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MG MGA - Space saver spare??

In an effort to increase the usable space in my MGA MkII's boot my first thought was to just leave the spare tire at home but I'm just not that courageous. One alternative I've been thinking about is to replace the big spare with a space saver spare (wonder if Colyn has already done this to help in carrying around his parts store/workshop). Four lug space saver tires and wheels are available for BMW Minis at around $150 but I don't know if the bolt pattern is the same or if they would fit around the brakes on an MGA. Does anyone have any experience with space saver spares? Thanks. Jud
J. K. Chapin

Don't bother. Many hot rodders have big/little tires so a spare X2 doesn't happen.

I have a '34 Ford, no spare. I carry a can of flat fixer, AAA's phone number and a credit card. My BIL has 120,000 miles on his '34 and hasn't needed a spare yet.

If it takes up too much space, leave it home. 2 or 3K miles a year... yer not likely to ever need it.

Come to think of it, I can't remember ever changing a flat tire on the road.
MAndrus

Hi Jud,
you guessed right!
I prefer to carry a spare wheel but I also wanted extra space.

So I temporarily replaced the standard spare in my MGA with a spacesaver spare a couple of years ago in preparation for our trip to the Pyrenees and it has proved to be so effective in creating more space that I have decided to make it a permanent feature.

I wrote about how I went about this in the MGCC Safety Fast magazine to explain which car the wheel came from and what size tire worked best.
I have searched the net and have come across this link which reprints it. I hope it works.

http://content.yudu.com/Library/A36xkc/SafetyFastNovember20/resources/44.htm

The wheel I found that fits the the hub and clears the brakes correctly is from a pre-1985 Saab 95, later Saab wheels are not suitable.

I managed to find a brand new Michelin XZX 135x15 tire to fit the rim and this brought the rolling diameter to within an inch of the standard tire.

Using this for long periods on the back axle could put a little more stress than usual onto the diff and so my plan is use it just to get the car to a tire dealer.
If you have to drive the car for long distances with the spacesaver you could always fit it on the front end which then avoids this issue.

Colyn




Colyn Firth

I forgot to mention that my car has bolt-on hubs to suit steel wheels, I have never heard of anyone making a spacesaver knock-on wheel.

Colyn
Colyn Firth

No knock off space savers....I've looked, but the next best thing to a true spare is a tire sealant kit. I was introduced to these types of kits when I bought my RX-8 and it came without a spare. The RX-8 kit included a specialty sealant, a variety of nozzles and a small 12v tire compressor. All of these components fit into a case the size of a shoe box. There are a variety of kits on the market, some as low as $40, and higher priced units approaching $100. Its an option.
Nick Kopernik

Let's see, new tires on all three MGs, except for once with cheap bias ply tires and old radial tubes [my penny wise/pound poor ignorance] I've never had a flat and $150 - $200 per space saver vs. $40 for a sealant kit. Hmmm, I think I'll go with the 3....sealant kit. I really appreciate all the good input. Thanks.

Jud
MGA Newbie
J. K. Chapin

This thread was discussed on 08/04/2016

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