Full sized wheel/tyre but with space-saver speed warning?

[Deisel Weisel]

My Father got a puncture in his 2010 Polo. I went to get the spare from the boot. It looked to be the original spare and never used. It also had a space-saver style yellow decal, with a 50mph max speed limit warning. Now on further inspection, the spare tyre was 185/60/15, which is the standard full sized fitment for that model. The steel wheel also seemed to be standard size, although I didn’t measure the width, because I was short on time.

I didn’t take a photo of it, but I found, what appears to be, the exact same spare on eBay, here: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/322496753139?_trksid=p20...

Width on that is confirmed at 6” (same as standard sized original alloy). Only thing not confirmed is offset, which is ET40 on the original alloy.

So why the 50mph space-saver style warning sticker? Is it some kind of German regulation, that all spares come with that warning, whether full sized or space-saver?

Edited by Deisel Weisel on Saturday 29th April 13:37

[TooMany2cvs]

Deisel Weisel said:

So why the 50mph space-saver style warning sticker? Is it some kind of German regulation, that all spares come with that warning, whether full sized or space-saver?

It's the one they'd put in the boot for a spare, no matter what the other four's rim/tyre size. On that car, it's the same size, on others it might not be - so the sticker's there as an arse-covering. It's probably also a different rim to the steels if you have four steels-and-trims around the rest of the car, because the alloys probably use a different bolt seat shape to normal steels - so there may be fillets on each bolt hole.

[Stoofa]

My Octavia vRS has a "full size" steel wheel as a spare - the car has 4 alloy's as standard.
I've had to use the spare a couple of times now - the wheel is obviously different from the other three still fitted and I believe the tyre is also of a different size (higher profile etc) but with the same rolling radius.

I must admit, I only had the spare on for a day the first time and three days the second (does my head in when I see the same car with the same spare on for weeks on end - they are supposed to rescue you, not to keep using continuously), however I wasn't driving at any speed less than I usually did - I just didn't take some of those corners as sharply as when I've got 4 alloy's and "known tyres".
Guess I was up for a talking to if I'd been pulled.

[AnotherGareth]

If the full-size spare is steel, and the road wheels are alloys, there's probably a weight difference across the axle when the spare is used which could cause unpredictable behaviour at higher speeds.

[grumpyscot]

And often spare wheel rubber is not the same quality of spec as a proper road tyre and often has a lower speed rating

[speedking31]

Yes, OP check the speed rating of the spare tyre. Size isn't everything!

[speedking31]

Yes, OP check the speed rating of the spare tyre. Size isn't everything!

Edited by speedking31 on Thursday 4th May 16:42