Space Saver Wheel Advice

[Supra_UK_]

Hi,

I am considering purchasing a space saver wheel kit for peace of mind - the car gets driven very little so I'm not fussed about carrying the extra weight or losing room as I carry nothing in the boot anyway.

I have a "mechanical" query I suppose, as I'm not very mechanically knowledgeable: if the spare wheel is 18", would this not cause issues/damage to systems given they are all calibrated for 19" Wheels?

Particularly if it happened to be the rear driven wheel!

As this purchase is for peace of mind, namely me getting it safely to a repair garage vs waiting for a recovery truck and getting all sorts of scratches on the bodywork and wheels, if there is a risk to mechanical damage to LSD/Transmission/Engine by driving the car with 1 smaller wheel, then in my mind I am not really making any improvements.

Obviously I know it's normal to see cars with a smaller spare wheel but let's be honest no one cares if it's a ford fiesta or a corsa, but since it's my pride and joy I want to understand pros/cons/risks.

Thanks to anyone that can help explain!

It's very hard to find this but I did find one here for £300 which includes a nice bag and extra kit too. https://tyremen.co.uk/products/18-t...JHzvhnQ1k1vQoYwEKfRuk-FO-Lvenib8aAocQEALw_wcB

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[BMWAF]

This is a great question. Maybe we need a size somewhere in between to mitigate the difference between the front and rear? Nothing is ever simple lol.

Does the Supra come with a can of goo?

 

[Supra_UK_]

So after I posted this I did some more research and this might help but again would need someone that understands this stuff really:

If the rim is an inch smaller but likely the tyre 'shoulder/wall' is higher as it won't be low profile Michelins' then the overall diameter of the wheel as a whole measured from ground to top of the tyre wall, should be around the same height as the extra rubber should hypothetically make up for less alloy size, and that might supposedly make it ok / explain why the spare wheel is an inch smaller (at least on sports cars with low profile tyres?).

 

[digicidal]

In general it won't matter as far as front/rear etc. The difference in the stock sizes (diameter) is 16mm (.6"). Remember that 16mm actually only means a 8mm difference in ride height - so basically nothing.

Assuming that the space saver wheel is capable of clearing the front brake caliper, it should be fine. Usually they are a harder tire and you could deflate the opposite rear slightly to make up the difference if you felt it necessary. They're meant for slowly driving to your nearest tire center - for a real replacement tire anyway - not highway speeds.

Several people run 18" setups in order to have "meatier" tires - not to mention that's the standard size for the 2.0 MKV.

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