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zonker · 04-18-2011, 07:58 PM

a narrow space saver wheel (not tire) is STURDY.

a space saver steel wheel is plenty strong - i'd even venture to say as sturdy as a oem regular sized steel wheel.

i'd even bet that the steel spare wheel is even stronger than many of the aftermarket alloy wheels one can buy.

it's the tires you need to pay heed to. Finding a correct tire for that narrow a rim is going to be the real concern. Pay close attention to load ratings. Make sure the tires can support your car's GVW (gross vehicle weight). GVW is the factory spec that includes both curb weight plus maximum designed payload.

If the tires are rated for 950 lbs per tire, then multiply that figure by 4 (3800 lbs) and that will be the number that has to exceed the GVW rating listed on your cars ID plate/sticker.

Assuming you're getting a 4" width steel space saver rim in 15", your tire choices are limited to tires that are between 145 and 175mm in width, and an aspect ratio of 65 or greater.

For my Mustang, my future tire/wheel of choice is a 165/80-15 and a set of 86-88 RX7 alloy spare wheels.

04-18-2011, 07:58 PM	#17 (permalink)
zonker 500 Mile Metro Traveler Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Sun City, CA Posts: 183 '89 Dakota LB - blue - '89 Dodge Dakota V6 LE 90 day: 19.8 mpg (US) '17 Fiat 124 - SunFiat - '17 Fiat 124 Spider Classica 90 day: 30.51 mpg (US) '89 Metro - The Egg - '89 Geo Metro Base 90 day: 50.71 mpg (US) '94 Alto - The Box - '94 Suzuki Alto Ce-L 90 day: 39.5 mpg (US) Thanks: 14 Thanked 13 Times in 10 Posts	a narrow space saver wheel (not tire) is STURDY. a space saver steel wheel is plenty strong - i'd even venture to say as sturdy as a oem regular sized steel wheel. i'd even bet that the steel spare wheel is even stronger than many of the aftermarket alloy wheels one can buy. it's the tires you need to pay heed to. Finding a correct tire for that narrow a rim is going to be the real concern. Pay close attention to load ratings. Make sure the tires can support your car's GVW (gross vehicle weight). GVW is the factory spec that includes both curb weight plus maximum designed payload. If the tires are rated for 950 lbs per tire, then multiply that figure by 4 (3800 lbs) and that will be the number that has to exceed the GVW rating listed on your cars ID plate/sticker. Assuming you're getting a 4" width steel space saver rim in 15", your tire choices are limited to tires that are between 145 and 175mm in width, and an aspect ratio of 65 or greater. For my Mustang, my future tire/wheel of choice is a 165/80-15 and a set of 86-88 RX7 alloy spare wheels. Last edited by zonker; 04-18-2011 at 08:07 PM..