BVD

I'm touched that you remembered Sco - what a memory!

Yes, I used mine after a piece of metal flicked up off the road and went right through the sidewall. The goop would have been useless.

It was no trouble to change over, although I was glad that I carry an old piece of carpet for kneeling on. The spare looks ridiculous, and is not only much narrower but it's also a slightly different diameter. But it got me home OK.

The car handled the blowout superbly (back tyre) doing about 90kpm round a moderate bend. Didn't even know it had blown until I stopped to check for general damage.

I never have anything much in the boot so carrying the spare is no problem, even though it does take up a lot of room.

dracoMJB

You realise that if a rear tyre blows, because of the diff you need to replace the rear tyre with a front tyre and put the space saver on the front? The manual specifically states you shouldn't use the space saver on the rear wheels.

nugsdad

Don't carry the spare as nothing fits. Run At 40psi seems to be good. By the way took 1.8L of oil at 6000km after having serviced at 2000km. Light on dash came on (on freeway to Sunshine Coast) topped it up at the nearest Mazda dealer no drama.

RRS

I just threw ours back in tonight.. we're heading to the north coast tomorrow for the weekend and I don't wanna be in some backwater with a cut in a sidewall and no way home....

We'll do the same when we head to Canberra in 2 weeks too (being the backwater that it is.... )

Rowds

takahashi

Concluded,

Interstate or long driving: Yes; City driving: No

mikeyr

Err spare tyre in the back helps balance out spare tyre in the front.......glad that seat goes back and my 5 year old is short!
Taka's got it in a nutshell though!

timbo

We're always harsh on optimists here :D

AMG

no you don't

AMG

[QUOTE=BVD]I was glad that I carry an old piece of carpet for kneeling on.[QUOTE]

these things also come in handy


http://www.4wdworld.com.au/newproducts/wrench.htm

BVD

My manual definitely doesn't specifically state that . Could your manual be different from mine? Later version perhaps?

It does say that you shouldn't exceed 80kph and it does suggest that you shouldn't put the space saver tyre on the back if you're driving in snow, for control reasons.

And it also warns against driving with a limited slip diff for extended periods with a space saver tyre on the back. But there's no blanket statement that says you should never use it at the back.

What it does say is:

"When using the temporary spare tyre on the rear axle, replace it with a standard tyre as soon as possible."
and goes on to say that using the different sized tyre can cause the limited slip diff to malfunction.

But it doesn't attempt to define how long that it would deem reasonable to leave it on, and how long before it might 'malfunction'. Surely if they wanted us to not use it on the back at all it would have been easy enough to say so? "Never use the spare on the back, but always swap a wheel from the front" would be far easier to say than the fairly vague suggestions that feature in my version of the manual.

Any diff specialists here? As I understand it, the main function of limited slip diffs is to stop excessive wheelspin whilst still allowing the wheels to rotate at different speeds when cornering. I would have thought that the modest size difference in wheels would not be much different in effect than cornering in the same direction in, say, a circuit race. Provided the other warnings about driving slower, and for a reasonably short distance are heeded I would have thought that should be well within the capabilities of the diff. No?

Certainly, I drove home (at 80kpm and less) with the spare on the rear with no trouble whatever, either then or since.

Did Mazda chicken out and get more cautious in later manuals to cover themselves in case someone left the thing on for weeks??

Remember, Mazda are very conservative in what they say, for legal reasons. They also say in the manual that you can't re-use a tyre after you have used the goo, and must buy a new one. I asked several people in the tyre business if that was true and they laughed and said no. They assured me that in most cased of normal punctures that tyres could be safely cleaned and re-used with no danger (although they did say it was a mucky job getting the goo out). I also asked the goo question on the tech forum here and the overwhelming view seemed to be that it was just Mazda being super wary of US style litigation.

I guess it's not much extra bother to swap the tyres front to back, and if I ever blow another tyre I might now do just that - but how important is it really? Any opinions?

BVD

:D :D

I notice the blurb for those battery powered rattle guns says:

"The Shentai unit is ideal for the elderly, women drivers or those requiring an easy way of removing and replacing wheel nuts. "

Fortunately, I still have enough strength to use the wheelbrace supplied. :D :p

Gomez

No, mate.....you've got the same manual as the rest of us. I've got a US owners manual on disc....it has the same precautions, as well as some stuff warning that the spare has no tyre pressure monitoring system sensor.

Gomez.

BVD

Thanks Gomez,

Maybe we're just interpreting it differently then?

As far as I understand limited slip diffs, the trigger for them working is input torque - ie. the clutches are designed to work when you've got your foot down and one wheel is spinning. Under light or normal load they should work much like a convention diff.

I wouldn't have thought that pottering home on the "wheelbarrow tyre" at under 80kph would tax it overmuch?? But maybe Mazda fear that some people will still drive full tilt?

Intrigue 8

whats a spare? j/k

Gomez

Yeah, they have to make an allowance for the "Moron Element" of the car buying segment of the population.....!

8's enough

I have a spare tire but i don't keep it in the trunk unless i'm going on a road trip or more than 100miles from home. takes up room

lexic

Draco , my understanding is the same as BVD's. I did place the spare on the rear and drove home (about 15km) not ecxeeding 80kmh. (Everyone else on the single lane hwy was so impressed to be stuck behind me doing 80 in a 100 zone). Got a lift to work the next day with my wheel. got tyred repaired and put back on car that night.

Hymee the tyres I got the price on were for the Bridgestones that are on there from new.

Cmac - there were no quirks, quite easy actually. Problably took me all of 10min max. Jacking up the car is breeze. (never owned a car this light before). Hardest part was fitting the normal wheel into the boot with all the stuff I had in there.

Choppy

Amg thats been around for ages.. Use to use that to do pitstops in shopping centres when i was younger... I got a good selection of simmons at home j/k

RRS

heheh.:D It's almost our second home.. we spend 6-8 weekends a year down there

We're down this weekend for the National Capital Rally (look for the dodgy black Commodore ute with blue trailer, and the gemini in the avatar) Start is at the Belconnen Motor Inn ( we should be around from about 9 am til about our start time at 2 pm-- come and say Hi! ) The rally is running in the forests out Uriarra way (up brindabella rd, or coppins crossing etc) and we hope to finish this one after DNF'ing our last start in september. shame the car is still in pieces as I write this!! .. better get cracking..

And the weekend after we're back for the REACT Touring Road Assembly (in the '8)


oh and back on topic.. didn't need the spare anyway!

Rowds

mikeyr

NOT in the boot now, on the bloody car.....damn dodgy streets! The nice manreckons i can have my nicley textured rim back in a few days!

Meanwhile I'm stranded!

stasis1

i dont drive with my spares. just keep the towing truck's number handy which i got. It only cost me abt 50 for a towing truck falt bed. any where in Jkt

mikeyr

pleased to advise spare is now parked at th eabck of my garage and for $180 NZ pesos i now have my mag back looking like a virgin.

it's been fun, that yellow sucker sounds like a 1950's radial with a bee up its *** and thats at 40k

Triple G

I have been driving with the spare ever since I have owned the car(5 months). I drive alot to random out of the way places to go kite surfing and I like having the spare and the goo as backup if I get a puncture on a bad road!

Also I have found that assuming that you are not taking three other people with you, there is alot of combined space in the back seat and the boot, for 2 boards, 2 kites and a bag.

I have no complaints.