1.8 Tigra - lack of spare wheel - Brit_in_Germany
Could the problem be that steel and alloy wheels need different fixing bolts? Rather than risking customers fitting the spare with the wrong bolts and then blaming Vauxhall for the damage, they have taken the easy option and binned the spare.
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Sun 22 Jun 2008 19:54
08 1.8 Tigra - lack of spare wheel - John S
Good thought, but that isn't the problem. Vauxhall regularly use steel spare wheels on cars with alloys and the same fixing bolts are used for both. On the Tigra the other alloy wheel options come with a steel spare, it's just the 17inch pentalines that don't.

JS
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Mon 7 Jul 2008 00:31
08 1.8 Tigra - lack of spare wheel - lockman
At least you know before you buy. A new Meriva comes with only the goo now but 6 months ago my new Meriva came with a full size spare and steel wheels (not alloy and not spacesaver) all round -except the spare was a different steel wheel that the hubcaps wouldnt fit on so it cost me £50 for a matching one -no help from Vauxhall there..
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Tue 8 Jul 2008 20:37
08 1.8 - lack of spare wheel - John S
For what it's worth this is where I've got so far.....
E-mail to Vx customer services asking the question. Got a reply which said our model of Tigra 'couldn't use a jack because of the body kit' Oh, dear. Total rubbish. Our car is identical to all the other models, doesn't have a body kit, and there's no problem accessing the jacking points.

Advised Vx of this error on their part. Reply? Oh, yes, you're right, sorry about that. The problem is there's no space in the spare wheel well for a spare wheel. Wrong again. Only this one model doesn't have a spare wheel, but it's got the same chassis and spare wheel well, full up with a honeycomb spacer and a tray holding the get-you-home kit. Wheel OD is the same as all the other models, so no reason a spare can't be carried.

Advised Vx of this error on their part. Reply? Oh, yes, you're right, sorry about that. It may be that you'd have problems putting the original wheel in the well.

No, I'm not going to tell Vauxhall again that the wheel is effectively the same OD on all Tigra models....

Hardly fills you with confidence does it? Oh, well, ring the breakers to try to get the bits I need - luckily Corsa C bits should do it.

JS
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Sun 27 Apr 2014 14:17
08 1.8 - lack of spare wheel - jonash99

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The answer is quite simple the 17" wheel with 45 profile will not fit into the spare wheel well, diameter is slightly larger. Moreover to my cost I just discovered that a 15" rim with a 60 profile tyre wont fit into the aperture either, perhaps a 14"/70 will or maybe a 13". But even if they do you have the problem of where to store the wheel you removed, fine if you are on your own with no luggage but...

Triumph of styling over common sense.

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Sun 27 Apr 2014 21:04
08 1.8 - lack of spare wheel - MrEckerslikefromRamsbottom

A car with no spare is no good to me... I set off from the traffic lights in the middle of Bolton last month and Bang! A sharp steel spike through the side-wall of a back tyre. And it made two holes in the inner sidewall! I have a full size spare and scissors jack and a telescopic wheel wrench, so I had the spare on in ten minutes. No cans of goo would have got me out of that one! And I picked up the spike so's it wouldn't go in any one else's tyre!

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