Rover Sports Register Forum

I put the newly restored spare wheel which is fitted with a worn ,but useable India 5,25/5.50 17 tyre into it's new home in the boot lid AND IT IS TOO BIG! Too much overall diameter for a start! A wheel & tyre came out! Same rim, but I did not notice if the (now scrapped) tyre was perhaps a 5.00/5.25. The hand book says 5.25.....
What do other folk do? I am doing a trip to Germany this summer & I don't fancy just taking a set of tyre levers and a spare tube!....

My Lucas 5.25-5,50 X17 fits very well.

I found my spare was too big to fit in the wheel well of the boot lid, maybe modern tyre sizes are larger than they were back in the 40s

My solution was to let just enough air out the tyre to allow it to slip into its space and carry a 12v compressor

Two suggestions:
1. Get a smaller tire like 475-500X17 and use it as spare, for the limited time before you can repair the puncture. Many tire shops refuse to patch a tube so keep a fresh tube with you.
2. Deflate the tire - it will fit - and carry a small 12V electric pump with you.

Thanks all of you!
Step one...let some/all the air out! I am intending to fit a 12v power socket (Suitably fused!) anyway, so that will be step #2
D

Let all the air out...still too tight! the twelve is definitely listed with 5.25/17, and 5.25/50 does not fit so I better get a 5.00/17 or 4,75/17 (10HP size)
Anyone got a useable one they want to move on....?
D

Quick follow up!
The diameter (specification and by measuring) of my 5.25/50 Avon & Firestones appear about the same (29"...737mm) as is my old India spare.
Waymasters are bigger at 29.6"/752mm according to their Tech Spec and Excelsiors 28.5"
If I go down to 4.75 /17 the Roadmaster 2 and Excelsior are both 27.12"
The spare wheel well is 27-29", and in effect a diameter of ~ 27" is needed for the spare to fit down into the well as the profile of these tyres is pretty square!
Quite a remarkable difference in diameters considering that it is the tyre width that is changing!
I had a TR3A that had 165 /15 radials...the spare would not fit into the spare wheel "cupboard" below the boot without a REAL struggle....155's...no bother! Bur the diameters were almost identical as I recall!

After my excitement of two punctures in Germany I ended up with a pair of new 4.75's on the front (they feel fine) and one of my old 5.00/5.25 Firestones as spare...it fitted in the spare wheel well perfectly......