Multivan Spare Tyre

[The_Hawk]

So we picked up a screw on Thursday and had to put the spare on. Now it's great looking, almost new in fact, having done almost no kilometres...
the issue is that it's one of the original tyres that came on the van back in 2010.

We got the first (and only other) flat in the first month of ownership:

http://www.vwwatercooled.com/forums/f40/things-you-didnt-want-know-46684.html

That was repaired and put back under the car where it has stayed ever since. It still had the material from the repair poking out when I put it on the car the other day. Working great for the nowhere I have driven.

So the original has a build date (as near as I can tell) of week 36, 2009 making it almost nine years old:


So it's lived it's life under the van in the shade... but would have copped whatever dirt and weather splashed up on it.

I probably should have thought about this when I changed the tyres last year and kept the best of the old ones as a spare, it would have had far less tread, but would have been many years newer.


Now the two questions:

1) Is there any way I could/should keep the current (and nine year old) spare or is it something I really should get replaced?

2) Assuming I have to replace it, I don't really want to drop the full price of a brand new tyre to sit under the car for another bunch of years. Does anyone have a spare 215/65R16 with a load rating of 102+ sitting around and going cheap? Or could you point me towards a decent second hand dealer round 3137?

[jets]

As far as life is concerned, it depends where you usually drive. If for instance you were to head towards Darwin, I would take a younger spare. I have heard some driving trucks in the NT don't like any tyre over 2 years old. The other consideration is the speed you normally drive. I have read that VW recommends a 6 year life span & if you need to use an older spare then reduce your speed.
Having yours in the shade helps. A friend has a Prado with the spare mounted on the tailgate with a vinyl cover on that had never been used. One day he noticed a lump appearing under the cover. On inspection, the tread had separated on the top from the casing.
The spare on my van is original [2001] & never been used. I replaced all 4 tyres [Syncro, even though only 1 was suspect] a couple of years ago. For the driving I do, lower speeds & in a cooler climate I am prepared to take the risk.

[The_Hawk]

I picked up the reparied tyre yesterday and three dukka dukkas later the good tyre is back on and the old spare is under the van again. I'll get to that soon enough, it *looks* ok, but that doesn't mean too much. My tyres usually last 45 - 60,000... so I've probably got two to three years before I'd be replacing the current ones and be in a position to keep a newer one (at about 15k / year). Probably too long to hold out in any case. I'll keep an eye on out on the sale section of the forums, Gumtree, eBay, Facebook etc... I'm sure something will pop up



In case anyone is wondering, the correct torque setting is 180nM

[jets]

In case anyone is wondering, the correct torque setting is 180nM

When I had my new set of Continentals fitted & the tyre fitter was setting his torque wrench I asked him what his setting was. His answer was 160Nm. This was the Continental tyre HQ so I said, I think you had better look at your own Web Site. He conceded it was indeed 180Nm.
Normally I don't have new tyres fitted to any of my vehicles but just take my old tyres on rims, 2 at a time & fit them to my car at home.
I showed the fitter the correct jacking points & the small indents on the rocker panel. He did the fronts correctly but ignored the rears & did his own thing.
It reminded me of the time of my first VW, a 1958 beetle. The young lad slid the trolley jack under the engine & proceeded to jack the rear of the car. He didn't stop until I called out for the foreman. It was obvious that is what he always did.

[Sunny43.5]

I remember a place on the Gold Coast who jacked up a VW Transporter T4 by the wrong points , it actually caused distortion along the side of the van but only on the DS as there was a door on the PS so it did not show .