Space saver tire

[rwj53]

Has anyone bought one of these? Aren't they much smaller and good enough to get to a repair station.

[jwight]

Might work IF it came with the correct 3 hole wheel for a smart. So far no one has reported anything like this available for the smart fortwo.

[Old smart]

Once upon a time, Three Point Motors (Victoria, BC M-B/smart dealer) sold a compact spare for the smart. Within the past year a group from Club smart Car (Canada) approached Three Point for a group buy. I don't know the outcome, and I don't know if the wheel's offset was appropriate for a W451.

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[jwight]

Originally Posted by rwj53

Has anyone bought one of these? Aren't they much smaller and good enough to get to a repair station.

And even if they were available, now you have to either have AAA come out and change it for you or carry the necessary tools to change it yourself. Not to mention storing the spare in the car, and finding room for the flat tire as you motor to the repair station. Have a look at Nealey Tire Repair Kit as an alternative.

[bigcritter]

Originally Posted by jwight

Have a look at Nealey Tire Repair Kit as an alternative.

I bought something very similar to this at a military exchange, except that it has two handles.....one for cleaning/reaming, and one to insert the plugs.......very much like what the tire stores use now. I also plan to get a spray bottle from WallyWorld or somewhere to fill with soapy water, to make finding a hole easier. However, if it comes down to actual tire failure, where the tire suddenly turns into a donut or deforms in some way, I'll still be S.O.L. Actually, no different than I would have been with just the tire goop and compressor! Ohhhh, and with a space-saver tire, where would you put it once inflated? If you ever needed to use it, then you'd still be committed to carrying a full-sized tire around after being used once. If they could somehow return to their original shape & size when deflated, that would be wonderful!

[mgweaver]

I've been thinking about this and wonder if an Audi or Mercedes or a VW space saver spare (all have 5x112 lug patterns) could have four holes welded shut and two new holes drilled for Smart's 451 3X112 pattern? I haven't been able to find the size of the space saver spares they use or the offset. Audi has a 57.1mm center bore. Mercedes and VW are bigger. I think I saw the Smart has a 57mm with 23.5(front) and 22mm(rear) offsets. Is it safe to rehole a wheel in this way? Anyone know where the rest of the info on space savers can be found?

[chieftmc]

Here's the kit I have carried for years and it works great:

Buy Now: Stop n Go Tire Repair Kits Motorcycle Flat Tire | Pashnit

(I also carry a Nealy for those "sidewall" problems)

[Old SGM]

Get a Space Saver tire T125/70D15 from the wrecking yard for around $10.00, then throw away the wheel and mount it on your smart Pure steel wheel. Most wrecking yards are happy to sell the donut (Space Saver) tires since there is almost no market for them.
I would be be careful buying Chinese made jacks. I bought one from Northern Tool, the first time I used it, the base plate smapped in half and dropped the car. Luckly I had not removed the wheel so no damage done. They did refund my money, they didn't even offer to replace it, they knew I was not a happy camper.

[Jimbo]

You know, a tire is such a basic thing for a car. Like an air filter, oil filter, spark plugs, these things ought to be in tire stores-or at least be able to be ordered by tires stores. It makes no sense to have them be a dealer-only item.

[smartHHO]

One reason I went and got the extra tire in a bag. I hate the stupid program that SmartUSA offers. It is pretty much crap. Give us a call if you have a flat. Ok, say you are crossing West Texas, and you hit the dead zone out there. That is like 50 miles of dead zone. What do you do now? I guess you sit until a cop shows up. I bought the spare, a jack and the tools to remove the lugs. Total cost about 325. Jack and lug remover fits fine behind my seat. Tire fits behind my seat fine and I still have plenty of room to put stuff if I need to. Plug kits are nice, but so far, EVERY flat I have had, 3 total, are SIDE WALL. No plug can be used. So what then? I am old school and have no issue with changing a tire. It is what everyone should learn when they get a car of their own. But that is just me. Others have their own way.