Anyone used a spacesaver wheel?

[stuart]

Hi

I have just hit something in the road on the way out for lunch today (never got there ) when overtaking a couple of "slow coaches" down hill .... I must admit it did not feel like a pothole as there was no jolt or bang as such felt more like I drove over something, maybe a loose "cat's eye" or edge of a hole maybe... but it managed to destroy a tyre with an inch long split in the side wall....
Lucky for me I have a spare which is a 16 inch steel rather than an 18 inch alloy.....ONLY issue was I had to look a fool and call the RAC out as the alloy would not come off the hub! ....


Strange thing is the car now seems to pull a little, and steering wheel seems very slightly out but that may be because I am turning it to the left to keep the car straight... I HOPE...

Could that be down to the odd wheels/tyres? although it is classed as a spacesaver, it is a full size wheel/tyre, just 16 rather than 18, the outer diameter is the same, give or take a little... never used a temp wheel before... cant see how it knocked the tracking out as I say did not feel that bad...

Standard tyres: 225/40 18, Space saver 205/55 16 I presume that there will be a rolling difference so maybe as the temp is fitted to the OSF that will be causing the issue of appearing to need to turn left?


11 Month old tyre now needs replacing

[stuart]

Just for a comparison online and the temp wheel is actually 5mm SMALLER than the original wheel/tyre... so I suppose that would cause the steering to be off a little... not much

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[Whippy53]

Plus it'll be more flexible in the sidewall, effectively reducing the size slightly.

[stuart]

Good point, as I say I am sure it was not a pot hole and I could not see one on the way back home, just a few quite raised cat's eye's so maybe, and I was braking at the time it caught one of those and sliced the side wall... It did not bang as it would with a pot hole....

I am useless at this, but if the OSF is now 5mm smaller than the NSF would that make the car want to go right as the tyre would, i presume spin faster (slightly) so I would need to turn, again slightly to the left to correct that?

It is only very slight ...

[M1tchy]

Could be your tracking if you hit something hard enough to blow a tyre. Only time will tell when you get the normal one fixed


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[Rob69]

Might also have something to do with the diff working more due to different wheel speeds, probably be ok once the original size is fitted.

[stuart]

Might also have something to do with the diff working more due to different wheel speeds, probably be ok once the original size is fitted.

That was what I was thinking and my car is a Skoda Superb 4 x 4 , I know it is only 5mm but that is a lot in "rolling distance".... As I say it did not feel like a pot hole "bang" more like I drove over something and the only thing I could see in the area were these raised "cat's eyes" and as it was a perfect straight slice about an inch long I wonder if that is what cut the tyre.....

I hit a pot hole a few years ago and that made hell of a bang and you felt it, this was different....

Sent emails to my two tyre companies, one is only up the road about 3 miles away so I may pay a little more but I think I will feel better not driving too far on the spare.... the other it about 15 miles away... will hopefully get it done on Tuesday, lucky I have my Skoda Rapid to use lol....

Teach me to overtake two slow cars down hill...... lol..

On a plus point the RAC were fantastic, felt bad calling them but as the alloy was stuck to the hub had no choice, took him 5 mins to change the whhel including jacking up...a couple of taps with a mallet it was off ... told him how bad I felt and he said dont worry about it, it is a common job for him, at least I had a spare not the glue which would have been useless....

Called them at 11.30, he was there just after 12 fantastic service....

Been a member 13 years and used them twice, each year I keep thinking of stopping then change my mind... I do have the AA free with the bank, but I think would I get the same service being a non paying member ....

Will let you know how it goes, feel bad damaging my "baby" and "pride and joy" lol ... then again the main road here is terrible for potholes, and has been for years...

[stuart]

Just been down the same road again today, I am now sure it was a raised cat's eye... towards the bottom of the hill is a long, but not "pot hole" deep rut a few feet long... bang smack on the edge of it is a cat's eye standing well proud.... I think I must have gone down that rut and caught that .... after all they are metal and I suppose the well exposed edge would be sharp....

Hopefully get the tyre back on on Tuesday and all will be OK with my "baby" again lol

[Rob69]

I've sliced a sidewall on the sharp edge of tarmac on a country road where the tarmac was damaged, tyre deflation was instant and lucky not to put the car into a field, no spare, just the glue as well, so a long walk of shame to get a phone signal! If you think it was a cat's eye it would be worth reporting to your council. If they're as skint as mine I doubt they'll do anything about it, i badger ours about the state of our roads regularly and sometimes get an email back or see a splodge of tarmac dropped in a hole! If you can report it as a dangerous defect it might ***** someones attention and maybe prevent a more serious incident.

[stuart]

That could have been what happened to me, but as I say looking yesterday bang smack in the middle of the rut is a cat's eye with a good 2-3 inches of metal exposed, so I suspect that is what put the slice in the tyre....

Hopefully get the new tyre tomorrow or maybe Wednesday morning if he needs to order one for me... and hopefully the issue with having to turn a little left is down to the 5mm difference in the size of the space saver wheel after all it will need to go fast and maybe cause it to pull to the right a little.... I HOPE!!!! lol ....

This road is bloody disgusting and has been for about 5 years! which considering they are supposed by law inspect roads on a regular basis and log the check is all crap.....

In fact years ago when I did hit a pot hole the council sent me the record... which stated they checked it a couple of weeks before... yeah right, and sheet of A4 paper stating it was checked and dated does not prove anything... they could not answer when I said I could date a letter with any date I wanted... does not mean it was true!