Just found out I had a puncture outside my work!! Raging as they are not that long replaced!

Anyway RAC been out and put on spacesaver......and its minging!! So taking a half day to get that replaced!!

Its on drivers rear....just wondering how safe it is seeing as its rear wheel drive!!

I am not sure, but I think I saw in the manual, that the space safer has to go to front only.
So in case of rear puncture you put frontwheel in the back and spacesaver instead of the front wheel. Am I wrong?

Space savers are a temporary fix, they are designed so that you are not stranded out in the cold/wet etc. I wouldn't be too confident driving a rwd car with a space saver on the back, so I'd replace it with a full size tyre ASAP.

Isn't 50 mph max with a spacesaver?

90KM is th safe max speed for a Space saver, but on the rear in a RWD car when it' cold, wet and windy, and you approach a busy roundabout...in rush hour traffic...get ready to steer opposite lock (that' what coms to mind) or wear some brown pants.

I wouldn't take it anywhere except the nearest tyre place

I think you'd end up with a bigger mis-match then as the tyres are different sizes. You'd have the spare on the front with its normal front tyre and a smaller front tyre on the rear with a larger rear tyre!

Try it Ivan and lets see

Either way, apart from the danger aspect, it looks so stupid with the Fisher Price "my first tyre" it makes you get it done ASAP anyway!

I'm still cracking up 5 mins after reading this, Geoffers you made my day

Space savers should only ever go on the front on a rwd car - due to being smaller than the other wheel it can mess up your diff & knocks out the ratio's

I can see why they would be better on the front but.............. Space savers are thin, but not mormally a different diameter from the standard wheel are they? I can't say I've ever notices a car on a space saver looking dipped down in one corner as surely this would be a really big safety issue, more so than having a thinner go slow spare tyre.

How would a diff ratio get "kncoked out"? A diff is designed to spin a different speeds on either side all of the time, and it is happening 99.9% of the time (as very few roads are dead straight) so are we all driving around on diffs with knocked out ratios??

Dunno about all this ratio stuff (though I see where TigerFish is coming from), but the RAC man surely ould have not fitted a "Fisher Price" wheel (I've been quietly chuckling at this phrase today too) if it was dangerous, would he????

He'd be personally sued no doubt if he made such a blunder and an accident occured...and the it is the rotational length (circumference) which is important. So seeing that the sidewall is a meter high on the FP tyre (that's what I will always call 'em) then it should be OK. It's just the thought of 50% less grip on one rear wheel on an RWD car that scares me...especially with the current unpredicatble weather!

I'm sure it will safe as long as you don't try and race anywhere, or take corners too fast...else the RAC man would not have fitted it...

I do hate this cost cutting that manufacturers inflict upon us. I know that the tyres fr and rr are different widths on anything but base model, but as a temporary measure, surely the 225/50 would be much safer as a spare on the rear, and 100% OK on the front???

My old 2001 GS300SE had a full size alloy spare as does my 2004 LS430. Even before I owned a lexus when I was looking at IS200's, they had full size alloy spares. Is this somthing new that Lexus are doing to cut costs?

Space Savers can be used on all 4 corners But must be used carefully for journeys preferably not exceeding 50 miles & 50mph.
Tel

Ok maybe I worded that wrongly

Just that AFAIK if your car is a rwd then the spacesaver should not be used on the rear as it could (I say could) have an adverse effect

It is only the width that is different on my car. The skinny can be fitted to any corner, but there is a clear recommendation to run it for as short a distance as possible and with a maximum speed of not more than 50 m.p.h.

The confusion about fitting it only on the front arises because that is what Lexus recommend when there is snow or ice; but they also recommend fitting snow chains to the rear in these circumstances. Personally, if I got a puncture with significant snow on the ground, I would be calling the RAC . . . . .

It is an emergency wheel to get you to the nearest Lexus dealer or tyre fitter, as mentioned many times. It is not for driving around admiring the change of looks for goodness sake.

