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Spare Wheel - Necessary?

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Gene Hunt:
A space saver will get you home were as with the can of gunk if there is damge to the tyre the gunk won't always seal it as a mate of mine found out.

Teutonic_Tamer:

--- Quote from: rdfcpete on June 21, 2009, 01:39:26 pm ---
--- Quote from: JPC on June 21, 2009, 09:52:43 am ---...basically you wont catch me changing a wheel on the hard shoulder, anywhere!

is that selfish or the best way to think?

--- End quote ---

Jay, I agree 100%.

I know that my breakdown cover states though that if I call them out for a puncture or tyre fault, a spare or space saver MUST be present, or they charge you extra for a replacement tyre on top of the call out fee.
--- End quote ---

So how would that work for cars which have NO normal spare or NO space saver?  My RS4 has neither - just a can of gloop and a 12V compressor in the boot.  You need to kindly point out to your brakedown company that they have an unlawful term in their T&Cs.

rdfcpete:
I really don't know what the 'consumer right' implications are matey, if I remember correctly it states that though. If I'm able to, I'll scan that T&C in and show you the image. The reason being I guess, every 17/18/19 year old girl/lad wouldn't have a clue how to use the spare/space saver and thus, would incur fee's and call outs each and every time they had a flat or a puncture. I would imagine it's a nice little earner if they charge extra for such a service. Obviously for every one driver with a puncture that's incapable of changing a lightly punctured tyre, there's five people with a blown head gasket, flat engine battery or blown ignition coil...

I'm with a company called AutoAid. They're very good, very cheap and operate a function where you pay the necessary fees upfront, then claim them back once you've been recovered etc. It's only about £35 a year iirc. I'm certainly not aware of them being their own recovery/breakdown company in their own right anyway, unless it's changed since I first took cover out with them.

Many performance cars don't carry a spare, the RS Clio 182's for example, because the exhaust pipes run through the lower boot. If you could prove that your car doesn't have a spare/space saver, I wouldn't think for a minute they would query a claim.

Teutonic_Tamer:
Pete, you make valid points.  However, if they did try and specifically place a blanket clause regarding no spare wheel - then they are on very thin ice - which was what I was trying to highlight.  :happy2:

Norbreck21a:
Guys, on a slightly different but related topic, I have been considering ditching the space saver in favour of a full sized spare (either an alloy or steelie). I once drove my Golf with the space saver on the nearside rear on a wet motorway, and it scared the sh1t out of me. When changing lanes the car felt all over the place.

With this in mind, i've been on a lookout for a fleabay special. As my car is fitted with 18's and 225/50/18 F1's, one of those would obvioulsy not fit in the boot, so I was thinking about either a 15" (with 195/65/15) or a 16" with a 205/55/16 tyre. My question is what is the minimum size I can get away with on my oil burner GT TDi ? It's a 140ps version and has the standard discs which at the front I believe are 288mm ? (not the 312mm of the GTI or GT 170).

Anyone know ? Thanks.

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