Top Speed limit of the narrow Spacesaver wheel/tyre combination?

[Petrol Pete]

Just bought a spacesaver for Mrs B's Nissan, But I remember back in the day when some cars had the spare hung under the boot in a cradle. It was an accessory offered by Ford for the 100E Anglia/Popular range among others. It was a pig to put the wheel back in, due to the dead weight of the wheel, and you got filthy doing it, even if you wrapped the wheel up.

Or even earlier, when many pre-war (?) cars had a separate slide-in compartment under the boot for the spare, some models having a separate access panel/door.

Vauxhall Zafira (A) still like that, very common car so if someone needs new tyres they can simply bend the cage down on 4 separate Zafira's and 'hey presto' 4 brand new tyres already attached to 4 brand new wheels.
Vauxhall know about the problem and a fix is available but you have to pay for it.
I have heard stories of people in Zafiras getting a flat tyre only to discover their spare is missing and they have no idea when it was taken.
And its a messy job I agree, but I guess it was the only way to get the space for the 3rd row of seats to work.

 

[Petrol Pete]

Problem with those cars is - just where do you put the full size wheel with a puncture when you remove it - consider that your boot may be full and the punctured wheel may be wet and dirty .

Kind of problem Lamborghini and Ferrari (etc) drivers might have, vastly different width/diameter wheels front and back. Flat tyre = flat bed truck I guess ?

 

[Wolfie1]

I think a few years ago top gear did an experiment with space savers tyres putting 1 on at a time to see how the handling was effected and i recall correctly with 1 on handling wasnt really compromised, but with 3 and 4 it was really really scary

 

[Wolfie1]

Vauxhall Zafira (A) still like that, very common car so if someone needs new tyres they can simply bend the cage down on 4 separate Zafira's and 'hey presto' 4 brand new tyres already attached to 4 brand new wheels.
Vauxhall know about the problem and a fix is available but you have to pay for it.
I have heard stories of people in Zafiras getting a flat tyre only to discover their spare is missing and they have no idea when it was taken.
And its a messy job I agree, but I guess it was the only way to get the space for the 3rd row of seats to work.

New discovery just had a recall where folk were nicking the spare wheel from underneath, recall was an extra clamp put on the end of the cable and a big metal disc

 

[Petrol Pete]

New discovery just had a recall where folk were nicking the spare wheel from underneath, recall was an extra clamp put on the end of the cable and a big metal disc

Nice it was a recall paid for by the dealer. No such luck with Vauxhall.

 

[Wolfie1]

Yes it was, have done quite a few

 

[KeithJG]

Vauxhall Zafira (A) still like that, very common car so if someone needs new tyres they can simply bend the cage down on 4 separate Zafira's and 'hey presto' 4 brand new tyres already attached to 4 brand new wheels.
Vauxhall know about the problem and a fix is available but you have to pay for it.
I have heard stories of people in Zafiras getting a flat tyre only to discover their spare is missing and they have no idea when it was taken.
And its a messy job I agree, but I guess it was the only way to get the space for the 3rd row of seats to work.

I also have a Zafira `B` and miles better for reliability than these later Merc`s and also cheap to run. I use this for town or lorry work and the diesel V6 for long runs.

Mine doesn`t have the spare wheel either but to compensate there is a compressor pump in the side of the rear panels together with a tin of thingamy puncture repair?.....this is standard factory.

 

[PobodY]

New discovery just had a recall where folk were nicking the spare wheel from underneath, recall was an extra clamp put on the end of the cable and a big metal disc

Hyundai had a similar problem (and solution) with the Santa Fe and Tuscon IIRC. - Probably every car that has the tyre slung underneath like that.

The least sensible is probably on a Landcruiser (or similar). - How do you get the spare out to use as an anchor if the body of the car is sitting on it when it's bogged?
If you're taking it off-road the spare needs to be slung on the back door (or the roof) so that you can get at it.

 

[Petrol Pete]

Yes it was, have done quite a few

Ha ! so they must have fobbed my wife off when I sent her down to the dealers all those years ago. I knew I should have done it. We never had a spare stolen so it's all a bit academic now.

 

[Wolfie1]

Ha ! so they must have fobbed my wife off when I sent her down to the dealers all those years ago. I knew I should have done it. We never had a spare stolen so it's all a bit academic now.

Its land rover im meaning