[JBUSA]

Does anyone have any idea where I can get a small spare tire 4x100 bolt pattern? Have called car dealers and parts shops with no luck. Need to have spare for after market non run-flat tires. Am incorporating spare tire holder in bass box design in boot. Ideal size would be 15 inches diameter. Any ideas?

[BruceK]

Why not just get one of the spare tires as fitted to the standard Cooper models? Many (all?) of the standard Coopers fitted with runflats are also being supplied with a spare. It would be the right bolt pattern and offset etc for a MINI. Any MINI dealer should be able to supply one of these.

Of course on your Cooper S you'll need to find some place to store a spare tire....

[JBUSA]

Been there, done that. The dealer dosen't have any but gave me a 15 inch MINI wheel/tire. Way to big. MINI spare is big. Thinking about having seen solid rubber spares on cars or very small spares. Dealers not sure about spares for Toyota (ECHO) or Ford (Focus). They don't want to look, claim they can't get spares for new cars. J.C. Whitney, no. Tire Rack, no. Midnite aquisition, increasing posibility.

[BruceK]

Quote:

Originally posted by JBUSA
Been there, done that. The dealer dosen't have any but gave me a 15 inch MINI wheel/tire. Way to big. MINI spare is big. ....

Well, did you consider that a MINI spare tire probably needs to be a certain minimum size and load carrying capability for safety and handling?

Quote:

Originally posted by JBUSA
Thinking about having seen solid rubber spares on cars or very small spares. ....

SOLID RUBBER???! The MINI isn't a forklift! I've never heard of solid rubber tires for any road car built since 1901! Even trucks phased out solid rubber tires by the 1920's.

Instead of going the spare route, have you considered buying one of the kits commerically available that are used to temporarily repair a flat tire on the side of the road? These kits usually contain "Slime" which is a special sealant placed into the flat tire (Slime is widely respected for this use - look it up on the Internet) and a small air compressor that could plug into the MINI's lighter socket.

In fact outside the US, MINIs are marketed with a MINI Mobility Kit that contains just this kind of stuff. I understand BMW dealers in the US already stock a kit like this for BMWs.

[kgelner]

Quote:

Originally posted by BruceK


Instead of going the spare route, have you considered buying one of the kits commerically available that are used to temporarily repair a flat tire on the side of the road? These kits usually contain "Slime" which is a special sealant placed into the flat tire (Slime is widely respected for this use - look it up on the Internet) and a small air compressor that could plug into the MINI's lighter socket.

I just though I'd jump in here and note that I don't consider the slime a valid substitute at all - a number of my flat tires in the past have been completely shredded tires (like a broken beer bottle slashing through the sidewall) and then slime is of little use!!

I myself intend to get a full sized extra wheel and tire for longer road trips, and rely on the runflats and a cell phone and air pump in town. I agree it's kind of big, but I'm also not sure I trust any of the smaller solutions.

One thing I've wondered though - if you use the slime is it at all possible to repair the tire afterward or is it too gunked up? That would be another major concern with the slime solution.

[BruceK]

Quote:

Originally posted by kgelner
I just though I'd jump in here and note that I don't consider the slime a valid substitute at all - a number of my flat tires in the past have been completely shredded tires (like a broken beer bottle slashing through the sidewall) and then slime is of little use!!

I myself intend to get a full sized extra wheel and tire for longer road trips, and rely on the runflats and a cell phone and air pump in town. I agree it's kind of big, but I'm also not sure I trust any of the smaller solutions.

One thing I've wondered though - if you use the slime is it at all possible to repair the tire afterward or is it too gunked up? That would be another major concern with the slime solution.

I note your point about a shredded tire, but I don't think your going to find any beer bottle that can get through the special sidewalls of the runflats (they can hold up the weight of the car without air) as easily as with "normal" tires.

I don't know if the slime creates a removal problem inside the tire after use. However, I do know that some motorcyclists install Slime in their tires to prevent flats, so it is always present in the tires with no adverse effects.