Totaly agree. It is there to get you to a garage/home whichever is the narest untill you replace the punctured/broken, wheel/tyre.
It has obviously beeen proven safe for THIS reason and probably been tested for MANY miles.
Why would you want to travel hundreds of miles on this wheel? Why would you want to go at 150MPH with it on (If you could anyway)
It is there for an emergency. It is obviously designed to fit on front or rear otherwise Lexus would have given you 2 FP wheels which of course would defeat the object of having a FP wheel in the first place.

Next some of you will be saying it hasn't got shiny spokes!!! Or at least a LEXUS logo hubcap!

I would imagine the cost saving is minimal, normal reasons given are to reduce weight (marginal again) and give a bigger boot space. The main reason they do it for the IS is because the tyres are different widths front to back and also directional - so they could give you a full size spare but there is only a 1 in 4 chance that it would be the right one to replace the punctured one. You can put the space saver on any side, front or back, it's a get you home/to the tyre place stop gap only and as long as you don't go mad or speed above 50mph you'll not have any problems.

Quite obviously.

I guess its how you see this thread but I don't think the discussion was how far you could push it or how long you can leave it on, but more so the relative dangers and additional issues that could arise. Wasn't it the Cabrio that had problems even after all the testing?

The initial comment from Ivan about it looking stupid could have been a throw away comment but it has done its job - apart from being dangerous to run normally, it looking stupid sped up the time it took to replace.

That was my argument about it being FP - it helps - it wasn't derogatory and I WASN'T suggesting for one second that it SHOULD look good.

IT LOOKING BAD IS A GOOD THING.

I think the looks of it have been mis-interpreted here.

Discussion of the possible dangers that have arisen here and the fact it has possibly made people feel uneasy about the space saver spare could now even be a positive as they WON'T WANT to ride around on it even more now which is only a good thing.

Sometimes just killing a thread with a fact in a berating manner isn't always the answer within a group. You should know that. Besides, these are discussion forums and by discussing this we could have found people running around on them and now hopefully put them off.

I'm still cracking up at this Geoffers

I should stop saying that really. I upset my mate a couple of days ago when he paid a fortune of his new little Japanese Chin dog.

"So this your Fisher Price My first dog? Where's the remote?"

He didn't see the funny side at all.

It's got nothing to do with cost cutting, it's a space saver and lighter. I have no spare wheel, and use Run Flat tyres, so plenty spare boot space. My friend has a custom made cooler box fitted in that space. Good for beers and cool drinks, even for the frozen goods that need protection when shopping.

Looks OK

Just need 3 more, stick snow tyres on 'em and they'd be perfect!

Oldcro is right - it is an emergency wheel, but this thread has been excellent!

Look at the reflection. I do hope that wasn't multiple disabled spaces.

It doesn't mean you can park in disabled bays just because you have a bright yellow wheel like the painted image in the parking space

That's just wrong.

Geoff don't get me started on this subject!
My Mrs. is registered disabled and the ammount of times she has gone to park in the disabled bay and it has been full of flash cars who do not hold badges is unbelievable.

Snap. I looked after her for years. (Well, she's not my missus anymore. Binned me cause she couldn't handle MY illness! Cheek!)

I know its a different topic. (New one to start?) but I understand what you mean. I used to and still do get really angry over this one. Mind you, the truth is if you've got a flash car, you are allowed to park anywhere. Didn't you know? It annoys me that shops or wherever don't make a bigger issue out of it.

Sorry, back on topic - its a lovely shade of yellow though don't you think? Reminds me of a clown car.

I may fit a secret switch. If ever I have it on and have to pull up by people I can press it and the wing mirrors shoot off, the wheels roll away and a giant balloon inflates out of the exhaust. whisking me away somewhere. Safest hot air balloon in the world with its own airbag.

thats the first thing i checked.. when i went to buy my car
does it have a proper wheel.. or one of them pertend ones.

The steering wheel is on the wrong side too..that pic was obviously taken in the States where even the normal parking bays are big enough for a bus, perhaps it was parked next to the disabled bay. Not my car Geoffers, but thanks for the pm anyway.....