spacesaver steel wheels

[gocamgo1]

Would spacesaver steel wheels be lighter than oe steel wheels. Regular tires mounted on the space savers with a proper height and also narrower tire may produce some gains.

[CapriRacer]

Part of what comes along with the lightness in the spare tire's wheels is decreased durability - which is OK for a rarely spare, not so much for a regularly used wheel..

Also, as hard as it may be to believe, wider tires are actually better for fuel economy:

Barry's Tire Tech

[robertwb70]

I think it's a bad idea, using something that was only meant for 50 miles/ 50 MPH is highly likely to cause some problems which could be quite serious in the case of wheels.

CapriRacer that data (like most) fails to take the increased weight and accompanying inertial loads of the larger tires into account. I suspect for small changes it probably about evens out but I'm sure for larger changes it would be detrimental. Most of the rednecks and gangster wannabees where I live tend to go for the extremes if given the chance.

I think it would be more correct to say wider tires are better for rolling resistance, and they MIGHT be better for FE, depending on other factors.

[pounsfos]

its a good idea but unfortunatly theyre not designed for long use, they are literally "bolt on and get a new tyre asap"

[gocamgo1]

Just trying to find a cost effective light weight wheel and take advantage of lower rotational mass in the process. Has anyone actually tested the wider tire is better theory in real life applacation? I know from my drag racing days a narrower front tire made a measureable et difference. I would swap from a lightweight 8 inch alloy rim to a 3.5 inch alloy rim so weight difference wasn't all of it. Not trying to kick a hornets nest, just get an understanding. Is there a big difference in a 15 inch 2002 civic steel wheel Any suggestion and any of the factory 15 inch alloys that fit? Another thing I've learned is some factory alloys arent very light. Any suggestions would be would be appreciated. Thanks for the info so far.

[gocamgo1]

Sweet car in the avatar. Still trying to digest the tech in Barrys page. thanks for the info.

[War_Wagon]

I would also be wary of liability issues on using a space saver spare wheel. That big decal that says "Not for use over speeds of xx" that you would peel off it that a lot of them have may be intended for the tire mainly, but if you were in an accident a crafty lawyer may find a way to put you at fault for having a mechanically unsafe vehicle. We used to use the aluminum space saver spare wheels out of convertible 5.0L Mustangs to mount skinny front runner tires on for the fronts of our cars at the drag races, but man I wouldn't want to get pulled over with them on the street.

[gocamgo1]

True. Had not thought of that. As a racer (and Ecomodder) sometimes the quest for more clouds better judgment. Thanks for that insight.

[Frank Lee]

He did say regular tires mounted on the little rims, did y'all miss that? The rims look plenty stout to me.

[War_Wagon]

Yes, and they are probably fine. But like I said, on paper the space saver tire/wheel combo has limitations assigned to it by the manufacturer, so even if you only used part of it you could still end up in trouble in a liability situation. They weren't designed for regular use, so using them as such could be a heat score even if they are safe in actuality, which they probably are.