Do you carry a spare wheel?

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Reading these posts, it struck me that in over 40 years of motoring I've never actually used a spare. I wouldn't dream of travelling without one though.
Guess what's going to happen to me now that I've made this comment?
 
In the boot of my people carrier I have
1 Trolley jack
1 Axle stand
2 Wheel braces
1 plug in air compressor
1 full size spare wheel underneath

Apart from planned wheel changes never used any of it, spare wheel never been out in 10 years lol
 
I had a puncture 5-6 years ago on M25.

I have breakdown cover, but being a single male travelling alone, I would not have been a priority for roadside assistance, could have been waiting a couple of hours.

10 minutes to change the wheel and I was back on my way, no need to call work to say I'd be late.

Granted, that is the only time I've ever needed the spare in nearly 40 years, but the point is the convenience of being able to do things under your own steam.

It's not that you can't get help, it's just, how long will it take to get there?
 
I reckon you must be right, I was just looking at the trip readout for average mpg but on reflection there are lots of factors at play there!

It came with a little compressor that plugs into the cigarette lighter, which is good - it means I can pump up my other tyres without having to go to the petrol station and pay a quid.
Not sure that that little compressor will stand up to being used all the time. Likely to fail when you need it most.

I tested mine, made sure it worked and put it back in the boot. 50p/£1 to pump tyres up now and again is no big deal.

Get a small digital pressure test them before putting money in the petrol station compressor and you will save even more.

I have a 'full blown' compressor at home that I use...but I don't take it in the back of my car everywhere I go ! So I use petrol stations sometimes, but I always double check the pressure with a separate gauge.
 
I have tyre weld and a pump dont even think a spare would fit in my estate floor space.if i get a puncture I'll phone breakdown if its beyond my capabilities.
 
Not sure that that little compressor will stand up to being used all the time. Likely to fail when you need it most.

I tested mine, made sure it worked and put it back in the boot. 50p/£1 to pump tyres up now and again is no big deal.

Get a small digital pressure test them before putting money in the petrol station compressor and you will save even more.

I have a 'full blown' compressor at home that I use...but I don't take it in the back of my car everywhere I go ! So I use petrol stations sometimes, but I always double check the pressure with a separate gauge.


Me too i have a draper guage it won an award in motorbike mag for accuracy cannot trust garage guages with the abuse them get.
 
When I got my car there wasn't a spare in the boot, so I've got myself a spacesaver that fits in the space under the boot. Those things are heavy! I understand many/most new cars no longer come with a spare to help their MPG figures and I can kind of understand that now, I've noticed an immediate drop since fitting the spare.

It got me wondering how many people do actually carry one around with them all the time - do you? I have never had a puncture or blow-out but still feel very uneasy about being stuck somewhere out of the way with no spare, I guess it's likely to happen at some point. On the other hand, I have AA cover so although there would be some hassle it wouldn't really be the end of the world. Until that happens, I'm going to be paying a fair bit to cart that wheel around...

I always carry a full size spare ; have had many punctures down the years , once punctured both nearside tyres ( along with others stopped nearby on the A9 near Dunkeld , where we found a load of nails scattered along the side of the road ) and always was thankful of having a spare wheel , since my W114 only carried one spare wheel I had to find a phone box and phone home for another wheel - long before mobile phones .

My Ponton , along with other cars of the era , carried TWO spare wheels , one at each side of the boot .

I wouldn't even consider any vehicle with no spare wheel , and not interested in waiting somewhere potentially dangerous for perhaps a couple of hours when I can change a wheel in 10 minutes or less .

If your car doesn't have space to carry a proper full size spare , where are you going to put your flat in the event of a puncture ? If it does , why would you carry anything else ?

The AA cover will cost more than the minuscule difference in fuel consumption .
 
My W204 came with a space saver.

I replaced it with a full size spare.

It is worth noting that on the W204 the space saver does not really save any space, because it sits in a cavity under the boot floor the size of a full spare. The actual amount of space 'saved' is barely enough for storing a couple of fibre cloths....

I don't measure MPG, but as above - I doubt that adding the weight of a 6-years old child or a suitcase will have such a dramatic effect on on fuel consumption. If this was the case, than with 5 adults (additional 200-300Kg) and luggage (additional 30-50Kg) the car would have the MPG of a Hammer...

Ditto my S203 - first thing after buying the car was to get a proper spare wheel .
 
No room for spare in mine as it's taken up with the Adblue tank.

I cannot remember the last time I needed a spare it must be many many years.


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Depends on your mileage , and where you drive . I do upwards of 50K/annum , all over the country and all times of day/night .

I guess punctures occur one every 2-3 years .

I tend to put four premium tyres on my road wheels , and a budget tyre of same size on the spare - good enough to get home and use until punctured tyre is repaired or replaced - much safer than a space saver .
 
My W201 had a full sized spare wheel which I carried around for 21 years without needing to use it so I understand the point being made. Then impact on performance and fuel economy must be small but would have added up over 21 years.

Had I ever needed to use it should I have trusted 21 year old rubber. It certainly looked sound having never been exposed to UV. In hind sight it should have been rotated which incidently is one use for a spare wheel. You can't easily diy rotate at all
without a spare to act as a temporary substitute.


My W204 has a space saver which probably won't get used either.

As for worrying about whether to carry a spare, I don't have a choice on my motorcycle which I've ridden for 10 years without getting a puncture. I don't even carry a spare tube or worry about what might happen if I do get a puncture. These things happen so infrequently that the worrying can be done if and when it happens.

I had a puncture on my bike once , managed to slow safely then used the emergency phone at the side of the motorway to get my mother to come out with the trailer and recover me .

My pal who had scooters smugly showed me the spare under the rear cowl on his Lambretta :D

I've had plenty of punctures down the years , and with poorer road maintenance combined with lower profile tyres ( danger of hitting potholes lurking under water ) the risks of punctures are arguably greater than ever .
 

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