Spare tyres and maximum speed limits

[Jim K..]

The 17 & 16 refer to the diameter of the *wheels* not the tyres...

[Jim K..]

Last Xmas shurely?

[ARW]

Got a flat. A simple swap, but the spare has 50MPH stickers on it.

So why would the spare wheel have a maximum speed limit of 50MPH on it when it has the same sized tyre on it as the flat one? The only difference I can see is that the spare is not an alloy wheel.

[Tim+]

It's a space saver. Narrower width, smaller diameter and maybe even thinner carcase. Although it may not be obvious, it IS lighter/thinner/weaker than a *real* spare tyre

Tim

[ARW]

Having a problem with the words "same sized tyre"?

The tyres on the car and the spare all say 195/65R15.

[Tim+]

Is it the same weight? There has to be a reason for the 50mph sticker. If the size is the same then that only leaves weight/thickness or possibly speed rating as the remaining option. Have you checked the speed rating on the tyre wall?

No doubt just penny pinching by the car makers.

Tim

[Roger Hayter]

Sounds as though someone has a bureaucratic rule saying all spare wheels must have speed restriction sticker. Whether the manufacturer or the evil insidious undemocratic EU. (In the latter case it's probably the UK that proposed it.)

Or perhaps they don't think mere consumers can do up wheelnuts; but in that case 5mph would be better limit.

[dennis]

Do they have the same load capability?

Has someone put a replacement tyre on the space savers rim and is it the correct size for the tyre?

[dennis]

No such rule and the corsa my daughter bought has a full sized spare even if its a steel not alloy.

I have seen people struggle to undo wheel nuts but not tighten them. Typically they only need about 55 ft-pounds.

[Roger Hayter]

Very true, But that would be a reason for not using cars at all. Or for checking the wheelnuts.

[Malcolm Race]

some years ago I put a car in for MoT and to have two tyres replaced which I was told would not passs the MoT. Paid up and was given the Mot cert. Driving home ther was a regular knocking noise from the rear. Checked the wheel bolts and found that they were only finger tight on one wheel. Took the car back (only about a mile each way) Garage was not concerned but my question was how could a car with loose wheel bolts pass an Mot? No sensible answer but needless to say I have never used them again.

Malcolm

[Tim Streater]

Sometimes garages don't do up the wheelnuts.

[Bill]

In message <1o5xyv7.1gwak5p1tchbdjN% [e-mail], Roger Hayter [e-mail] writes

I have had two Octavia's. One deciding factor was the full size spare. Both had full size alloys with full sized tyres.

The last one had no stickers. The current one has 50mph stickers on the spare. I have no idea why.

[Tim Streater]

Nothing wrong with that. How often d'ye need a spare wheel, these days. Last time I needed one was in Whitstable in 2014. Time before that was probably in 1984 or so.

[Jac Brown]

While I went a long time between flats, recently I went through a patch where I got a couple a year for a few years. Almost always due to a screw through the tread, in one case two screws almost

189 degrees apart so it couldn?t be sabotage. We do have a lot of new houses being built so likely they are coming off builders utes etc.

[ARW]

I would say, judging by the condition of the spare and the accessories, that it has never been touched until yesterday.

[alan_m]

Are you sure that its the same size? At first glance my spare appears to be the same size but on closer inspection I have 17 inch wheels on the car and the spare is 16 inch (with the restricted speed warning stickers).

[alan_m]

I went 10 years without needing a spare and then I had 2 punctures within months - one in the side wall writing of a new tyre that had done less than 1k miles.

[Dozy Jim ...]

very true ...

[harry]

The reason is there are less cords in it. Presumably to save cost/weight. All tyres have a speed rating.