The Unseen Posted November 8, 2012 #26 Share Posted November 8, 2012 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... They are not safe,Ive seen them break after 35 miles,Really depends on how fast your going,One time I saw a car on 4 doughnuts going down the street and into a tire shop,I asked the guy what happened and he said someone stole his rims but had the common curtisy to replace them with doughnuts,Lucky they had mercy and didn't want to have him stranded. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen of Annoy Posted November 8, 2012 #27 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Are you familiar with the term "straight from the horses mouth?" Well, to be honest, an insider wouldn’t admit they denied essential spare part to their customers in order to rip them off some more. Of course they’ll say they have put you in criminal inconvenience (a car without spare tyre? WTF?!) for your convenience (a fraction lighter car, needs a drop of fuel less). So, here’s one shoe for you. Hop on one foot to the store to buy the other one and complete the pair. I did that for your convenience because being one shoe lighter you’ll hop easier. I wouldn’t buy a car without space designed to carry spare tyre, spare tyre and tools with jack included, naturally. It’s not a full car without said things. What’s next? Here’s your new car with no seats, it makes it lighter. If you really insist, we can sell you seats too. But you could put few plastic garden chairs in there, they are so light you’ll save so much on fuel you’ll be able to buy seat belts that we sell separately. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mule Posted November 8, 2012 #28 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Fine...don't believe me. Enjoy your own little circle jerk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen of Annoy Posted November 8, 2012 #29 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Behold the science, leaving the room all offended. Not everyone wants to have their car with one deflated tyre and nothing else wrong towed to repair shop. It's insane. Unless you crap money every morning and don't want to ruin your nails while changing a tyre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taun Posted November 8, 2012 #30 Share Posted November 8, 2012 The bottom line is that the law requires that they provide you with a spare tire (for new car purchases - used cars are another game entirely)... And that is what they do... It is provided as an emergency spare and it does fulfill that purpose... Drivers/car owners are responsible for getting the flat fixed and or replacing it with a 'real tire' in a timely fashion... It is not the car dealer/manufacturers responsibility to do so... Why they went with the 'donut' is immaterial to the fact that a RESPONSIBLE car owner will only use it in emergencies and will replace it with a properly sized tire... Drivers who insist on driving around excessively on one of these tires are asking for problems, and should be issued warnings by the police (IMO) - Might be hard to figure out how long they've been driving around on them - but that doesn't mean that they don't deserve a warning... A good used tire and rim is a heck of a lot less expensive in time and money than a tow... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redefining Success Posted January 11, 2013 #31 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Firstly, apologies for the thread resurection. Secondly, theres so many replies I have to agree with and disagree with. I go out to cars on a daily basis. Some have full size spares, some have space savers some dont even have one and have a bottle of goo. The amount of cars that have low floors to make up for restricted boot space is unreal, they supply a space saver to get the most out the space available. Cost wouldnt really come into the equation as parts are bought in bulk or made in house. The tyre repair kit you can buy is pathetic IMO, temperature has to be right and its useless if you have a hole bigger than a nail in your tyre. Most punctures caused by nails etc can hold pressure for an amount of time with out assistance. A space saver should be clearly marked "temp use only" to get you home and to the garage the next day. Any one pushing there luck should have their license revoked, plain and simple. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abramelin Posted January 11, 2013 #32 Share Posted January 11, 2013 They should get rid of inflatable tires altogether: 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redefining Success Posted January 12, 2013 #33 Share Posted January 12, 2013 I like the idea of them, but what are they like at speed? Its a shame more car makers dont take a leaf out of audi's book, they developed a space saver sized spare which inflated to a full size spare for the audi all road aome years ago, i think its only mercedes that have done there own version of it. Discussed this at work and come to the conclusion its as the name suggests, a space saver, a full size alloy rim and tyre would weigh pretty much the same as a steel space saver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libstaK Posted January 12, 2013 #34 Share Posted January 12, 2013 Australian standards must be different. We get 5 real tyres, no mimics. Safety standards should require a fully functioning spare, compromising on safety in this day and age is just not on imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yamato Posted January 12, 2013 #35 Share Posted January 12, 2013 They should get rid of inflatable tires altogether: How many miles is that gonna last? That twiggy looking lattice on the passenger car doesn't look very convincing to me. And if the materials are so superior that isn't even a concern, then how much does it cost? The reason most great ideas don't get to the consumer market after they're invented is because consumers can't afford them...the taxpayers can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abramelin Posted January 14, 2013 #36 Share Posted January 14, 2013 How many miles is that gonna last? That twiggy looking lattice on the passenger car doesn't look very convincing to me. And if the materials are so superior that isn't even a concern, then how much does it cost? The reason most great ideas don't get to the consumer market after they're invented is because consumers can't afford them...the taxpayers can. I have no idea how much they cost, but no doubt lots more than a common inflatable tire. But things might change if the army or the police starts using them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ealdwita Posted January 14, 2013 #37 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Buy Landrovers. All three of mine have spare tyres located in easily accessible places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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