Holden rethinks its space-saver spare wheel option for Commodore sedan and wagon

[Immortality]

saw a vid on you tube once of some idiot driving down the califorian highway with 4 space savers on the car. dude was moving too, racing somebody i think

 

[VN_Luke]

space savers make for excellent front-runners! (the rim, not the tyre)

 

[davey g-force]

I was told by the dealer when purchasing my car (so it's probably bullsh!t) that the VE space saver is a safety feature to do with the rear crumple zones.

Apparantley, if your car gets hit from behind really hard, the steel wheel can buckle, allowing the car's crumple zones to do their thing, whereas an alloy wheel will not.

I wonder if this latest decision from Holden means their cars won't be as safe in a rear-end collision? Like I said, this came from a salesman, so I took it with a grain of salt...

 

[Reaper]

I was told by the dealer when purchasing my car (so it's probably bullsh!t) that the VE space saver is a safety feature to do with the rear crumple zones.

Apparantley, if your car gets hit from behind really hard, the steel wheel can buckle, allowing the car's crumple zones to do their thing, whereas an alloy wheel will not.

I wonder if this latest decision from Holden means their cars won't be as safe in a rear-end collision? Like I said, this came from a salesman, so I took it with a grain of salt...

Yeah - it's bullshit. The tub at the back where the spare sits is plastic and in an accident it will break away and the spare will probably end up tangled around the diff.

Reaper

 

[ashbox]

my space saver is a full size steel rim for a exec, even has the factory tyre that the exec's use, its even speed rated to 80kmh.

 

[VE_SV6ER]

Question. If the car (VE SV6) left the factory with a space saver in the boot will a full size spare fit in the wheel well correctly? I remember reading somewhere that the wheel well is a different size for each (that's why it's a factory option). A full size will still fit in but not properly apparently.

Anyone know for sure?

 

[davey g-force]

Question. If the car (VE SV6) left the factory with a space saver in the boot will a full size spare fit in the wheel well correctly? I remember reading somewhere that the wheel well is a different size for each (that's why it's a factory option). A full size will still fit in but not properly apparently.

Anyone know for sure?

Yes, a full size rim will still fit. They are all the same wheel well.

My space saver sits well below the boot floor so there is just wasted empty space between the space saver and the underside of the floor. Another reason why the whole space saver idea in VE's is ridiculous IMO. It doesn't actually save any space! :bang:

 

[Astranomical]

I once heard that the reason for space saver wheels is for women, elderly people, and others who have trouble getting a full sized wheel out of the wheel well, and because they're cheaper to make, rather than simply to save space, despite the name.

VE_SV6ER, yeah, our VZ had that sticker on its spare as well...I think its because you're running a different size rim, and therefore different tyre on the same axle.

 

[disorganise]

When I bought mine, the dealer suggested the 'space saver' was really a weight saver for added fuel economy, especially since the wheel well cover is fixed to make a flat boot space so you don't actually get any more space (unless you store stuff in the spare wheel well I guess). cost me $250 for the full size back then - kinda wish I'd gotten 4 given the price of replacement tyres!

 

[Phreddy]

VE_SV6ER, yeah, our VZ had that sticker on its spare as well...I think its because you're running a different size rim, and therefore different tyre on the same axle.

Exactly. Nailed it! :thumbsup: