Replacing Spare Wheel

Anybody else removed their spare wheel and carrier ? It's never closed properly because of the radial tyre and I've been carrying it around for 10 years now which seems an unnecessary weight when there are tyre weld alternatives. It would leave the fuel tank more vulnerable to damage I suppose!

Extension bolts are available so you can fit in a standard size spare

The trend for car manufacturers to supply a can of gunk and 12v tyre inflator IMHO is a retrograde step for several reasons (as are run-flat tyres).
Not all tyre issues are ones that a can of gunk can solve. Hit a piece of discarded metal on the road (as recently happened to me with my C3) and the subsequent immediate deflation and a can of gunk will be unlikely to help you.
Even if you have a conventional puncture and use the gunk its highly likely that a tyre specialist will refuse to repair the tyre (due to all the gunk inside the tyre).
Much the same applies for run-flats - and get a puncture less than 50 or so miles from home - then subsequently visit your tyre specialist and he will most likely refuse to repair the run-flat, not taking responsibility or your word for how many miles you've use the tyre for and what potential damage has caused.
The only real advantage is that you can legally drive the vehicle with on deflated tyre (up to tyre manufacturers prescribed distance) if it is a runflat.........decide to drive-on a deflated standard tyre (and accept that you'll irrepaireably shred it) and get stopped by the old bill......and you'll get a nick.
I'm running low profile 18" tyres on my C3. These are very close in diameter to the OEM 15" tyres. I carry an old BFG as a spare. Even that is a little tight for the spare wheel carrier.....but it fits (just). My frontal puncture was on a concrete surfaced 'A' road. Some of these surfaces create a drone within the cabin, the road surface was poor anyway and I simply didn't realise I was running on a flat untill I smelt the burning rubber of a totally destroyed tyre. A can of gunk wouldn't have helped. I'd have to call a breakdown service to have recovered the car home. The trusty old BFG in in the spare wheel carrier saved the day.
If your not using the space for anything else....why not use it? - 14" and 15" tyres are few and far between (except for American brands) - but why not simply buy a cheap van tyre that will fit the tyre carrier)

Sealer sprayed into the tire, if not driving the car right afterward
can cause all the sealer to run down to bottom of tire, harden and cause that weight to put wheel out of balance
If wheels have tire pressure monitor sensors, the sealers can cause failure or cause the sensor to report incorrect tire pressure

Best is like this one I keep in C5 injects plug seal into tire puncture and also carry a battery operated air compressor to put air in

I don't have a spare wheel carrier in the back of my C3. Came across the pond to me like that. I did think about putting one back in and having a spare wheel, for obvious reasons, then remembered my old Pug 205 GTi. It too had an (exposed) underslung spare tyre under the boot area like a C3 (except C3 tyre isn't exposed). The one time I needed to use the spare wheel in it, it was too old and was degraded and I couldn't use it.

So yes, I could keep an old tyre if I got a replacement C3 tyre carrier, but I figured what was the point for me? I rarely drive my C3 far from home, and the spare tyre would just get old and useless. And that rather scares me as my C3 was delivered across the pond on old / degraded BFGs I didn't know about and it was a scary experience until they got changed. I'd rather call the AA than have to drive on old /degraded tyres.

I have to admit Capt that the BFG's on my Vette were already at the very least 10 years old when I bought the car in 2000. Car was imported in to the UK in 1990 so at best were installed before previous owner bought the car, also in 1990 (perhaps earlier) there were additional clues like micro-cracks on them and a spongy feel to the sidewalls that pressure didn't seem to irradicate.......
I was fed-up with the shrieking sound from the tyres if I went around a corner on tarmac at anything over 10 mph. They were replaced with 18" low profiles and wheels in about 2010.....and it's now time to replace these tyres in turn.

Here in the USA, a federal law prevents any tire more than 6 years old no matter how few miles on them
from being mounted, balanced, or even fix for a flat by tire shops

If a tire shop did so and then that vehicle had a crash due to tire problem
the shops' insurance would refuse the claim since the tires were not to have been serviced by that shop

Will probably have to change the tyres on my 74 next year as they have been on there 10 years. Not much mileage on them, but they are getting older.

GOOP is another consideration - add it into your wheels and it will help prevent a puncture in the first place….although I guess it has limitations if it was a big cut in your tyre it might not work.

Apparently it is popular with motorbikes who obviously don’t carry a spare wheel so a puncture is a load of grief.

