Difference between a wheel and a spare wheel?
Discussion
Guys,
Half a bottle of red* is gone and I need to ask a question which may be stupid. Bear with me ....
Mate's car has failed an MOT because of 'cracks in the wheel'. Front wheel, no less. (Hold your horses, he's not a 'car guy' like all of us on here; his aged machine is simply transport for him and he's a good friend.) It's a 2010 diseasel Mondeo with steel wheels.
So, new wheel is needed. Off to eBay trogs I to have a look at Mondeo Wheels. Yes, some people have interesting things to do on a Thursday evening but I am not so blessed. Bear with, dear reader, bear with. **
And it seems that eBay is swamped - veritably swamped - with Mondeo spare wheels of the requisite 6.5J-16 ET50 size. They go for pennies. All nicely fitted with 215/55/16 tyres (most of them Ling Long Ditchfinders, but that's another matter.) However they all have yellow stickers on with 80KPH / 50MPH speed limits on them. Here's an example (one of many):
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/353510565637?hash=item5...
My question is simple; what's the difference between these and the 6.5J-16 ET50's shod with 215/55/16 tyres that are on there already? What makes them spare wheels as opposed to ... erm ... wheels? What's stopping me from buying one of these for pennies, screwing it onto my friend's car and rocking up to the MOT station and expecting a pass? (I'll peel off the 80kph/50mph sticker if it helps.) Indeed, what's to stop me from swapping the spare wheel in the boot of the MOT-failed waggon (of the correct size and resplendent with a 80kph/50mph sticker) onto the front axle in place of the cracked existing example? I am aware that to pass an MOT then tyre sizes need to be the same across an axle and that space saver spare wheels aren't up to snuff but I wouldn't be falling foul of either of these rules would I?
All advice welcomed, thanks.
-*- It's amazing how much effort typing a message like this is after half a bottle of red. It's taken me nearly half an hour. Bah!
-**- Last time someone used the phrase 'bear with' then I punched them in the face. That may not be entirely true but it is in my mind.
Half a bottle of red* is gone and I need to ask a question which may be stupid. Bear with me ....
Mate's car has failed an MOT because of 'cracks in the wheel'. Front wheel, no less. (Hold your horses, he's not a 'car guy' like all of us on here; his aged machine is simply transport for him and he's a good friend.) It's a 2010 diseasel Mondeo with steel wheels.
So, new wheel is needed. Off to eBay trogs I to have a look at Mondeo Wheels. Yes, some people have interesting things to do on a Thursday evening but I am not so blessed. Bear with, dear reader, bear with. **
And it seems that eBay is swamped - veritably swamped - with Mondeo spare wheels of the requisite 6.5J-16 ET50 size. They go for pennies. All nicely fitted with 215/55/16 tyres (most of them Ling Long Ditchfinders, but that's another matter.) However they all have yellow stickers on with 80KPH / 50MPH speed limits on them. Here's an example (one of many):
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/353510565637?hash=item5...
My question is simple; what's the difference between these and the 6.5J-16 ET50's shod with 215/55/16 tyres that are on there already? What makes them spare wheels as opposed to ... erm ... wheels? What's stopping me from buying one of these for pennies, screwing it onto my friend's car and rocking up to the MOT station and expecting a pass? (I'll peel off the 80kph/50mph sticker if it helps.) Indeed, what's to stop me from swapping the spare wheel in the boot of the MOT-failed waggon (of the correct size and resplendent with a 80kph/50mph sticker) onto the front axle in place of the cracked existing example? I am aware that to pass an MOT then tyre sizes need to be the same across an axle and that space saver spare wheels aren't up to snuff but I wouldn't be falling foul of either of these rules would I?
All advice welcomed, thanks.
-*- It's amazing how much effort typing a message like this is after half a bottle of red. It's taken me nearly half an hour. Bah!
-**- Last time someone used the phrase 'bear with' then I punched them in the face. That may not be entirely true but it is in my mind.
1. There are no differences between the wheels what so ever.
2. Nearly 60 quid including postage is not pennies no matter how rich you are and is in fact too much for a s
tty old mondeo wheel.. If you went to a breakers yard you would still pay pounds but a lot less of them.
3. Boozers are losers. I know this because I was one for many years.
2. Nearly 60 quid including postage is not pennies no matter how rich you are and is in fact too much for a s
tty old mondeo wheel.. If you went to a breakers yard you would still pay pounds but a lot less of them. 3. Boozers are losers. I know this because I was one for many years.
The reason that full-size spares are so often speed/distance limited by a yellow sticker is due to two factors:
1) More common: Directional tyres - the wheel needs to be used on either side so might be running in reverse
2) Less common: Staggered wheels - the wheel needs to be used front or back so might be on an axle with a larger wheel.
I suppose the real factor is "people only want to carry one spare"
So, your mate needs to ensure he buys one with the tyre fitted the right way, or he needs to pay someone to swap it round.
1) More common: Directional tyres - the wheel needs to be used on either side so might be running in reverse
2) Less common: Staggered wheels - the wheel needs to be used front or back so might be on an axle with a larger wheel.
I suppose the real factor is "people only want to carry one spare"
So, your mate needs to ensure he buys one with the tyre fitted the right way, or he needs to pay someone to swap it round.
Another reason a spare wheel can be limited to 80kph/50mph is that it is a different size to the standard road wheels.
For example, my Yeti has 225/45R17 tyres/wheels, but the 'temporary' spare (note: not a space saver) is 195/60R16.
The spare tyre/wheel is just a normal/regular tyre & steel wheel, but because it is a different size the manufacturer has chosen, prudently (or because of legislation?) to label it as a temporary spare and put a "Max 80kph/50mph" sticker on it.
For example, my Yeti has 225/45R17 tyres/wheels, but the 'temporary' spare (note: not a space saver) is 195/60R16.
The spare tyre/wheel is just a normal/regular tyre & steel wheel, but because it is a different size the manufacturer has chosen, prudently (or because of legislation?) to label it as a temporary spare and put a "Max 80kph/50mph" sticker on it.
It's not the first time I've heard of this phenomenon, but basically if the steel 'spare' wheel is of the same size as the rest of the steel wheels on the car (obviously with the same size tyre too) then there is no real reason why it should bear the 80kph/50mph sticker.
Peel it off, fit the wheel to the car and send it for a retest.
Peel it off, fit the wheel to the car and send it for a retest.
Guys,
Thanks very much for the answers. Looks like I am probably home free then; I think that the spare wheel is the same size as the rest of the wheels on the car and the tyre the same as well. There remains the question about whether it's fitted for the right direction of rotation or not (does a tyre running backwards fail an MOT?) but I'll check that out this evening. I will indeed peel off the yellow 80/50 sticker!
Thanks again everyone.
Thanks very much for the answers. Looks like I am probably home free then; I think that the spare wheel is the same size as the rest of the wheels on the car and the tyre the same as well. There remains the question about whether it's fitted for the right direction of rotation or not (does a tyre running backwards fail an MOT?) but I'll check that out this evening. I will indeed peel off the yellow 80/50 sticker!
I am alright Jack said:
3. Boozers are losers. I know this because I was one for many years.
Thanks .... I don't think of myself as a boozer but then no-one ever does, do they? Bravo for getting past it. Thanks again everyone.
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