Thanks for that, the wife's wheels are 14 inchers and I definitely can't be bothered to whip a wheel off again just to try and find out if it fits properly in the well. Therefore, super skinny stays!
General Tire Pressures
- Thread starter ahmett
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General Tire Pressures
mention it to me tomorrow and I'll see if a 175/65 R14 fits in the wheel well.
G,evnin, yep, that would be interesting to know. For all my gobbing off yesterday about tyre pressures and spare wheels blah blah, I didn't let on, but when I went out yesterday to do the weekly check on the wife's tyres, I stumbled around in horror to find the rear offside tyre on my Caddy as flat as you know what. Didn't even bother to try popping air into it, just took the wheel off and found a filthy great nail buried up to its head slap bang in the centre of the tyre. At 157 quid a corner, I was naturally a wee bit upset, however, took it into local tyre fitter today and all fixed for less than 15 quid. My spare 16 inch alloy worked a treat although I also have the skinny Saab space saver as a back up.
Could have been worse. The wife ran over a mahoooooosive bolt in her Subaru a few weeks ago and it killed the tyre properly dead, they weren't going to patch it. It was long enough and strong enough to have been able to punch a hole in the rim......
I'll actually just consider myself very lucky then. 'Twas an easy repair, took less than ten minutes which surprised me. The last time I had a puncture repaired was years and years and years ago and I seem to remember it took a lot longer than 10 minutes. They must have advanced me thinks!!
TwinAir Newbie
Member
I haven't gone through all this thread but I would recommend getting a good quality tyre pressure guage. I have one which I rely on and the readout on my Michelin pump is inaccurate.
I used to calibrate my own guage in the lab and it revealed how crap the pencil guages of the time were.
I used to calibrate my own guage in the lab and it revealed how crap the pencil guages of the time were.
Jaime, apparently if you remove the plastic trim around the tailgate hatch you can just squeeze a 16" alloy into the space, (see link below).
http://www.abarthforum.co.uk/500-abarth-tuning/spare-wheel/
I might have the opportunity of picking up a full size 14 inch rim today (with tyre), to replace the skinny. I don't like the skinny's much (speed limitation, careful cornering etc etc) especially if you happen to get a puncture way out in the sticks!
Tbh punctures these days are fairly rare 
Unless you're my wife......
Unless you're my wife......
Oh I know, but to be fair, if you're driving around Dartmoor in the middle of the night, I'd rather have a proper wheel to shove on other than some poor excuse for saving a few quid or so called weight saving by the motor manufacturer. Not only that, you aren't completely compelled to buy a new replacement (if puncture is not repairable) as soon as possible because of the limitations previously mentioned. I'd rather have the option of sitting down and trawling the internet for a good price than coughing up more than I have to, but then that's me, I'm just tight!
Completely agree. When the wife killed the tyre on her Subaru we had another tyre in the shed to go on which was one of those tyres that a garage gets on the day when your car fails its MOT. THe car is going off the road soon so I wasn't going to shell out for a new Conti to replace the dead one.
Well, I've just this moment purchased a full size 14 incher with tyre (apparently good tread) from the well known auction site for 25 quid. TBH, as long as the tyre is safe and gets us out of a spot of bother somewhere lonely and remote, then I'm happy.
I had a doughnut moment again, that big 08 on my space saver is in fact - 80 kph:bang: The lovely 'new' tyre on it was made in 2002....
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Is that a typo ?
This one came from a thread on our own Abarth section that was started by yours truely.
ahmett
Prominent member
Just a thought. I was driving the 500 on wet roads and it was sliding around a bit more than i thought it should. Now I surely said to myself, well my tires don't look that badly worn so it shouldnt slide like that from side to side under light power on the bends!
I decided to check the tire pressures for the first time after my service at the stealer. Well I realised that they had changed my correct tire pressures from 36 front 34 rear to 30 front and 30 rear! I told myself, no wonder (!) and quickly put my old pressures back at the petrol station.
It goes to show:
1) Don't trust anyone with your car
2) Tire pressures make a very big difference with regards to handling especially in grip critical situations!
I decided to check the tire pressures for the first time after my service at the stealer. Well I realised that they had changed my correct tire pressures from 36 front 34 rear to 30 front and 30 rear! I told myself, no wonder (!) and quickly put my old pressures back at the petrol station.
It goes to show:
1) Don't trust anyone with your car
2) Tire pressures make a very big difference with regards to handling especially in grip critical situations!
ahmett, I believe, after conversion from Front 2.2 bar - Rear 2.1 bar, the correct tyre pressures are 32psi front and 29psi back in normal conditions. However, the dealer has obviously checked the pressures on the service, which is comforting to know, despite having been set incorrectly, but it does prove that it is always a good idea to check such items yourself.
If you feel that the extra ride harshness you get with higher pressures along with the increased wear on the central tread of your tyres is acceptable to get the handling characteristics you prefer then that is entirely your decision.
ps. The above are based on cold tyres and if you are checking yours when hot then the difference between your preferred pressures and recommended pressures will be smaller.
ahmett
Prominent member
ahmett, I believe, after conversion from Front 2.2 bar - Rear 2.1 bar, the correct tyre pressures are 32psi front and 29psi back in normal conditions. However, the dealer has obviously checked the pressures on the service, which is comforting to know, despite having been set incorrectly, but it does prove that it is always a good idea to check such items yourself.
If you feel that the extra ride harshness you get with higher pressures along with the increased wear on the central tread of your tyres is acceptable to get the handling characteristics you prefer then that is entirely your decision.
ps. The above are based on cold tyres and if you are checking yours when hot then the difference between your preferred pressures and recommended pressures will be smaller.
Grimwau yes i check the tires after having driven when i go to the fuel station to fill up the car. The manual says 2.2F-2.0R and according to it it tells me to put +0.3 bar if the car is hot. So this comes to 2.5F-2.2R which comes up to around 36 front and 34 rear. The geniuses at the petrol station say that this is too much. At 30 front and 30 rear the car felt far more nervous. Just yesterday I took a corner far too fast (to be honest on purpose because i knew the road and wanted to try the handling) and while ESP intervened a lot the car had felt very predictable even without ESP intervening. To be honest I have noticed that my tires are more worn at the sides then the center so who knows maybe its too little pressure! Although I think this is more due to fast cornering than tire pressures.
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