TR2/3/3A tr3 spare tire space

[bluemiata90]

I converted my tr3 from steel wheels to wires and the spare will not fit in the spare tire well. Is there some kind of trick to make it fit. I know that TRs came with wire wheels, so the well should be large enough to alway a wire spare to fit. Help.

 

[Don Elliott]

Try a 550 - 15 tire on the rim and see. This is only a spare and in 94,000 during 16 summers of driving, I have never needed to use my spare because I never got a flat. I'm on the 3rd set of 165 - 15 radials on steel wheels. The spare is a tight fit but it goes.

 

[NickMorgan]

As Don says, the 165 x 15 tyre will fit in the spare wheel compartment in a late TR3. If your car is before commission number (roughly) TS60000 the spare wheel compartment is slighly less deep (the boot floor is not raised as in later cars). In which case (assuming you are on standard wire wheels) you will have to fit a 155 x 15 for the spare tyre.

 

[tomshobby]

I place my AAA card in the bottom of the spare wheel dungeon in my TR6 and then have more space for luggage.

My tires are a standard size and readily available most anywhere. I have not had a flat tire for 40 years or more. And if AAA comes to the rescue they will change the tire while I relax.

 

[bluemiata90]

I'll try squezzing the tire in again. It seems that the hub part on the wire wheel gets caught. The tire itself doesn't seem to be a problem. If everybody else doesn't have a problem, then it might be my car. I bought it last year and it never did have a spare in the spare opening. As long as I know it should fit, I'll use a bigger hammer. I'll also carry that AAA card. thanks

 

[martx-5]

According to the year car you have, it's a post TS60000. Therefore a 165/15 will fit.

The problem you are having with the wire wheel, is that you have to put it in UPSIDE DOWN.

There is a bulge in the bottom of the cavity the allows for the wire wheel hub sticking out.

Edit: I edited this so everyone can see what the real problem is. Bluemiata said it's NOT the tire, it's the HUB.

 

[Geo Hahn]

If the tire is a tight squeeze then put a rope or nylon strap (what I use) around it before pushing it in. Otherwise it could be difficult to get it back out.

I 'converted' to wires on my pre-60K TR3A so I can still use a disc wheel as a spare. It is a tight fit, can't imagine how I could get even a skinny wire in there.

 

[RedTR3]

You can also deflate the tire so it will slide in easily and carry an air pump (either manual or electric.

 

[bluemiata90]

I was afraid I was losing my mind with this wire wheel thing. I tried putting it in both ways, as I mentioned earlier, the tire fits, it's the wire wheel that doesn't, so I got underneath the rear compartment and double checked the trunk area and guess what I found. The car had been hit at one time in the rear and the P.O. welded the trunk floor in lower then specs and the floor of the wheel compartment is pushed up slightly. I'll be using a much bigger hammer for this modification. I always wondered why the spare tire cover attached a little funny. Truly, this is no big deal, at least I now know what I have to fix to get it in. thanks

 

[PeterK]

Just use a scissors jack in the spare tire cavity to open it up a bit.

 

[Deleted member 451]

A can of Fix-A-Flat and a tool kit fit nicely in that space.

 

[Geo Hahn]

A can of Fix-A-Flat and a tool kit fit nicely in that space.

Wires = innertubes = does that stuff work okay on tubes?

 

[martx-5]

A can of Fix-A-Flat and a tool kit fit nicely in that space.

Wires = innertubes = does that stuff work okay on tubes?

Good question, but Dayton now makes tubeless wire wheels. I know several people that have them, and one of them autocrosses with them. None of them have ever had a problem with leaks from the rims.

 

[Twosheds]

Good question, but Dayton now makes tubeless wire wheels. I know several people that have them, and one of them autocrosses with them. None of them have ever had a problem with leaks from the rims.

I had Dayton tubeless wire wheels and I had problems with leaks. I had Dunlop Racing tyres mounted on them. Perhaps the problem was in the tyres, not the wheels. I ended up using tubes.