Why ONLY Set of 4 alloys on new cars?

[talkingpebbles]

hi guys,

any idea why companies give only a set of four alloy wheels as standard option? why do they give the spare wheel as steel and not Alloy? I am sure a fifth alloy wouldnt make a hell a lot of difference on the price. But it certainly would look horrible if someone had to change one of the alloys and use the spare wheel instead some or the other time! I am not sure if most of the companies are doing it so. I know atleast its happening with Ford on their Fiesta SXi version. Just four alloys and the spare steel! any idea?

- B

[Nikhilb2008]

It is quite common...... usually the spare wheel is also not the same size as the other 4. This is to save costs and give you a bigger boot space.

It is not meant to be a permanent solution.... it is to be used temporarily until you can get the punctures tyre repaired/replaced.

But recently, a lot of people made a big fuss abt this on the Swift. One of the higher end models on the Swift came with Alloys but the spare was a steel wheel of a smaller size.

Now, ARAI have changed their rules. They have made it compulsory to give all 5 tyres of the same size. This was the result over the hue and cry over the Swift.

This has had an adverse effect too..... BMW for example dont give a spare tyre at all as the cars come standard with Run flat tyres. But with the new ARAI ruling, they dont know what to do.

They say it will be possible to squeeze a spare on the 5 series but it will be difficult on the 3 series.

Mercedes also give a smaller spare tyre. Now, all these car manufacturers have to give you a regular size spare tyre...

BMW are still hoping that ARAI make an exception for them

[talkingpebbles]

Originally Posted by nikhilb2008

It is quite common...... usually the spare wheel is also not the same size as the other 4. This is to save costs and give you a bigger boot space.

It is not meant to be a permanent solution.... it is to be used temporarily until you can get the punctures tyre repaired/replaced.

But recently, a lot of people made a big fuss abt this on the Swift. One of the higher end models on the Swift came with Alloys but the spare was a steel wheel of a smaller size.

Now, ARAI have changed their rules. They have made it compulsory to give all 5 tyres of the same size. This was the result over the hue and cry over the Swift.

This has had an adverse effect too..... BMW for example dont give a spare tyre at all as the cars come standard with Run flat tyres. But with the new ARAI ruling, they dont know what to do.

They say it will be possible to squeeze a spare on the 5 series but it will be difficult on the 3 series.

Mercedes also give a smaller spare tyre. Now, all these car manufacturers have to give you a regular size spare tyre...

BMW are still hoping that ARAI make an exception for them

Thanks Nikhil, for the informative bit. that means its just to cut the costs. still, I wonder how much of cost do these guys manage to cut due to this? when someone is ready to put lakhs on the car, will it make a huge difference if a couple of thousands add up? I guess not. Time for the companies to rethink on their strategy so that the customers are better served. And we always need a spare wheel on indian roads! BMW guys certainly have to think from that perspective.

- B

[hydrashok]

Well, looking at it from the company's perspective, let's say an additional alloy wheel costs about 3000.00 more than the steel wheel to the company? That way additional investment for say a production run of just 5,000 cars would run into 15,000,000.00 for the company. Steep, huh? Well, they do recover the costs from the buyer, but still... (BTW, I don't work for a car manufacturer or anybody remotely connected with the auto industry). Just putting a different spin on things.

[Rudra Sen]

Don't know what's happening now but my Optra LT came with fifth wheel (alloy/tyre) as is. No change in tyre size I mean.

[Nikhilb2008]

Originally Posted by Rudra Sen

Don't know what's happening now but my Optra LT came with fifth wheel (alloy/tyre) as is. No change in tyre size I mean.

Doesnt happen on all cars.....

Only a few.....

[Mugen_Power]

Even In Our Merc C220 We Got Only 4 Alloy Wheels.

[speedzak]

A spare is meant as a SPARE! Not to be fitted in and driven around like normal ones.
The case mentioned by you guys are mostly followed everywhere in the world. I've seen some Porsches coming with 17" alloys and having spare wheels of 16" or 15" and the spare tyre will be thinner than a Marie biscuit. Almost every VWs and Mercs follow the same practise. It's nothing new guys!
The smaller spare will save weight, space and effort.
And when Suzuki followed this normal practise with Swift ZXI here, everybody made so much noise that they had to go back to the gud old indian way of doing things.

Come on!! Count the positives in this.

