illegal spare wheel?

[stuuu]

Anyone out there able to offer advice?

My Dad has just bought a new car with a dinner plate/space saver spare wheel. He wants to change the space saver for spare wheel that is not limited to 50MPH, the hole in the boot floor has plenty of space for a full size wheel.
We assumed that he would be able to do this as I have 17" alloys and a 16" steel spare wheel in my car (obviously the spare has a taller tyre to match the circumference of the other wheels). My spare was supplied with the car when new. So when he asks a couple of tyre/ wheel suppliers the following reply comes back:

"If you want a spare wheel to be fully legal to use - the steel wheel must be exactly the same size as the alloys as regards diameter and width and offset and the tyre must also be the same size.

If you label the new smaller steel spare wheel and tyre as "TEMPORARY USE ONLY, MAX SPEED 50MPH" , then this would comply with the law."


Does this mean my car was supplied by the manufacturer with an illegal spare or has my Dad managed to confuse the tyre suppliers ?

Perhaps this is a new law that came in to force for 04 reg cars (mine is 03)?

[Mr E]

Hmmmm. Interesting one.

Am I the only person in the world to have 16" wheels but a 17" (space saver) spare?

[Cooperman]

Presumably the 'Space Saver' spare complies with the vehicle's 'Type Approval Certificate' and is of the type approved for use at up to 50 mph (having been tested during type approval on that vehicle). Any other odd-sized spare has not been so tested, so the vehicle would not then comply with its type approval specification, even if still limited to 50 mph.
That is probably the explanation.

[Balmoral Green]

Thats interesting,

I have 9.5 x 18 wheels with 255/45 x 18 tyres, but the spare is the original 7 x 15 with 255/65 x 15 tyre.

Is that not legal? it passed an MOT with it.

>> Edited by Balmoral Green on Wednesday 25th August 20:34

[trooper1212]

stuuu said:

"If you want a spare wheel to be fully legal to use - the steel wheel must be exactly the same size as the alloys as regards diameter and width and offset and the tyre must also be the same size.

That'll be quite difficult to do for all the cars that have different size wheels front and rear

[nspasseR]

Space saver? What the hell? How much stuff dyou carry around with you so that you need that little extra that that would give you?

[Balmoral Green]

nspasseR said:

Space saver? What the hell? How much stuff dyou carry around with you so that you need that little extra that that would give you?

Space Saver is another way of saying Cost Saver, if a full wheel and tyre costs the manufacturer say £50, but a Space Saver costs them say £20, and they make hundreds of thousands of cars a year, well, they are being responsible to the shareholders. Cost Saver spare wheel wouldnt be too popular with the marketing bods, its all spin.

[edc]

I can't get a full size spare to fit inthe same spac as the space saver. In any case, the space saver would not pass the MOT if on the axle cos you would have different size tyres on the same axle.

[mojocvh]

And........

Saw a very, very nice SAAB 96 (?) thingy on the A9 just outside Perth a few weeks back (this thread just reminded me) it was moping about in the offside lane really fannying about.
Two grey rinses driving
Well anyway gave up following after a mile or so of this and pulled over and "filtered" past ever so nicely, when I saw the front nearside wheel had what appeared to be 1 1/2" wide space saver fitted.

Couldn't believe it.

MoJo.

[wiggy001]

I was always under the impression that if you had a spare then it would have to be legal if put on the car.

I also understand two wheels on the same axle must be the same size.

I'd therefore assume that having a spare a different size to the wheel it'd potentially replace would be illegal (and carry 3pts FPN?).

Just my understanding, but could be wrong...

[gshughes]

Balmoral Green said:

Thats interesting, I have 9.5 x 18 wheels with 255/45 x 18 tyres, but the spare is the original 7 x 15 with 255/65 x 15 tyre. Is that not legal? it passed an MOT with it. >> Edited by Balmoral Green on Wednesday 25th August 20:34

I don't think the MOT looks at the spare wheel, after all it isn't a requirement. Think of various cars that don't have one, just one of those aerosol fixers.

[pdV6]

gshughes said:

I don't think the MOT looks at the spare wheel, after all it isn't a requirement. Think of various cars that don't have one, just one of those aerosol fixers.

Ah, but if you have a spare, it has to be legal in order to pass an MOT. That part-worn tyre you swapped for the spare rather than shell out for a new one can come back to bite you at MOT time!

I guess cars with sealant & pumps had to be type-approved in that configuration as well as with a spare (if its an option)

[Shaun_E]

MOT information here:www.motuk.co.uk/manual_410.htm
Looks like the spare cannot be a failure as it is an "inform presenter only". A spare is certainly not required but I had always believed that if carried it should be legal - the MOT manual appears to contradict that thought. Different sized tyres on the same axle is a definite no-no - if you have different sizes front and rear then looks like a spacesaver or can of tyre foam is the only solution.

[Cooperman]

The spare is definately not a failure possibility for an MOT. After all, you may be carrying a wheel or wheels for your other car.
Only the wheels and tyres actualy fitted as road wheels could cause MOT failure.
I THINK the 'space-saver' spares are covered by the Type Approval Certificate issued for each vehicle and as such are legal so long as the speed and any other restrictions are observed. Otherwise the manufacturers could not supply them for use as spares.
You can in theory, have any size of wheel as a spare, so long as it is specified on the Type Approval Certificate. It's a part of the vehicle homologation process.