[TrackDay]

Thank you all for the warm response.

Originally Posted by kamilharis

I wonder how would be the road view for the driver with those tyres being bolted on to the bonnet of those Jeeps!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaEKPKN73MU

It might also make opening the bonnet difficult. In addition to the weight the opening angle too might be a bit less I guess to avoid the spare hitting the windshield.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd2-7kXVWzQ

Originally Posted by kamilharis

And why do the so-called premium/german car manufacturers skip on the Wheel Well which can hold a spare tyre? Is there any specific reason for that?

Maybe they are getting them ready for the EV revolution ? Who knows. I think also mainly for avoiding dead weight and fuel efficiency purposes.

Space, for one, Les Schwab reports. Hybrids and EVs especially have little extra room underneath the seating area, due to their battery packs. So, it’s getting harder to find space for the spare.

Plus, imagine you’re an automaker making a high-end car with an expensive, weight-saving material like carbon fiber. Investing all that money to decrease weight, only to add it back in? Little wonder few sports cars or supercars have spare tires.

Source: https://www.motorbiscuit.com/why-are...f-spare-tires/

[sridhar24]

Thanks for an excellent and informative thread on spare wheels, which otherwise is ignored topic and one only takes notice when one has a flat tyre on his car
It's very interesting to read through the precise compilation of the history of the Stepney and to see so many interesting styles that existed in the past and today.

[ajmat]

Got a car with a long engine, perhaps a spare wheel is waiting in the wings

The Bristol's all had a tradition of tucking a spare wheel under the front wing. Having a massive engine upfront helped

[vj_torqueaddict]

That was one helluva informative post. Never bothered to check about the term Stepney. Thanks for sharing.
About the future of spare tyre?

[ajmat]

Here is another installation of the spare wheel as part of crash protection, front energy absorption. This was ahead of its time in the Citroen DS before crash protection, crumple zones etc. came into being



Source

[hrman]

Thanks. A very interesting thread on the stepney and its history. IN practical real world situations, any trip on the highway will mostly be marked with Tyre repair shops. Even in case of the average user, the probability of using a stepney is roughly 1-2 times per year. For a five year lifespan of tyres, a stepney which will be used 6-7 times at the most is..... a bit of an overkill.
I do remember Michelin coming out with an innovation in the early 2000's called the "Tweel". A tyre and wheel combine, which doesn't require Air. I don't know why this did not take off. Probably comfort, debris getting into the grooves. But the comparison videos suggest otherwise. If this takes off, this could have been a good reason to do away with the spare wheel. They recently re-launched a progressed version of this innovation as "Uptis", which has been posted earlier in this thread.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13nZKynpeGo

More innovations from Bridgestone:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw9PWtKnEIc

Hankook Iflex:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeDinj8ajVE

Goodyear:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my5oS5sgFU8

I must say, tyre technology has progressed slowly over the years. Tubed, Radials, tubeless, RFTs. Not seen anything significantly revolutionary to disrupt the tyre industry.

[H0RSEPOWER]

Thanks for the informative thread! I have always been fascinated by looks of the exposed stepney in any car! Loved to know the history & different types of positioning of the same in different cars. With the advent of newer technologies like airless tyres, it seems that gradually it might become a thing of the past in the upcoming era. But, I would surely miss the silhouette of the rear door of an SUV along with the stepney!

[volkman10]

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