markiii

Hi Chaps

just wondering if carrying the weight around is worth it?

Firstly is the space saver spare actualy any use if a puncture occurs? and secondly if it is, is my 1979 original likely to be any good, 30 year old rubber being my concern?

Or should I just ditch it in favour of tyre weld or a full sized spare?
thanks in advance

Mark

Tom in Austin

Interesting thoughts. When was last time you had a flat tire? Did it occur near home, say in the city where you live (where you could go home and get a real spare and floor jack to change it), or while on a trip?

Another wrinkle is if you ever do use it, people say it's difficult to get it to return to a stowable condition, so may be a single-use item.

Alan

Its usable (I have) - the age is apparent (surface cracking) so I wouldn't use it but for an emergency. It is possible to return it to a stowable condition but you need a valve adapter and a wide (or 2) cinch straps to get them back down - regardless of age they would never return to original condition without this kind of help (or a vacuum source).

BTW when you inflate it it unfolds in a quite bizzare way (looks fatally flawed untill its all the way up...)

I'd like to find out if Vredestien still makes these so a new replacement could be fitted.

Alan

James Bailey

If you have AAA long distance towing and do not mind waiting an hour or so.....it has no purpose. If however you just had a few drinks/scored some coke and do not like waiting on the side of the road for a friendly officer to stop to "help" .... It is an emergency spare and yes they do work. The factory jack is scarey to use but it works. Murphy's Law says if you carry the spare you probably will never need it but chuck it out and..... Just joking about the illegal activities did I mention the transvestite hooker in the passenger seat , Eddie Murphy knows about that one !

GlenL

Lose it.

I'd be more afraid of driving on that thing then of humorless cops.

If you have an accident and they find coke on the transvestite prostitute, you will be in trouble.

syoo8

I used mine twice last summer. I'm glad I have it. When you go to the tire shop they deflate it for you, and it goes right back in.

Does anyone know what the size is of the space saver? I checked Vredestein's website-- they seem to still sell the space-savers, but I see no mention of the 928...

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cali4sun

Good question.. If I ever need to use mine it is flat with no pump!

'89 S4 GP White/Black
'76 912E Silver/Black sunroof

Landseer

I've used the factory jack out on the highway. Its a neat little piece, incredibly light. Easy to use. Slick. I'd carry that whether I had the spare or not.

Robert B

Well, I carry a bottle of fix a flat and a puncher repair kit with me, just in case, so far I have yet to change a tire on the road. Unless it is a total blowout, then pump the tire a bit (while its in the air) then insert fix a flat, and that will get you home or to the nearest help. Remember tell the folks repairing the tire or changing it that you put fix a flat in it.

Gordak

I ditched mine after attempting to use it back in the 90s. Since then I've actually only had one flat, which was healed by the spray can of fix-a-flat which now resideds where the spare was. Also sharing the space is a bass unit and amp for my stereo. I drive alot, I guess I'm just lucky with the lack of flats, but I do have triple A incase of a real blow out.

-Sam Johnson
78 Euro 5spd
87 s4 5spd

billtool

+1 on the sub-woofer and can of fix-a-flat - And 100 mile free towing with AAA insurance for $135.00/year.

markiii

thanks Chaps

seems several of you have done what am thinking of. Basically in the UK I don't anticpate an issue that will be caused by carrying no spare, certainly my other car has no provision for one nor space to carry, and touch would its not been an issue yet.

Leaving it at home means I too can use the resultant space for the stereo, and for European jaunts there will only ever be 2 of us, and with the jump seats down carrying a full sized spare plus luggage should be easy enough

thanks

bogdann

If I am out in the middle of the Nullabor desert I don't think my RAC (AAA) will cover the towing distance and I would have to wait 4 or 5 days for the new tyre if the old one couldn't be repaired. I have the spare and a can of fix a flat. In the UK probably not that big an issue 5km to the next village.

R.Pires

Hi,

Unfortunately when I bought my car it doesn’t have the compressor and the jack.
So, I remove the spare and use the space to put some tools, a fire extinguisher and two bottles of tire sealer inflator.
Just an idea!

Regards

Hilton

For general use I have a puncture repair kit and compressor in the spare well (along with extra relays, jump leads , jack, and a few useful tools). If the tyre is too far gone (sidewall) then I'll just call my tow service.

If I'm heading anywhere that isn't around town I just chuck a full-sized spare in the rear and use a properly rated tie-down to hold it to the frame using the child-seat anchor points in the rear hatch.