Law regarding space saver wheels?

[ChinaTom]

This morning I saw a knackered old Previa with not one or even two, but THREE space saver wheels on it. That can't be lagal can it?Long shot this, but I also spotted SpottedLaurel walking past Barclays bank in Attleborough a few minutes later - I wonder if he saw it and snapped it?

[ashmicro]

Dunno about the legality, but I'd call spacesavers a waste of space.One was supplied with my Rover 25, and the dealer told me not to use it on the front. Apparently, if you get a flat on the front, you put one of the back wheels on the front, and the wasteofspace on the back. What a load of fannying about.Feck that, I went to my friendly scrappie and bought another Rover alloy of a different style but the same size as the rest of the wheels, and got a tyre lobbed on it.Can you imagine faffing about on the hard shoulder at the fast lane doing wheelchange combos?!?

[chester drawers]

This morning I saw a knackered old Previa with not one or even two, but THREE space saver wheels on it.

Apparently Ratlook is now falling out of favour with those who consider themselves hip (according to some of the more dubious motoring fashion magazines at least). Perhaps you witnessed the start of something new here. Suggestions as to what it might be called?

[Cavcraft]

Spac savers seem bollocks to me. MOT says you can have two different sizes of tyres on car as long as each axle has same size, so how the heck do spac savers become legal?Remember collecting a dirt cheap Cav GSi from eBay seller near Blackpool years back. Couldn't wait to drive it home and thrash the tits off it but it had a sodding spac saver wheel on the front

[Ratdat]

The dumbest thing about space savers, is where are you supposed to put the full size wheel you take off?

[mnde]

Hate them, they look WELL CARP, I wouldn't buy a car that had one of these instead of a proper spare, end of.Mark.

[Guest]

I ended up with a flat on the Mira and used the spacesaver. With it being 4WD I thought it would make it an awkward drive indeed, but it wasn't that bad really. Steering pulled a tiny bit to the left, but it was stable enough. I just kept at 30mph, left a good gap and took roundabouts steadily. They're only designed to get you home, obviously they're not as good as a fullsize spare, but they're not really worth getting angry about.

[Noam]

Had to use one of the Mrs' car years ago. It drove fine, but doing 50 mph on the M69 at midnight, when everyone else was doing 90, was terrifying. I'd see them tearing up behind me and only realising at the last minute quite how slow I was going, and pull out pretty sharpish.I was glad to get home...

[j-j]

Hate them, they look WELL CARP, I wouldn't buy a car that had one of these instead of a proper spare, end of.Mark.

LOL, but the GSA wheels look like space savers anyway!

[simmo]

I worked at a Peugeot dealers when the 104 S was realeased, with alloys, the spare wheels on these are mounted on a frame atop of the engine. For the spare to fit it in and close the bonnet it had to be deflated, a small compessor was supplied to blow it up when the spare was required. So many of these must of had their bonnets trashed when people fitted inflated tyres into the spare position.

[Pete-M]

According to the Audi handbook, if I fit a space saver to it I'll trash the 4wd system. Lovely. Good job it's got a full size spare then.I really don't like spaz savers.

[Guest]

Dad's Volvo 850AWD also has a very sensitive 4wd system, seemingly there have been examples of people using the spare tyre with just a couple mm more tread than the other three and the diff has irrepairably locked up. Which means a five-wheel rotation should be done every couple thousand miles to avoid expensive damage. Ballache to all but the most devoted owner (which my dad isn't)

[myglaren]

Dad's Volvo 850AWD also has a very sensitive 4wd system, seemingly there have been examples of people using the spare tyre with just a couple mm more tread than the other three and the diff has irrepairably locked up. Which means a five-wheel rotation should be done every couple thousand miles to avoid expensive damage. Ballache to all but the most devoted owner (which my dad isn't)

So it is necessary to replace all five tires at the same time?

[Guest]

Theoretically yes... however dad keeps a sixth wheel in the garage with a slightly lower profile tyre, and uses that as the spare when the tyres get below half worn. Though that way, you still have to swap the front pair onto the back periodically

[Cavcraft]

Dad's Volvo 850AWD also has a very sensitive 4wd system, seemingly there have been examples of people using the spare tyre with just a couple mm more tread than the other three and the diff has irrepairably locked up. Which means a five-wheel rotation should be done every couple thousand miles to avoid expensive damage. Ballache to all but the most devoted owner (which my dad isn't)

Ah yes, like the notorious Cav 4x4 system by the sound of it.Get a puncture and you can't replace one tyre you had to do the sodding lot because if they weren't all the same tread dpth the 4x4 system went doo-lally.

[fiatdaft]

also remember quite a few cars have different sized tyres on the front and rear axles.and my new abarth doesn't have a spare at all.

[Guest]

Dad's Volvo 850AWD also has a very sensitive 4wd system, seemingly there have been examples of people using the spare tyre with just a couple mm more tread than the other three and the diff has irrepairably locked up. Which means a five-wheel rotation should be done every couple thousand miles to avoid expensive damage. Ballache to all but the most devoted owner (which my dad isn't)

Ah yes, like the notorious Cav 4x4 system by the sound of it.Get a puncture and you can't replace one tyre you had to do the sodding lot because if they weren't all the same tread dpth the 4x4 system went doo-lally.

A resourceful part-worn tyres emporium could do quite well out of that! Replacing all the tyres at the same time is something they have to do over in Germany isn't it?

[CIH]

I don't mind space savers so much. Bloody moderns with Run Flats, or that tin of white oily EVIL that stinks and scraps the tyre.No good if the wheel is damaged, ofcourse. The number of BMeers that come-in on the back of a lorry for want of a spare....

[pompei]

Three years ago yesterday, The Ayotollah had a puncture in her car and I put the spare (space saver) on. That night she went into labour with the infant. Ambulance arrived to take her to hospital, whilst I took off in the space saver mobile with the stepson to her mum's, not daring to go over the recommended 50 mph. By the time I got to the hospital, the infant had his pipe and slippers on, such was the time I took.At least it got me out of the decision as to whether I should be present at the birth

[myglaren]

I was reading on another forum (SDMB) where a wheel & tyre had been damaged in a collision, other driver's fault, and if the insurance company would spring for four new tyres as they were all supposed to be renewed at the same time.Popular consensus was that they would pay for a part-worn one

[Father Ted]

and my new abarth doesn't have a spare at all.

Neither does my Zafira - I do however have a spare full sized wheel, but no where to stow it ( it comes on holiday in the trailer with us - but for local trips stays at home....)