Virtual Mechanic

News when deciding on a new vehicle, check if the spare is a full size wheel, or a space saver wheel.
If you are unfortunate enough to get a flat tyre and find out that your spare tyre is a space saving wheel, there are precautions or limitations whilst driving with a space saver wheel.
Most space saver wheels are to be driven at a maximum speed of 80 km.
Most space saver wheels are to be driven at short distances. The life of the space saver tyre is measured in hundreds of kilometres not thousands of kilometres, for this reason your space saver tyre should be checked for wear before placing it into the boot.
Check your owners manual handbook, when using a space saver wheel is it will also required the correct tyre pressure.
Any time the space saver wheel is used this will effect the handling of the vehicle, especially in wet or poor road conditions.
In my opinion a vehicle safety rating should include the spare tyre choice, it’s no good crash testing a vehicle if it’s fitted with a space saver wheel.
A car are designed to transport people in the safest possible way but for some reason the spare room in the boot is more important than the spare wheel itself.
 
“RACV chief engineer Michael Case says nearly 25 percent of all new cars sold are fitted with the space- and weight-saving spares and the organisation is concerned that many people don’t know the tyres’ limitations.”

If a vehicle is involved in an accident proven to be travelling over 80 kms, insurance companies may use this knowledge to there benefit. If you have a choice between a vehicle with a space saver wheel and a vehicle with a full size wheel, three guesses to the correct choice.

Written By Darren Gow-Brown, WWW.Virtualmechanic.com.au