The spare tyre debate

[partsaver]

Tom2000, where did you hear/read that? what bearing does a insurance policy have on spare wheels?

clifyhanger, you will now find your breakdown company will assist you if the car is one that comes without a spare as factory spec.this is now becoming a common problem with new cars.
best thing to do if you are stranded without a pspare on your car is not to tell them, just say you have a puncture and cant change it because the road is too busy/ you are old/ weak/ haven't got a clue how to or some other excuss. when the guy turns up (it will be a local garage if you are with greenflag, brittania. insurance co free cover and most others breakdown assistatance co's) look bemused and surprissed when the spare cant be found chances are they will tow you to a local tyre depot unless the guy is a jobsworh or a down right misserable knob.

[Jason]

I can't think of any insurance policy I've seen that specifies you need a spare, the closest you'll come to that is a "reasonable precautions to safeguard against loss or damage" but even that isn't applicable as the "loss or damage" isn't actually attributable to the lack of a spare - ie you didn't get a puncture because you had no spare.
As for breakdown insurance I don't know for sure (no real experience) but as a spare isn't actually a legal requirement in the UK then I don't see it as ever being mandatory in an insurance policy.

[SteveJP]

When I didn't renew my AA breakdown policy this year I did some research on alternatives and eventually settled on Autonational, looking at their policy conditions this morning - found this statement:

7. You must carry a roadworthy spare tyre with your vehicle at all times. :-/

Not sure how that applies when you have a modern car with no spare as standard! - Fortunately both my moderns do.

Ferny - How do you put a Spitfire wheel in upside down? - I would have to cut off the Spare Wheel Retaining Bracket thingy first! :K)

[Jason]

76Spit wrote:

When I didn't renew my AA breakdown policy this year I did some research on alternatives and eventually settled on Autonational, looking at their policy conditions this morning - found this statement:

7. You must carry a roadworthy spare tyre with your vehicle at all times. :-/

Interesting, I can't see that such a wording should make it over to your regular insurance but I guess with combined breakdown and road risk insurance it is a possibility!

I must check my breakdown cover and see if there's a "spare wheel" clause there too.

[ferny]

76Spit wrote:

Ferny - How do you put a Spitfire wheel in upside down? - I would have to cut off the Spare Wheel Retaining Bracket thingy first! :K)

I'll let Clive answer this as it was his suggestion. ;D

[Clive]

Drill out the spotwelds...Guess a bolt thriugh the floor to attach the whell would be handy in the spitfire too, stop it sliding about. The herald estate has no bracket anyway!

[heraldcoupe]

cliftyhanger wrote:

The herald estate has no bracket anyway!

Yes it does, it's called the jack! The footprint of the jack matches the pressings in the front face of the wheel. The jack is placed between the spare wheel and the metal support for the floor, then opened out to lock the wheel in place.
Cheers,
Bill.

[gilesdive]

yamaha_fizzy wrote:

a girl i work with has a BMW mini and doesnt need to carry a spare as it has run flats. thats pretty handy.

Neighbour's BMW has runflats too. Makes quite a noise driving along, even at low speeds, on one of those when it is flat. Apparently did not handle too well and limited to low speed.

Also with a "proper" spare wheel, apart from being back up to full speed sooner, I then just drop the flat one off at the garage saying "Fix or replace that, I will collect it later" and you don't need to hang about.
I have also seen tyres where the entire tread has peeled away, and if that happens you are stuffed with just a can of tyreweld.

[partsaver]

The spare wheel clause is not applicable if the car comes as standard without a spare.
you will also find in the small print that the car must be of a roadworthy condition and regular serviced and maintaned to manufactures spec.
so in threory if you say to the beakdown guy that you haven't serviced your car for a year (even though you only use it for the two dry months  a year) he is well within his rights to refuse to assist you, although i have never heard of this happening except in exteme cases of  negelect which doesnt often happen with classic cars, its mare a nova/ metro/ astra thing.

[Nick Jones]

I think it beggars belief that manufacturers (and the authorities that certify the cars as fit for purpose) nowadays appear to think that it acceptable to supply even space-saver spares let alone a can of tyre weld.  A full size spare allows you to continue your journey after only a short pause at any time of the day or night and in any location even if you original tyre (and even the wheel) has been destroyed by the incident (house brick on the m-way anyone - been there, done that, whole pallet full in fact).

With a space saver you get to continue but as a reduced rate and with tyre weld you could easily be stranded or at least be seriously inconvenienced.  

I know punctures are fairly rare these days (in UK and Europe anyway) but even so.....  And what is the AA / RAC official policy on this practice - no spare-no fix means you are entirely screwed!
My A6 has a full size spare that has been used 3 times in the last 4 years / 60K miles and on one of those occasions (in France, with the whole family) there is NO WAY tyre weld could have fixed the 2" rip.

Nick

[willcolumbine]

There are just so many advantages to carrying a spare wheel I can't understand why you wouldn't. Why are people trying to get rid of it? Is it for the boot space or for less weight?

Anyone who's thinking the performance is going to be better without the weight of a spare wheel is going to be thinking again when the come to the twisty bits. A bit of weight mounted centrally and nice and low down by the back wheels is only going to be doing you favours.  :)

[Clive]

Quote:

We will provide, in the United Kingdom, up to 30 minutes roadside assistance if your car breaks down, has a puncture ( as long as the spare wheel is available ) or runs out of fuel, or if you lose your car keys more than a ¼ of a mile from your home.

Now that is the bit in my breakdown cover (green flag via Zurich) that worries me. Sounds like they expect a spare wheel to be available, so I will be giving them a call......

[partsaver]

OKAY NOW LISTEN THIS TIME.........
IF YOUR CAR IS NOT FITTED WITH A SPARE AS STANDARD (BY THAT IT MEANS THE MANUFACTURE DOES NOT SUPPLY ONE OR A CAN OF FOAM IN ITS PLACE) THEN THE NO SPARE CLAUSE DOES NOT APPLY. RECOVERY WILL TAKE YOU TO  A NEARBY TYRE SHOP OR IF AT NIGHT WILL TAKE YOU HOME.
IF YOU SHOULD HAVE  A SPARE THEN THEY RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE YOU RECOVERY BUT WILL TOW YOU TO  A PLACE OF SAFTEY (MOTOR SERVICES ETC).
Never tell them that you do not have a spare (if you should have one) when the recovery turns up look surprissed and be nice to them, you may get recovery anyhow, most. most recovery agents wont be botherd as they get paid milage anyhow.