Space Saver

[Tannaton]

Originally Posted by chrisfr

Just on the note of skinny spares, a different poster on another thread made a point that if you got a puncture on a front wheel you should swap one of the rear tyres for the punctured front and put the skinny spare on the rear. Maybe you all know that and I apologise if you do, but i thought it a good point.

Hmmmmm don’t agree with that advice at all.... I would rather have a car prone to understeer than oversteer. Whilst a FWD car may behave oddly with a space saver on the front - that just serves as a reminder that it’s a get you home spare and not to go above 50mph and drive gently. Any suggestion that having it on the front will damage the differential is unfounded.

[Ian21401]

Daughter has 2011 XC70 D5 2.4. Front left puncture of nearly new Nokian a while ago. (something through the sidewall ). Fortunately only a couple of miles from home. Supplied space saver fitted. Car handled like a drunken camel with three legs. So much so that we ordered a cheap full size omni-directional tyre locally and fitted it until a new Nokian arrived.
I do not know how she would have managed if she had had the caravan in tow and miles from anywhere. So called "Space Savers" should really be named "Waste of Spacers"
The load area is already fully occupied by a bespoke crash proof dog transit box.
I'm now trying to source a reasonable condition used full size wheel to fit the "spare" tyre on but not sure where to stow it.

[Tatsfield]

If you come up with a good idea, let us all know. I hate the space saver nearly as much as the "no spare just a can of gunk" system that the car originally had!

[Tannaton]

Originally Posted by Ian21401

Daughter has 2011 XC70 D5 2.4. Front left puncture of nearly new Nokian a while ago. (something through the sidewall ). Fortunately only a couple of miles from home. Supplied space saver fitted. Car handled like a drunken camel with three legs. So much so that we ordered a cheap full size omni-directional tyre locally and fitted it until a new Nokian arrived.
I do not know how she would have managed if she had had the caravan in tow and miles from anywhere. So called "Space Savers" should really be named "Waste of Spacers"

They are a get you home spare, limited to 50 mph. If you stay under that, keep both hands on the wheel and use sensible level of throttle they are "acceptable". If towing a caravan I would probably keep the speed even lower.

So whilst they are not ideal, they're infinitely better than waiting 3 hours for the AA and a night in a Travel Lodge whilst they get you a new tyre at x2 the cost.

[Tatsfield]

Originally Posted by Tannaton

So whilst they are not ideal, they're infinitely better than waiting 3 hours for the AA and a night in a Travel Lodge whilst they get you a new tyre at x2 the cost.

But nowhere as good as a ready to go full size spare that lets you not only complete your journey but allows you to continue to use the car for as long and as much as if you'd never had a flat tyre. And all for a foolish design in the load compartment underspace. The concept that a simple puncture should write off the tyre because you filled it with the only option gunk is more than bloody stupid. Before Ford, did Volvo not supply a full size spare?

[Tannaton]

Originally Posted by Tatsfield

But nowhere as good as a ready to go full size spare that lets you not only complete your journey but allows you to continue to use the car for as long and as much as if you'd never had a flat tyre. And all for a foolish design in the load compartment underspace. The concept that a simple puncture should write off the tyre because you filled it with the only option gunk is more than bloody stupid. Before Ford, did Volvo not supply a full size spare?

Ford introduced many stupid cost cutting measures.... but this is not one of them. My 1989 440 Turbo had a space saver...

[Tatsfield]

It wasn't a space saver that infuriated me, it was the only option can of gunk stored in a spare wheel shaped recess in the under floor space! And the gunk destroys the tyer in which it is sued!. I wanted to buy a full size spare but it doesn't fit in the recess and so I have settled for the space saver. I cannot believe that in the depths of winter Swedes in the far north of their country rely on either of these two deficient methods of dealing with a flat tyre. I'm still looking for a reasonable way of storing a full size spare.

[Ian21401]

A space saver is, and always was, a stupid idea and a can of gunk is even more stupid. Modern cars are laden with computer monitored clever ideas, stability control, hill descent, sport or comfort modes, blind spot warning, parking assist, 360 degree cameras, autonomous parking. All very clever and possibly useful, depending on you point of view, but not really essential to keep you going.

[Teilo1979]

I managed to get a space saver from a pre 08 XC70 and I got a spigot ring to take up the centre bore difference.

Test fitted it and all is good, hopefully I'll never need it but I'm sure if I do, it will be more than adequate to get me too safety.

Terry

[Steff79]

Good news Teilo.

I managed to find a '14 space saver complete with the foam bit in the middle, jack, brace etc for £40 from a gent on Gumtree. I thought the fact that he is in Dorset and I'm in Manchester might be an issue but a courier was only £10.

So £50 all in for the complete package. Pretty happy with that