36 replies to this topic

[Still Waters]

There are few things more depressing on a car journey than the ‘flud, flud, flud’ sound of a flat tyre.

You invariably seem to get a puncture when it’s dark, when it’s raining and when the car is laden with tired kids, luggage and a front seat passenger reluctant to get their hands dirty, but unusually eager to point out what you’re doing wrong.

Changing a spare tyre is hassle enough, but in recent years, coping with a flat has become even more stressful. For without fanfare, motor manufacturers have begun to phase them out.

http://www.dailymail...tyres-more.html

[Kasey2601]

I love the onomatopoeia, there, Still!

Edited by Lady Kasey, 07 November 2012 - 08:14 PM.

[questionmark]

it is quite simple, real tire rated to 180 Km/h costs ~ 150 Euros, the rim cost 30-90 Euros. A emergency wheel rated for 8o Km/h cost 40 Euros (if China quality is bought even less). Makes ~120 Euros savings. That times several million cars produced by a company we have quite an amount to put on the bottom line.

[stevewinn]

when buying a car you can select the option for what type of spare tyre you want? plus you can buy that emergency repair kit. http://www.halfords....tegoryId_165664

Edited by stevewinn, 07 November 2012 - 08:32 PM.

[Taun]

questionmark, on 07 November 2012 - 08:23 PM, said:

it is quite simple, real tire rated to 180 Km/h costs ~ 150 Euros, the rim cost 30-90 Euros. A emergency wheel rated for 8o Km/h cost 40 Euros (if China quality is bought even less). Makes ~120 Euros savings. That times several million cars produced by a company we have quite an amount to put on the bottom line.

Here in the States we call those "emergency wheels" donuts... and while they are only rated for about 50 miles or so you can see people blithely driving around for months with three normal tires (as we spell it over here) and one of the donuts - they look like they are horribly unbalanced...  I wish the police would issue warnings for those people - they just are not safe...

Edited by Taun, 07 November 2012 - 08:37 PM.

[Professor Buzzkill]

Taun, on 07 November 2012 - 08:36 PM, said:

Here in the States we call those "emergency wheels" donuts... and while they are only rated for about 50 miles or so you can see people blithely driving around for months with three normal tires (as we spell it over here) and one of the donuts - they look like they are horribly unbalanced...  I wish the police would issue warnings for those people - they just are not safe...

We call them space savers over here, and you can pick them up for about $15. There has been stories of people buying these space savers instead of the correct wheels and driving around with 3 or 4 of them on their cars.

[catch-me-if-you-can]

Yea, they are unsafe and dangerous. I used to be a wrecker driver for the City in San Antonio for a couple of years, and changing tires was part of the job for stranded customers. This one time I changed this guys  tire on a sedan, on a busy highway, and strictly told him 'don't go over 50 mph and get a new tire as soon as possible.' Sure enough, right after I finished and drove off, he pulled out onto the highway not too far behind me and tried to pass me goin 65 or so, I looked out the window and watched his tire pop off the rim, and he had the biggest "WTF?" face I have ever seen. So I pulled over where he did, on the busy highway in a more dangerous spot than before, and he tried to blame me for it, and all I could do was shake my head and point to the bare rim that his rubber tire popped off of. I charged him $185.00 to tow his car to his house after all that.

[The Mule]

Has anyone considered asking the manufacturer? Its all about lightening up the car to hit the gas milage standards being imposed. Its not the cost savings to the manufacturer. Its not space savings. Its weight. End of discussion.

[questionmark]

The Mule, on 07 November 2012 - 09:21 PM, said:

Has anyone considered asking the manufacturer? Its all about lightening up the car to hit the gas milage standards being imposed. Its not the cost savings to the manufacturer. Its not space savings. Its weight. End of discussion.

It's the bottom line, anybody who knows the simplest about physics can easily calculate that the gas savings on a 2 ton vehicle caused by a 10 pound lighter tire falls under the chapter joke. In fact, to get a 50% better gas mileage the car would have to be 20% of its original weight.

[praetorian-legio XIII]

The Mule, on 07 November 2012 - 09:21 PM, said:

Has anyone considered asking the manufacturer? Its all about lightening up the car to hit the gas milage standards being imposed. Its not the cost savings to the manufacturer. Its not space savings. Its weight. End of discussion.

Out of curiousity, what manufacturer provided you that information?

[The Mule]

Its not 50% more mpg, its one here, one there. You really think its about saving sixty bucks on a 30 grand auto?

I only worked in the business for 14  years, with people who do design, so yeah, you guys should know more than me.

Edited by The Mule, 07 November 2012 - 10:33 PM.

[Mantis914]

Tha

bones101proof, on 07 November 2012 - 09:01 PM, said:

Yea, they are unsafe and dangerous. I used to be a wrecker driver for the City in San Antonio for a couple of years, and changing tires was part of the job for stranded customers. This one time I changed this guys  tire on a sedan, on a busy highway, and strictly told him 'don't go over 50 mph and get a new tire as soon as possible.' Sure enough, right after I finished and drove off, he pulled out onto the highway not too far behind me and tried to pass me goin 65 or so, I looked out the window and watched his tire pop off the rim, and he had the biggest "WTF?" face I have ever seen. So I pulled over where he did, on the busy highway in a more dangerous spot than before, and he tried to blame me for it, and all I could do was shake my head and point to the bare rim that his rubber tire popped off of. I charged him $185.00 to tow his car to his house after all that.

That is hilarious!  It says right there on the tire not to exceed 45-50 mph...  I've seen people day after day riding on a donut.  Human laziness knows no boundaries...

[Kasey2601]

The Mule, on 07 November 2012 - 09:50 PM, said:

I only worked in the business for 14  years, with people who do design, so yeah, you guys should know more than me.

The Mule's getting feisty!

[Hilander]

The spares they were providing were getting to be a joke anyway.

[Kasey2601]

People sometimes don't understand that a spare tire should be part of the upkeep of your car. Like making sure it's still inflated and such. I speak from experience on this. On my first car I got a flat once and then the spare got a flat. Wasn't fun at all.