[anupamsinha]

I feel that’s its better to have a similar size/ dimension spare. Why should the spare be temporary a solution. Just change the wheel and get the old one fit and put it in the place of the new one. Even tyre rotation would be easy.

I've seen some Porsches coming with 17" alloys and having spare wheels of 16" or 15" and the spare tyre will be thinner than a Marie biscuit. Almost every VWs and Mercs follow the same practice. It's nothing new guys!

What's the benefit? I mean here we were not talking about cars that save on an extra layer of marie. Basically the kind of vehicle we are talking about would probably live with an extra inch or two. Secondly I find it better to let not a pending puncture and marie tyre disturb me in my driving.

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[fight_club]

city vtec got the spare one as same.

now coming to the topic, its the government we choose, who are too busy collecting taxes from us and innmerable duties etc from the manufacturer, so when the govt does not care message is heartly accepted by the manufactures.
indian consumer is not given a ride by the manufacturer but taken for a ride as well.

[sharathjeppu]

Actually it makes a lot of sense to have the 5th wheel as a steel wheel. This forces one to do a 4 tyre rotation instead of a 5 tyre rotation which will ensure even wear of all the tyres. The other logic is that that the spare wheel is to be used sparingly and not as a replacement. It is to aid you to get to the nearest tyre repair outfit.

[razor4077]

I know that Skoda provides an alloy spare. And I made it a point to purchase 5 alloys for my Santro when I upgraded my ride. I'll always recommend a spare that is the same as the fitted wheels. I have my reasons:
1.Ftting a steel rim when all others are alloy looks plain ridiculous.
2. If an alloy wheel is damaged, it may take time to repair it, and in many cases, the repaired wheel has a few tell-tale scars which spoil the look of the getup. A spare alloy can be a boon in this case (speaking from personal experience - this happened to me).3. It may be difficult to get a single wheel replaced in case one is damaged. This is especially true in case of imported alloys which are normally sold in sets. Or, the manufacturer may have stopped producing your old alloy design, in which case you're in trouble.
4. I'm not sure about this, but two tyres of significantly different weights on either side of the axle doesn't sound like a good setup (maybe some of the technical gurus in T-Bhp can clarify).
My Accord in the US had one of those "Marie-thin" spare tyres, which I thankfully never had to use. The US has its reasoning behind this, but I don't know if the same applies to India, given our road conditions which can cause frequent punctures and wheel damage.
My 2 cents...

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[speedzak]

Originally Posted by anupamsinha

I feel that's its better to have a similar size/ dimension spare. Why should the spare be temporary a solution. Just change the wheel and get the old one fit and put it in the place of the new one. Even tyre rotation would be easy.

This is not the correct way sir! The punctured tyre should be repaired and put back ASAP. The spare is not supposed to be driven with for long. And that's why the Marie before you get back your Chicken tikka. And 4 tyre rotation is way better than 5 tyre rotation according to many experts.

Originally Posted by anupamsinha

Secondly I find it better to let not a pending puncture and marie tyre disturb me in my driving.

It will cause a hindrance for sure. But this is the way it should be. Got a puncture? Stop, change to spare, drive carefully to the nearest repair shop/repair the puncture, fit the original in, put the spare in the boot, Pedal to Metal!
Only in 4X4s which tend to be used in rough surfaces, there's a need for proper 5th tyre.

BTW, many new BMWs dont even come with a spare tyre. They have runflats.

[Nikhilb2008]

Originally Posted by speedzak

BTW, many new BMWs dont even come with a spare tyre. [IMG]../images/smilies/Shockked.gif[/IMG] They have runflats.

yeah...that is why they are having problems in India with ARAI.

Originally Posted by razor

And I made it a point to purchase 5 alloys for my Santro when I upgraded my ride. I'll always recommend a spare that is the same as the fitted wheels. I have my reasons:

When you buy aftermarket alloys, they always give you 5 wheels....

[speedzak]

Originally Posted by nikhilb2008

yeah...that is why they are having problems in India with ARAI.

ARAI doesn't seem to understand the world standards of automobile industry. This is not the first time a reputed automaker is stopped by ARAI for some dubious reasons. And the sad part is many of us Janta does'nt seem to understand the world standards too.

Originally Posted by nikhilb2008

When you buy aftermarket alloys, they always give you 5 wheels....

Not always! Many a times it's only 4 wheels. And you wont be able to find a 5th wheel in some designs.