Compact spare tire

[Last TR]

Has anyone found a compact or spacesaver spare to fit our cars? Not sure I'm ready to give up carrying a spare, but would like a little more space in the boot.

Ken Morton
Anchorage, Alaska

1980 TR8, 1973 TR6, 1965 Volvo PV544, 1958 MGA, Jeep Cherokees

[Orange Rag]

That's an interesting idea!
The problem would be the odd bolt pattern on the tr7.
I've got the rack but I've never had a need to use it, I guess I travel light.

[gaz]

I suppose this would work:
http://bit.ly/1qYKcfY

...and use this site to find the correct tyre size for the same rolling circumference:
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/tirecalc.php

www.classiccarrunblackpool.co.uk

1981 DHC 2.0 Litre
1980 DHC pedal car
1982 DHC TR-ailer in the making

[Hasbeen]

I can't see much point. All you would get is the small round space above the tyre, above the boot floor.

I had a space saver in my Ford/Mercury Capri when I bought it, & there was meant to be a filler piece between it & the boot floor. This had been lost, & the boot floor had collapsed into the space.

This spacer was not available anywhere new or used, so I had to buy a proper spare to support that floor, to make the boot useful.

Hasbeen

[Odd]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> I suppose this would work: http://bit.ly/1qYKcfY <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
That one would be ~2.4% off in rolling radius compared to the original 185/70-13. So, being slightly smaller it would
put a wear load on the differential if used for longer than shortest possible... I personally would like one of those
- and then build a tools/spares box filling the void <u>inside</u> and <u>above</u> the space saver...

I wonder <u>exactly</u> which year MGF had that space saver spare? All the ones I've seen over here have a normal
(but steel rimmed) spare tire (or just a tire-in-a-can)... Anyone?

<font color="red"><b>My two 1980 Wedges...</b></font id="red">

[busheytrader]

If you rely on the tyre-in-a-can route in the UK, make sure you have AA / RAC membership with recovery.

Our MX5 has this and both the AA and Mazda dealership recommend against its use even if you're only a couple of miles away from home........ basically there's low to no confidence that it'll work properly on the move.

There is a spare wheel shaped recess in the boot floor....... for a spare wheel. It adds about 5% of not very useful boot space. Great fun to drive though if I had the chance at the weekend.

Adam



TR7 V8 DHC Jaguar Solent Blue. 9.35cr Range Rover V8, Holley 390cfm, JWR Dual Port, 214 Cam, Lumention, Tubular Manifolds, S/S Single Pipe Exh, 3.08 Rear, 200lb Spax & PolyBushes all round, Anti- Dive, Strut-Top Roller Bearings, Capri Vented Discs & Calipers, Braided Hoses, 4 Speed Rear Cylinders, Uprated Master Cylinder & Servo, AT 14" 5 Spokes or Maestro Turbo 15" Alloys, Cruise Lights, S/S Heater Pipes, Replacement Fuel Tank. No Door Stickers. Mine since July 1986, V8 from 1991 courtesy of S&S V8 conversion and big brake kits.

[john 215]

Hi,

Wondered about this myself, a standard wheel wont clear my discs and calliper's on the DHC, so often thought about a MGF / TF space saver, same stud pattern as we know. Trouble with space savers in a small car is where the hell do you put the wheel you have taken off, when fully loaded, I guess the missus can always walk or phone herself a cab [:p]


Cheers John


LIVE LIFE A QUARTER OF A MILE AT A TIME!

1976 Speke FHC Beauty Now with an overdrive conversion

1979 3.5 FHC(STATUS PENDING!!)

1982 2.0 DHC NOW A 4.6, BUILT NOT BROUGHT !!!!

[sonscar]

Vagely remember an incident where a woman was killed when the spare tyre they had just changed exploded while she was sitting with it in the car,so do not put it in the passenger compartment.Steve..

[FI Spyder]

Never felt the need. When I went down to Portland and camped at the track I had bulky show sign, suitcase, computer, tools and spare parts bad, car show shine and polish stuff in plastic box with oil, water, rags, paper towels, ground sheet, air mattress, sleeping bag, folding chair, cooler, tent, car cover, room for tax fee liquor going back across the border, the things I can remember off hand.

When we had the club trip down to Southern California for 3 weeks I had no car show stuff but two suitcases, a luxury as the other cars with two occupants had one suitcase. It all depends how you pack/travel.

I'm reminded of many years ago when we went to Europe we each had (heavy) suitcases and one girl who had travelled over there many times before had a rucksack and every day she would wear something different that she would pull from it. It was like she was a magician. Taught us a lesson.

