What was the problem in the rear and what year was the civic wheel from?

 

The wheel from my son's 05 Civic fouled the brake caliper. It may be the offset of the spare wheel that was the problem. The spare was a 14", although his car has 15 inch wheels.

 

I waited, and waited, and waited a long time for something to come up on e-bay. Most of the tires they had were nasty looking or didn't come with the right bolt pattern (4X100). A few months ago I found a 15" from a Honda in Canada. $40 which was great. Most of the tires from the junk yards on e-bay I was looking at are asking around $60-$100 then shipping.

Mine looks new, like it has never seen the road. It also clears my front calipers.

 

Price all the same stuff at your dealership before you start slandering vendors, please.

And check the definition of "price gouging" - selling any product at any price the vendor wants isn't "gouging"... unless they control the supply of a scarce and necessary product... it's only gouging if you MUST pay their price, even if you don't want to. Obviously you're not going to.

Drives me nuts when people on this board throw terms like that around, just because they don't like what someone charges for something. Free country. Vote with your feet.

 

I called one of the local junkyards in my area about a donut from a Civic or Cobalt or Jetta that would fit my MINI. They told me they had a bunch of them scattered all over their lot, $10 each, come and search (this is one of the remaining yards where they allow you to roam the yard and take off whatever you need).

I went, it started to rain unexpectedly and as you know junkyards are muddy places, so I'm going back when it dries out. I'm an old pro at scouring junkyards, but since I didn't need the donut right now I elected to come back later.

Just posting to let anyone know that if you are willing to do some yard work, you can find stuff at very low prices. If you choose other options, then that is certainly your privilege.

Question for Just-a-Cooper owners: Since you have a donut spare does it fit front and back?


YD

 

Non-S MINI's have small topside wheel well in back where the "S" models store the car's battery. Ebay has them up for sale all the time from 75-100 bucks, and because they are stored this way, used one's typically are in pristine condition.

BUT....MINI learns (some stuff).....The new Clubman "S" has a top side round wheel well in back to use for either tools/storage or you can pick up a donut tire for the car after your MINI-Road Service Contract runs out....they fit in there perfectly.

Good luck on your tire hunt.

 

Oh please, spare me the English lesson. A rip-off by any name is still a rip-off. Just because the dealer chooses to do it does not exempt an aftermarket shop from being subject to the same criticism. As you said, it's a free country, which is why I get to voice my opinions about their business practices.

And it isn't our feet we vote with on the Internet, it's our wallets.

-Jim

 

I think you missed the point of my question, but thanks for the reply. My question is if the spare on a just a cooper will fit the front wheel position as well as the rear. If so, then getting a real MINI donut would have the advantage of fitting the front of a MCS without having to move tires around. I realize it is not advisable to run a donut on the front, just curious if it would fit.

YD

 

I bought once from a Civic off Craigslist and learned the same thing. Didn't fit either from or back. I used to think that there are two different Civic donut sizes, 14" and 15" and that I was stuck with a 14". But I measured it and the diameter of the outer bead is 15 1/2" so I'm really confused...

My search continues...maybe I'll check into ordering a Cobalt spare from the dealer.

 

$250.00?!
J*s*s F-ing Chr*st! was my exclamation.... I could see $75.00 for that thing... man oh man. I have AAA; I think I'll take my chances.

 

What was the size of the spare?

something like 105/70/14 or T105/70D14

 

The OEM MINI spare is NOT to be used on the Front ever.

If you get a flat on the front you have to move a good tire up from the back, and put the spare on the rear.......

 

I have been following this subject for a long time since I plan to rid my run flats at such time. Finally called Classic Mini (which is supposed to be very price competitive on OEM parts) and they quoted a Mini spare wheel for $55.03, and a tire for $114.12. Very competitve versus aftermarket package pricing at $250.00. Shipping is $25.00 for the wheel from Classic Mini. Neglected to ask for the tire shipping quote. FWIW. My next journey is to a Honda/VW salvage yard with specs found on the internet for a Mini spare. Interesting that you can find donut spares for other makes for a fraction of the price(as low as $29.00) of the MINI--even BMW spares are cheaper-aah-supply and demand. I will continue my search and report back.

 

Please do!

 

If I got caught in a bad neighborhood at night, or on the side of a busy freeway and felt in danger, and the donut spare would fit my front, I would put it on the front just to get out of the bad situation and at the first opportunity would move it to the rear.

YD

 

+1

 

If it's that bad I'm driving on the rim, and have instructed my family to do the same. It's good judgement. A life is worth a rim, even a cherished BBS RK. It's also worth any damaged bodywork that ensues. It's a judgement call, though.

Changing two tires is only 1.5 the time of changing one, since the whole side of the car basically jacks up at once...

 

My policy^^, just limp along far enough to get to an area where it is safe to really stop. And of course my S-lites are far from cherished so if the body work doesn't get messed up then no harm no foul.

 

[quote=BlimeyCabrio;2712720]Price all the same stuff at your dealership before you start slandering vendors, please.

And check the definition of "price gouging" - selling any product at any price the vendor wants isn't "gouging"... unless they control the supply of a scarce and necessary product... it's only gouging if you MUST pay their price, even if you don't want to. Obviously you're not going to.

Drives me nuts when people on this board throw terms like that around, just because they don't like what someone charges for something. Free country. Vote with your feet. [/

 

 

Correct. A MINI wheel will fit on a Miata (and looks HUGE!), but the Miata wheel will not fit on a MINI.