Spare Wheel

[Guest paul thompson]

Here is a question. I have a set of alloys which have 195/50 15 tyres on them, but only 4, does my spare wheel need to be the same size to pass SVA? or even MoT? My Alfa has a get you home slowly spare, so I assume not. However, the only wheels I have otherwise are the 185/60 14 's from the donor. The rolling radius is within a couple of mil the same. Can I use one of these as a spare to get through SVA or must i go and try and find a 15 " wheel with the same offset?

[Guest Andy Rathbone]

i would guess your spare must be the same rolling dia and have legal tyre (like MOT) but use a wheel cover due to all those sharpe edges!!! if you take a wheel off the road and carry it as a spare like RH's the spare is a "contactable area" (must have no sharp edges). easist way and the way i'm going is, just dont fit the spare, if you do cover it. else SVA FAIL

[Guest boggie]

I am in the same boat. I had my wheels specially made to suit the inset / outset and limited clearance on the Exmo without spacers. As they were so damn expensive I decided not to get a 5th. Instead I use a standard Sierra wheel (185/60x13) which has the same rolling radius as a 195/50x15 (or as close as you can get). This works fine, the only problem I have is that since I fitted a 3.9:1 LSD diff with rear disc brakes - I can not put the spare on the rear as it does not clear the disc shrouds. If I get a rear puncture I will have to swop it for a front, then fit the spare to the front!

Ah well.....

[Guest DaveB]

I think rules are if the spare is different it has to clearly indentifiable i.e. painted bright orange or yellow.

 

Dave B

[Joel]

I don't know what the rules for kit cars are, but I have a space-saver tyre in my regular car and the roling radius is considerbly smaller than the standard tyres.

 

Oh, and it's bright red.

[Guest Battery Bill]

Hi all

Looking through the SVA book nothing says you need a spare wheel !

The only mention of the spare is

"The vehicle presenter should be advised of any item of non-complience on a tyre fitted to a spare wheel"

You dont need one for MOT and it looks like you dont one for SVA too

[Peter Bell]

Had to use the space saver on my car the other day, it is yellowy cream colour. My hood has 185 tyres on the front and 205 on the back, the spare is a 205 and has never been questioned when MOTd (7 times?).

Peter.

[Guest gordon_macnab]

I passed the SVA with no spare wheel and no mention of it

 

Gordon

[Guest paul thompson]

Thanks, Guys.

I already have the mounting for my spare wheel sorted and would need to fill the hole where the threaded rod would normall went if the wheel was fitted if I went without it to SVA. If I can get it through with I would prefer that, but could leave it off for the SVA.

[Guest Ant]

The spare isn't part of the MOT, though garages who want to make money by selling tyres often inspect it anyway.

 

I know this because the independant MOT garage near me (MOT's only - no repairs) once failed me on a bald tyre but told me that if I swapped it with the spare then they would pass the car because the spare is not part of the MOT.

 

Ant

[Guest 2BBoulton]

Make sure you cover the threaded bar if you don't put a wheel on it otherwise it will fail for being a protusion.

[Guest paul thompson]

I have made the threaded rod the part you remove to get the spare wheel off, if I remove the wheel for SVA then it is also gone, but the hole it screws into and the screw heads that hold the backing plate are exposed. ANyone bought one of the RHE wheel covers, they tell me they are universal so could be the size of a 4x4 cover which is huge. They are £25 quid plus £5 postage should anyone be interested. I reckon I can make one for about 15 quid with coloured beading.

I'd be interested if anyone has got one of the RHE sorry RHSC covers what they think of them and a photo if poss.

[Guest paul mercer]

why does the spare wheel fail on sharp edges, and the used ones do not?

[Guest Andy Rathbone]

the used wheels, the ones on the road are considered exempt from the rim inwards, but when fitted as a spare i'm sure i read on somones SVA horror story, that when the wheel is bolted to the body in some way ie not in contact with the road it is a contactable area and the balancing weights have corners on them not a 2.5 mm rad wich equals a fail, i personally think the examiner was being a little more than a real picky pain in the a**e. but rules is rules, exploit the loop holes thats what they are there for honest!

[Guest Ant]

There are special rules for the "road wheels", but the spare counts as any other piece of external bodywork.

 

If you use an alloy you'll be fine. Steel rims require a cover or at least a circle of hardboard to cover the holes in the centre.

 

Ant