- - -TR7 Spider - - - 1978 Spitfire- - - - 1976 Spitfire - - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - Yellow TCT

[Cobber]

I haven't used The TR-7 for long trips, but with the MGF I have a factory removable boot rack, when I need more luggage space I strap the space saver spare wheel to the rack, thereby freeing up lockable weather proof luggage space.
I figure that no one's gonna wanna nick a crappy space saver spare that won't fit anything else.


"Keep calm, relax, focus on the problem & PULL THE BLOODY TRIGGER"

80'Triumph TR7, 73'Land Rover (Ford 351. V8),
'89 Ford Fairlane
'98 MG-F, 69'Ford F250.

[Cobber]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by sonscar</i>

Vagely remember an incident where a woman was killed when the spare tyre they had just changed exploded while she was sitting with it in the car,so do not put it in the passenger compartment.Steve..
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

The way to avoid that would be to deflate the tyre before you put it in the passenger compartment.

"Keep calm, relax, focus on the problem & PULL THE BLOODY TRIGGER"

80'Triumph TR7, 73'Land Rover (Ford 351. V8),
'89 Ford Fairlane
'98 MG-F, 69'Ford F250.

[saabfast]

I tend to find that when I need to use the spare its because the road wheel has little or no air in it anyway! I have the spare in the 'upside down' so that I fit bits in the well anyway.

SWMBO has a Pug 207 that came with the spare well full of polystyrene moulding with a can of goo and electric injection pump and in addition to the jack & wrench. I tried a an of goo many years ago and found it useless. They also reckon that even if it does work the tyre is useless after nowadays. I replaced it with a full size alloy spare from the bay just after she bought it, and she tested the next month with a nail in the tyre!

In terms of size, my Saab has 17" wheels but the skinny spare is only 15" IIRC, did look odd when I had to use it but got me home and to the tyre shop the next day OK.

Alan
Saab 9000 Stg 1 (now passed to son for his family car)
Saab 9000 2.3 FPT Auto (now gone that others might live)
Saab 9000 2.3 LPT Auto (sold on, wish I had it back)
Saab 9-5 2.3 Vector Auto Estate
'81 TR7 DHC

[Stevie P]

I carry one of these in each of my classics, you can fix a puncture on the car (if you can see it) and use a small electric pump to inflate it.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-POLO-99-H7-499-SPARE-BULB-FUSE-PUNCTURE-REPAIR-TYRE-KIT-/280743764748?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item415da1e30c

Steve

[Last TR]

I started down this road because I'm going to be installing Woody's big brake kit with my 15" alloys, and won't be able to use my 13" spare anymore. I thought if I could pick up a little more luggage space, so much the better. I'll need to carry luggage for two this fall, when Dolly and I attempt our cross country drive. The MGF space saver is an interesting option; I wonder how long it would take to get one to the States, and if replacement tires are available. A simpler option might be a narrow alloy wheel - maybe 15 x 4" - if I can get one drilled for our little bolt pattern, and a skinny high profile tire like a 165/75x15. Not keen about the glue-in-the-can approach, but it could at least get a guy off the highway. I do have AAA road service...

Ken Morton
Anchorage, Alaska

1980 TR8, 1973 TR6, 1965 Volvo PV544, 1958 MGA, Jeep Cherokees

[Hasbeen]

I had to go to an MGF alloy after fitting the disc brake rear diff in the 8. I had been carrying the 13" stock alloy as a spare for the rear only, as it wouldn't fit over the front brakes, but more to hold up the boot/trunk floor. When it became useless for a spare for either end it was hard to justify.

MGF wheels are cheap in the UK, but quite expensive here in Oz. $100 for a wheel, with a tyre just good enough as a spare, & another $36 for the 4 nuts was higher than I expected, but is cheep insurance.

Murphy's law said I would be sure to have a flat with no spare, but spending that much for a boot floor spacer, would probably mean I never used it as a spare. It's worked so far, & that's a few years now.

I gather you didn't get the MGF Ken. That surprises me, I assumed north America would be their prime market.

The idea of putting the spare face down would add some space. When I put the full size wheel in my Ford/Mercury Capri I found the space saver was bolted down with one bolt. It needed bolting as the space was much too big in diameter for it. The car looks as if it was designed to fit 16 or 17" wheels & the large well indicates the same.

With the alloy as spare I could not source a bolt for the silly 9mm thread long enough to reach the captive nut in the bottom of the recess. I had to turn the wheel face down, giving good storage for tools & jack.

Hasbeen