Why is that cars are now having compact spare tires? Who thought of that idea originally? Do they have a purpose over a full sized spare tire?
I don't know who started the trend. I do know that AMC was using "Space Saver" spare tires in some of their cars in the late 1960s like the Javelin and AMX. These were a bit different than the doughnuts we know today. They were tires where the sidewall was actually folded in to make for a compact package and it would expand when inflated. A bottle of compressed air was provided for inflation. (I have one of those spare tires sitting in my garage but I don't think I'd try to even inflate it at this point let alone drive on it.)
you should inflate it and post the video! See if it still works.
it's just collecting dust anyway.
I found this video of that type of tire from an Audi being inflated. I had no idea that this type of spare tire was still in use. Looks pretty nasty, I don't know if I'd want to be anywhere near a 50-year-old one that was being inflated!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjFnCOI7NUQ
Neat!
I was blown away that deflating the tire actually collapsed it back into its compact stow away form.
I thought for sure it would be a one-way process.
Even if the half-century-old one that I have survived being inflated I wouldn't bet on it collapsing back like that. On cars that old they're really just used for display purposes at shows.
so maybe it'll go bang. Either way get some entertainment before you dispose of it and make more room in your garage.
I think it's a combination of factors. Weight, cargo space, frequency of flats, and cost to them to produce. They save space over a full size spare and are lighter.The average person probably keeps the same weight in junk in their car, so this is a moot point. 20 lbs isn't going to cause a decrease gas mileage that you care about.
Some cars don't have even those donuts at all anymore. My 2017 Mustang has an "emergency inflation kit" in the spare tire well. Lots of good that'll do if your sidewall blows out. You had to pay extra to get the donut. They acted like it's such a convenience, the inflation kit. I've almost bought one a few times, having gotten nails in my tires. I don't drive it enough to warrant the cost.
Cars' cargo spaces aren't big enough for a full size spare anymore. My 1979 Catalina has a full size spare tire, and the old tower style jack in the trunk. I once got a standard sized 4 foot skid in there on top of it all. Haha. You need a modern day Ford Explorer to get the same 120 cubic feet of space these days (without taking seats out). They still won't put one in those, the geometry is tall, not deep. My Catalina is long, not tall.
Wow... I haven't thought about the old tower style jack in a while!
more cargo room.
Some companies don't give you ANY kind of spare
The only benefits are they are cheaper for the manufacturer, less storage ,and lighter weight to gain as much mpg as possible.
Meant to say more storage.
Cheaper, period.
