Question about spare wheels

[Road Razor]

Just out of curiosity, what type of spare wheel do you guys carry in the trunk? I'm under the assumption that if someone bought 4 sets of larger wheels to upgrade from factory standard ones what contingency do you have if you had a puncture?

Even if you kept an OEM as spare wouldn't this affect the roll radius because of different wheel diameters?
Space savers is probably another option but again this issue about roll radius.
Do you carry a tyre repair kit?
Or do you not bother with a spare wheel and leave the trunk empty? A guy I know never carries a spare wheel because he wanted to save weight and he's never had an incident where he had to use a spare, hence reckons it's a very low risk.

 

[Broken Byzan]

I have a steelie in mine as a spare, but the rolling radius is the same as the 18's i am running, but a bit slimmer. I worry too much just carrying the tyre weld, so have a spare and tyre weld

 

[Siena]

I've also got a standard steel as a spare.

 

[benr]

doesnt realyl matter just stick any wheel on just to "Limp" home

 

[Mothy69]

my alloys are 16" & the spare is 15"..

i dont think a 16" will fit in the wheel well tbh..

 

[hiltoa]

My spare is an OEM 17" with 225/45 tire and just fits in the well - a 245/40 tire doesn't fit - as I found out when I got a puncture last week...

 

[olds_kool]

my spares a matching oem (b6)17" with 235 45 tyre, but wont fit in wheel well without letting 15psi out of it so i need to carry a 12v mini compressor

 

[Blue_Thunder]

I've got RS6+ brakes up front, so needed something with suitable clearance for the calipers.

I managed to get a single 18" Avus (B6 S4) rim from a breakers. It's quite common for one or two wheels out of a set to get damaged beyond repair, so worth calling round the breakers yards to see if they have any 'loose' ones.

 

[stapo69]

I have the standard 17" avus in my boot still even though I'm running 19s now, but I'm sure it'd get me home! And a couple of tins of tyre weld just in case! But i've always been a bit like, "i'll cross that bridge when i get to it!"

 

[billybravo]

my spare is in the bin along with the spare wheel well i removed it as i wanted a flat trunk for a racing fuel tank

tyre weld is always in the glove box

regards

craig

 

[treblesykes]

surely all wheels will fit in the spare wheel well regardless of rim diameter

 

[hiltoa]

My issue is girth (!)
A 245 tyre is too wide to allow the wheel to hook under the small lip at the rear and slip down the front edge of the well.

 

[Road Razor]

So if I had a puncture with my 17"s I suppose it doesn't matter if I replaced it with a 15" stealie or space saver spare wheel.

 

[Blue_Thunder]

You wouldn't want to drive it too far if you've got Quattro. Think the manual recommends no more than 40 miles. It winds the diffs up due to the different rolling radius.

 

[g60leigh]

I have 19's on and the standard steel spare. the rolling radius is near enough the same when you take into account the tyre profile. obviously the width is differnet, but it will get me home! (also have tyre weld just in case)

 

[AndyMac]

The difference in the rolling radius is less than 1% if you have the correct profile/size fitted to 18" alloys. The only real concern is to ensure you carry a set of the original wheel bolts as my new ones were way too long on the stock spare

 

[hiltoa]

... and make sure you have the right type of bolts for your spare. My Golf now has BBS RY that take conical seated bolts wheras the OEM spare BBS RA needs Radius bolts.
Luckily there's space in the McGuard packaging to keep the appropriate bolts

 

[Biglockie]

Standard 15" wheel in the boot but 19" rs6 rims, its only to get home