I’ve tried it once on my wife’s daily driver which has alloy wheels. I used it as a fix rather than a preventative measure…..One tyre would always lose a few psi over the course of a week. I put up with this until the tyre eventually got replaced at which point I made sure the tyre shop paid particular attention to cleaning up the rim of any flaky lacquer and they used their “special” sealer on it. Frustrated to find the new tyre still leaked so took it back and they tried again. No success - it continued to leak so I thought nothing to lose, I’d try this GOOP.…one of those things you hear about but are sceptical of its chances of working. Well it solved the problem straight away - that tyre doesn’t lose any pressure now. I know the proper way would have been to get the wheel refurbished, but then you have to do them all and the car is old so not worth spending on etc etc.

Roscobbc said:

I have to admit Capt that the BFG's on my Vette were already at the very least 10 years old when I bought the car in 2000.

Click to expand...

I can't remember how old the BFGs were on the Vette when I got it. I just remember it was a bit like ice skating when driving the car around. Rather horrid feeling and a real handful, didn't really inspire much confidence. Also back then it was delivered with pathetic brakes too. Shocking really, but hey, you take risks sight unseen when buying long range. All fixed now.

And Andy, thanks for that recommendation of "Goop". My FTO has alloys on it that ever since I've fitted them have always lost a tiny bit of PSI over time. Not a problem so much now it doesn't get used much, as I just check over my cars before I use them. Like you, every time the tyres were changed I'd tell the tyre fitter about it and to seal it well etc. A re-seal works for a while and then the slow loss happens again. So might give the goop a go too.

Gunk wont fix all tyres issues ..My tyres were 10yr old tyres in perfect condition ...one rear blew out on May 4th on the M4 while i was doing 60mph....Now carry a spare and Gunk ...

Couple of questions relating to the use of Goop.
As the stuff presumably remains semi-liquid within the tyre.......does it affect wheel balancing?
When eventually replacing tyre - or removing from rim do tyre fitters 'create' about the potential mess the Goop might leave?

Yes, when putting these types of leak stop products,
must drive the vehicle right away, so the sealer does not run down to bottom of the tire, harden and cause an imbalance
As I mentioned before, these sealer products can degrade the tire pressure sensors

As to age of tires, always look at the DOT info to the right of it as to date the tire was made (if tire maker follows USA rules)
In this case, tire was made on 35th week of 2011

Roscobbc said:

Couple of questions relating to the use of Goop.
As the stuff presumably remains semi-liquid within the tyre.......does it affect wheel balancing?
When eventually replacing tyre - or removing from rim do tyre fitters 'create' about the potential mess the Goop might leave?

Click to expand...

Text below is from GOOP’s website. Elsewhere they claim it does not affect the valve or tpms.
There’s probably some historic bad press from other / earlier versions of this type of product and also confusion with emergency tyre sealers used at the roadside after a puncture which are a different type of product.

“GOOP UK began in 1983, supplying British-made products to the motorcycle trade. We sold tools, thermal gear, helmet visors, bike covers and more to wholesalers across the UK.

In the mid-1990s, we acted as agents for an American tyre sealant. While showing this product at the Cologne Motorcycle Show in Germany, we saw its flaws. The sealant used fibres that often clogged the valve during installation. This caused blockages and spills, which made it hard to demonstrate and even harder to sell. It didn’t inspire confidence in us—or in potential buyers.

After that show, we started work on our own version. We spent years testing and refining the formula. In 1998, GOOP was born. Our sealant uses finely ground rubber instead of fibres. It flows smoothly through the valve and spreads evenly inside the tyre. There’s no clogging, no mess, and no ‘balling up’ as the tyre turns. It works in both tubed and tubeless tyres, so there’s no need for separate versions.

Since launch, GOOP has gained trust across the trade. Sales have continued to grow, month by month and year on year. Retailers and end users alike rely on GOOP, we are very proud of what we have created and extremely happy in the knowledge that we continue to keep people safe and protected while behind the wheel or on the saddle.

When you buy GOOP, you know it works. Thousands use it daily with full peace of mind, knowing their tyres are protected from punctures—every time”.

The most common cause of a tyre “blow out” is from under-inflation…..it puts a lot of stress on the sidewall and causes a heat build up then the sidewall bursts. The catastrophic-looking shredded tyre looks like you’ve hit something in the road to cause it, which is possible of course, but more likely the results of driving with an un-noticed tyre pressure drop…..ie from a much smaller / slow puncture or leak.

teamzr1 said:

Sealer sprayed into the tire, if not driving the car right afterward
can cause all the sealer to run down to bottom of tire, harden and cause that weight to put wheel out of balance
If wheels have tire pressure monitor sensors, the sealers can cause failure or cause the sensor to report incorrect tire pressure

Best is like this one I keep in C5 injects plug seal into tire puncture and also carry a battery operated air compressor to put air in

View attachment 31835

Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip, just bought on of these from eBay and it seems to be a sturdy piece of equipment. Sort of insurance whereby you hope you never need to use it.