Space Saver Bentley

…punctures are a lot rarer than they used to be…..and the recovery organisations are pretty slick.

Should we all be carrying a spare fuel pump in case that breaks down?

No, but a spare tyre, a can of petrol (and diesel) and a set of jump leads will fix over 90% of all roadside problems…

…suddenly the claims made by the ‘professional’ motoring organisations don’t sound so good! 😀

Part of the problem is that most modern motorists don’t know how to change a wheel on their car. Not that these motorists will find the tyre-weld option easier.

There are some merits to the weight / space / cost / pollution arguments for not carrying a spare, and also the fact that unidirectional tyres would require you to carry two spare tyres to restore 100% of performance (not that anybody but a racing driver will need it).

Some performance cars even have two different sizes of wheel fitted and there is always the problem of where to put the big road wheel when you put the small spare on!

I believe on some performance cars it had to go on the passenger seat…

…if you didn’t mind leaving your girlfriend at the roadside! :diablo:

I can understand the cost ‘saving’ on a plebmobile but not on a Bentley (however CHEAP a model).

The space saving aspect is valid in some cases – but on my Honda Jazz the spare-wheel well is sized for a conventional wheel but has a spacesaver fitted.

A problem with these skinny tyres is that of maintenance – how many garage air lines are capable of producing the 60psi that is required? Even some of the high-tech digi-machines find this beyond their capabilities, but still gobble up my 20-pence pieces:mad:

As a standard nowadays, on the Focus, you just get a spray can & a pump. They claim it is for ecologic reasons (the dead weight of the spare).
You can get a donut or a full tyre as an option, but if you opt for the full tyre, it will shink the trunk size by a height of 16cm because the spare tyre slot is too small !
So I went for a donut instead…

My last car came with no spare, a can of TyreWeld being the only option.

The stuff works pretty well for a puncture, but not so good if the rim is smashed hitting a pothole, or if the process of stopping from a high-speed puncture shreds the tyre.

But on the whole here in the UK punctures are a lot rarer than they used to be in the early days of motoring, and the recovery organisations are pretty slick.

Should we all be carrying a spare fuel pump in case that breaks down?

Moggy

And, if you know how to use the foam and pump, it works…

Sorry, I should have made that clearer; it wasn’t one of the tyre-weld type pressurised can things (although I have used those successfully)…

…it was just an electric-pump in a polystyrene box! :confused:

I posted this on another thread but it seems to fit quite well here:

One frightening thing; I went to check the ‘spare’ in a car I’d just hired the other day (yes, I am that sad!) and was shocked to find the spare-wheel-well in the boot only contained a foam holder with a electric tyre-pump in it!

I ask you…..what ******* use is that if you’ve got a flat tyre in a foreign country in the middle of the night? 😡

Personally, I don’t know why a Bentley would even have a spare tyre…..surely they just phone somebody to sort it out for them. 😀

It is the hirer’s responsibility to check the spare. Police can correct me but I think the driver can be 3 pointed for driving an illegal tyre, this includes the Spare.
And, if you know how to use the foam and pump, it works….but only upto 40mph I think. But then you have to wait while the tyre is repaired or buy another tyre.

I posted this on another thread but it seems to fit quite well here:

One frightening thing; I went to check the ‘spare’ in a car I’d just hired the other day (yes, I am that sad!) and was shocked to find the spare-wheel-well in the boot only contained a foam holder with a electric tyre-pump in it!

I ask you…..what ******* use is that if you’ve got a flat tyre in a foreign country in the middle of the night? 😡

Personally, I don’t know why a Bentley would even have a spare tyre…..surely they just phone somebody to sort it out for them. 😀

Here,here!
Always wondered if ‘production cost saver spare wheel’ would be a more honest description of those things.

By simple mathematics, the Smaller wheel is produced 80% less than the “Normal” wheel. It will be more expensive. The difference in material cost savings is lost in the noise. Labour costs is possible a few seconds less for the smaller wheel.
The Bentley public want more space to put the Aldi bags in the boot. That’s the driver to these pathetic small wheels.

Here,here!
Always wondered if ‘production cost saver spare wheel’ would be a more honest description of those things.