getting rid of spare wheel

logistix · Post by **logistix** » Fri May 28, 2004 8:24 pm

hello everyone,
i've been considering throwing out my spare wheel, so i've got some questions about it:
1. how much difference does it make fuelwise? my car is a 1.4 tdi, the wheel is 14" steel.
2. what do i use instead? i think Nelson mentioned somewhere about a tyre sealant and a pump. how do we use these in case of emergency, do dealers sell them and what are their part numbers?

thanks a lot in advance!!

Yetkin

Wai_Mak · Post by **Wai_Mak** » Sat May 29, 2004 2:07 am

Having a TDI and getting rid off weight wouldnt make much difference. Diesels have high TORQUE so it doesnt matter.

Heres am extract from www.gtiworld.fsnet.co.uk

Well, the more torquey an engine, the easier it will be to tow heavy loads, overtake at motorway speeds and drive uphill, etc..

The more BHP, the quicker you will be able to accelerate or change speed. One of the lesser know facts amongst the automotive world is the difference between petrol and diesel engine cars.

I am not going to discuss the internal differences here, but merely touch on the subject of power and torque differences.

What you will normally find with petrol cars is that the power (BHP) and torque (lb/ft) figures follow each other quite closely. For example, an Mk2 GTI 8V Golf has a stock power output of 112BHP and torque of about 120lb/ft. Diesel engines however, follow a different trend.

The process of burning diesel produces more energy than petrol, but has been deemed somewhat less desireable because of higher emission levels (until recently) and higher noise levels.

Diesel cars can usually produce torque figures that are around double their power figures. For example, the new Passat 2.0 TDI produces 130BHP and over 200lb/ft torque.

Wow! What you tend to find is that a petrol engine will have more power than a diesel engine of similar displacement and aspiration, but the torque delivery is totally the other way round.

This is why the Mk4 TDI kit car caused so much of a stir in the WRC, where its 300lb/ft engine was a cause for concern amongst its predominantly petrol based competition. Uphill, there was no stopping it.

logistix · Post by **logistix** » Sat May 29, 2004 6:33 pm

wow, thanks for that info! i knew about the high torque stuff (check sig)

but i thought a few pounds off the back could still lower fuel consumption. anyway, the spare wheel can stay there for a while

thanks again,
cheers

carmadaaron · Post by **carmadaaron** » Sat May 29, 2004 8:38 pm

some ppl remove it so they can put more ICE in their cars!

Joy · Post by **Joy** » Sat May 29, 2004 9:22 pm

Not wise to remove your spare-wheel. It does save some weight, but not much.
And one night you are heading home and get a flat tire. The tire is damaged so much no repair-fluid can fix the hole. And what then ?

carmadaaron · Post by **carmadaaron** » Sun May 30, 2004 10:03 am

didnt the TDis come with alloys?

doesnt weigh that much!

logistix · Post by **logistix** » Sun May 30, 2004 7:09 pm

nope, my tdi came with 14" steel wheels, then i bought a set of alloys but the one in the boot is still steel.
ok then, i see it's not worth it to take the spare wheel out of my tdi, but what about petrol engines? does it not make any difference there too?

SiDaBa · Post by **SiDaBa** » Sun May 30, 2004 8:05 pm

carmadaaron wrote:didnt the TDis come with alloys?
doesnt weigh that much!

Alloys can actually way more than steels can't they?? My spare 14" alloy weighed more than my 14" steel i'm sure!!

carmadaaron · Post by **carmadaaron** » Mon May 31, 2004 10:30 am

really?

Nelson_Wilbury · Post by **Nelson_Wilbury** » Mon May 31, 2004 11:26 am

carmadaaron wrote:really?

yes.

Wai_Mak · Post by **Wai_Mak** » Tue Jun 01, 2004 1:26 am

Alloys are definately heavier than the steel rims! especially when the steel rims are only 14 inch and alloys are from 14-18inch on POLO's. Having a larger alloy will mean having a more dense material and therefore increasing weight.

On Petrol cars If you have the car without the spare, it will make a slight difference. As petrol cars have less TORQUE, weight can make a big impact on the performance and the fuel consumption.

Joy is right about not removing the spare wheel incase a scenario like that happens.

What you can do is get a super light alloy wheel IE OZ Superleggeras, they are soo light... They would actually make your car faster when u have heavier alloys before!

carmadaaron · Post by **carmadaaron** » Tue Jun 01, 2004 7:31 pm

are they forged lightweight or sumthing?