Sunday Times readers continue to fuel the spare tyres for cars debate
The space-saver tyres debate has continued to roll on in the Sunday Times, fueled by another letter to the InGear motoring supplement.
This time the emphasis has shifted towards the use of “gummy gas” which is used to patch up punctured or damaged tyres.
Reader Alan Bailey, from Warrington, Cheshire, had this to say on the subject: “Despite the long-running argument about space-saver tyres, we may all be doomed to “gummy gas”, for three reasons.
“First, unless you have applied anti-seize grease to your hubs, corrosion is likely to weld your alloys to them, making roadside removal with the standard in-car kit virtually impossible.
“Second, the 1986 Ford Granada 2.0 Ghia rode on light steel 14in rims, while the similar-sized Ford Mondeo today has wider, heavier 16in alloys, with even bigger options available. Many find these bigger wheels too heavy to change at the roadside and accommodating a large, full-size spare in a modern car is a major challenge - and adds significant extra weight.
“Third, if you have a space-saver, there may be nowhere to put the damaged full-size wheel should the car be fully loaded. Unfortunately, if we want full-size spare wheels we must forsake big alloys.”
Denna Bowman, Head Office
Number: Z8037079
Reg: NKF419
