[bundybear75]

Originally Posted by Mondaveo

After more than a year of searching, I finally found someone selling a single MC Titanium 18" alloy wheel and new tyre, and snapped it up as a replacement spare for my car. I wanted to have a spare that matches my road wheels, as although the OEM spare is full-sized, it is only a 16" steel wheel and tyre (as on an LX) and carries a speed restriction due to mismatched size.

I take out the OEM spare from the spare wheel recess, and try to fit my new spare in its place. I'm flabbergasted to find it just doesn't fit. Putting the original and my replacement side-by-side, the widths of the tyres look the same but the diameter on my new one is just a bit bigger. It's too tight in the spare wheel recess and won't settle all the way down.

After some internal debate, I decide to try it with the air let out of the tyre. That allows me to shove it in a bit further and almost-but-not-quite get the carpet floor flat over it. The obvious problem is addressed by adding a portable inflator to my emergency kit. Still, I'm disappointed this doesn't work as neatly as I'd expected, and astonished they designed the recess to be too small for the original wheels (although granted being a Titanium they're not quite standard size)...

Maybe when I get new tyres I'll keep one of the worn ones and switch the spare over to it, being worn down it may fit in the recess just that tiny bit better than the new tyre...

The spare i thought is a space saver on all models. My LX has a full size spare (steel) and sits high in the boot. Not too noticeable but the edges of the boot mat drop away to the sides around it.

If you want to get rid of the steel spare let me know i could give it a good home.