Spacesaver on a Driven Axle

[Boleros]

Here's a weird one, for me anyway. Spotted a post on Facebook about an RPU stopping and pulling over a car because it had a space saver on a driven axle. I didn't know this was illegal or a basis for pulling a car over? Thinking about it some more and it makes sense in that you would want equal grip on driven wheels but never heard that it was a legal requirement. Anyone any the wiser?

For the avoidance of PH baiting, this isn't a dig at the cops, it's a genuine query especially as a couple of years ago I had to drive 400 miles on a Sunday using a spacesaver on my RRS (overseas, France to Italy, try finding an RRS tyre on a Sunday. Appreciate laws will be different).




Link if anyone is interested: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=89595703255350...

[Baldchap]

I've certainly done it. Not aware of any illegality although obviously not ideal.

[supacool1]

Same. How odd....Might just be an excuse to pull someone over...?

[Bluevanman]

The spacesaver is usually narrower than any of the standard wheels/tyres,it certainly is on mine where the rear driven tyres are wider than the fronts which in turn are wider than the spacesaver.
It's called a space saver for a reason

[Rushjob]

Common sense on 2wd cars but makes less difference imho on 4wd especially one with permanent 4wd like the RRS.

ISTR that my 964 had a warning to put the front wheel on the rear and the space saver on the front if ever you had to use the space saver for a rear puncture.....

[Rich Boy Spanner]

I have used a space saver on the front of a FWD car and never thought about it. Just looked it up and a UK driving test revision guide says to swap it to a non-driven axle/wheel and use a full size wheel on the driven wheel.

[Davie]

I wouldn't read into the Facebook wording too much and to be honest, I'm not sure why police put stuff like this on social media?

There's probably more to it so regardless of the placement of the space saver, maybe said driver has been seen with it over a longer period of time, maybe they were driving in a manned that suggests it's not on there purely to get to safety / get it replaced or maybe it pinged ANPR for other issues. An expired license does make you wonder if it's insured too... or MOT'd etc etc.

Non story for me and I'm fairly sure any reasonable traffic cop would be able to separate a genuine "emergency" use of a space saver even on a driven axle compared to somebody who clearly doesn't care and jn turn, transpired there's bigger issues lurking.

[vikingaero]

On the R55 MINI the recommendation was that if you had a front wheel puncture, you put the spacesaver on the rear and move the rear wheel to the front as the spacesaver wouldn't clear the front brakes. In effect a double wheel change.

[Sheepshanks]

AA put the spacesaver on the front of daughter's Golf.

Not putting them on a driven axle seems logical to me, but I've seen it written that they should always go on the rear regardless of front or rear wheel drive as the steering and front braking is most important. Mercedes used the same argument about fitting a pair of new tyres - they said their ESP would deal with the rear.

[aka_kerrly]

I hadn't realised it was law, had it down as a sensible approach to keep traction equal on the driven wheels when using a spacesaver.

Who else has been caught out by a spacesaver that will not clear the front caliper

[Glenn63]

On my C63 the space saver didn’t fit over the front brakes so had to put a back wheel on the front and the space saver on the back so no choice but to use the space saver on the driven axle.

[Sheepshanks]

aka_kerrly said:

I hadn't realised it was law,

It's not.

[Panamax]

Sheepshanks said:

It's not.

Quite, and just as well. People with a puncture don't usually jack the whole side of a car, prop it safely and start swapping wheels around.

[Boleros]

Sheepshanks said:

aka_kerrly said:

I hadn't realised it was law,

It's not.

That’s what I thought.

[murphyaj]

I've had a search through the highway code and I can't find any mention of not putting a spare wheel on the driven axle. I also can't find anywhere else that indicates this is a requirement.

The Facebook post doesn't mention they were prosecuted for doing so, just that it was the reason they were pulled over. It's likely they did so to check they were indeed just using it to get home or to a tyre shop, and not driving an extended distance. The actual prosecution was for not having valid entitlement to drive.

[sunbeam alpine]

I have a couple of Alfas with a spacesaver spare. Both are Q4 versions - all wheels are driven - so I'm screwed!

Boleros said:

... a couple of years ago I had to drive 400 miles on a Sunday using a spacesaver on my RRS (overseas, France to Italy, try finding an RRS tyre on a Sunday. Appreciate laws will be different).

When I got my first car with a spacesaver, the garage advised me to remember the 80/80 rule - maximum speed 80 kmh and a maximum distance of 80km. Alfa's spacesavers are designed just to get you to a tyre centre. Maybe other manufacturers have different advice.

I've actually acquired full size spares for long-distance trips.

Edited by sunbeam alpine on Tuesday 27th August 13:06

[Boleros]

sunbeam alpine said:

When I got my first car with a spacesaver, the garage advised me to remember the 80/80 rule - maximum speed 80 kmh and a maximum distance of 80km. Alfa's spacesavers are designed just to get you to a tyre centre. Maybe other manufacturers have different advice.

I've actually acquired full size spares for long-distance trips.

Edited by sunbeam alpine on Tuesday 27th August 13:06

It was a few years ago now but I remember the hotel manager in Alsace spending quite some time on the phone on Mon morning trying to find somewhere, anywhere that stocked a tyre but no luck. Even the nearest LR dealer didn't have one and LR Assist were useless.

So off we went. 400 odd miles at 50mph from Alsace to Brescia, utterly painful. We managed to find a tyre when we got to Italy although had to wait a few days, got properly rinsed as well. £400 as opposed to £250ish back home. Must admit that the thought of a restricted distance on a spacesaver didn't even cross my mind - eek. Makes absolute sense now.

[Snow and Rocks]

There's definitely not a legal issue so no idea why the police social team have mentioned it but it's definitely worth taking care if you do need to use one on a driven axle.

Year ago I was over on the Isle of Skye with a w212 E350cdi and managed to ruin one of the idiotically sized low profile rear tyres on a pothole - on went the space saver with a quick phone around revealing no one locally would be able to get one until after the holiday weekend. The car drove reasonably well but with one exception - the torque of the 350cdi engine meant that in the wet anything more than the most careful application of power resulted in near instant wheelspin. Fine if you're expecting it but still surprised me how little grip it actually had.

[cptsideways]

99% certain the pull was because 99% of drug delivery runner cars are unregistered stboxes with one or more space saver saver wheels.

[Triumph Man]

It does sound a little like the spidey sense was tingling and an ideal excuse was found - however a little bit of misinformation to put that on the post!