Will the front wheels work on the rear axle?
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Yes, while it may confuse the traction control, fronts will work on the rear and as the 3 lug wheel/tire combination can be hard to find many of us do that on road trips.
As for permanent location to store - not really but I wedge it behind the drivers seat against the tailgate and pack above.
Respect the fact that in an accident that wheel/tire may become the largest projectile within the passenger compartment - YMMV.
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Front wheel would work as a rear wheel in a pinch. As for a location to store it, I see three possibilities:
1) Behind the seats. If you or your passenger is short enough, you can fit the wheel in the gap between the back of a seat and the engine shelf.
2) Roof rack. You could get a Yakima roof rack and carry the wheel like an offroader would.
3) Behind the tailgate. There are various systems out there to carry spares using the car's tow bolts, though I'm not sure how many of the manufacturers are still in business. An alternative method would be to have a towing hitch installed. Then you can use any of the many hitch-based carriers on the market.
1) Behind the seats. If you or your passenger is short enough, you can fit the wheel in the gap between the back of a seat and the engine shelf.
2) Roof rack. You could get a Yakima roof rack and carry the wheel like an offroader would.
3) Behind the tailgate. There are various systems out there to carry spares using the car's tow bolts, though I'm not sure how many of the manufacturers are still in business. An alternative method would be to have a towing hitch installed. Then you can use any of the many hitch-based carriers on the market.
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I put 205/60 r15's on Max. I have a brand new spare that's never been on the car. But it's a 155. I carried it behind the passenger seat and packed on top of it. But I figure if I did have a flat it is so much litttler than the others the traction control would force it into limp mode. But I guess limp mode would eventually get you home. DCO
No, the wheels are the same diameter, but because of the different sized tires, the rears are a little taller.
I’m sorry about the confusion. Yes, in case the tire diameters are different the traction control will very likely cause severe drivability problems. I’m just saying there is a workaround that has been mentioned here. (I haven’t tried it personally). Better to keep all tire diameters as close as possible to avoid this issue in the first place.
155/60 front is 22.32 inches. 175/55 rear is 22.58. 1/4 inch difference in diameter and 1/8 inch difference on the road or about 1 percent. Can't imagine that would be an issue. That's less than the difference between a new tire and a half worn one.
Yes, those are the sizes matched by smart. They have also come with (also matched by smart):
165/60 15 and 195/50 15
or
175/55 15 and 195/50 15
Some have tried very different tire sizes, which cause issues...
I am hoping that the Hankook iFlex (or something like it) becomes available so one would not need a spare wheel.
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Modern Tire Dealer.
Autoweek.
Digital Trends.
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Here is a picture of a clever tire mount (not mine)
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Can't see the picture.
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Certainly on a 450, a front wheel and tyre has the same outer diameter as the rear to within a few mm, so can be used as a spare to get you home. Many people do, including me - mine fits snugly behind the passenger seat, with a Land Rover bottle jack inside it.
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