328 spare tire replacement

My 87 328 still has the original compact spare with a date code of 1986. It has never been used and looks brand new, but it's probably foolish to count on it so I figure I ought to replace it.

I did a search on the forum and saw that the compact spare size used on the 328 has been unavailable for a long time. The size of that old tire is 105/80R18. Closest I can find now is 125/70R18 for $114 from TireRack. The net rolling diameter is a good match but it's about 0.8" wider. Anybody have a feel for whether this would still be an OK fit on the compact rim? The old tire is on the rim like a rubber band so I am thinking a little extra width probably won't matter.

I guess another option is to find a suitable full size rim to match the front wheels and get a full size tire. Anyone have leads on inexpensive wheels with the correct hub size, lug spacing, and offset?

 

There is a spare wheel/tire from a Volvo that fits a 308. I have one still boxed if it will work for you and if you are interested. I bought it for myself but found a smaller factory Dino wheel that gives me a little more room up there so I never used it.

 

I can't imagine that the .8" difference would make any functional difference in the operation of the space saver spare. FWIW, our '19 Mini Cooper didn't come with a spare at all...the toolkit contains a can of sealer/compressed gas. I think some folks here do essentially the same thing with their 3x8.

As far as the original spare is concerned - my '89 has the original tire and it feels essentially normal if I dig a fingernail into it - not brittle at all. I suspect that is because it never sees any sunlight. In any case, I would not be afraid to use it if needed.

 

So did the 348's

 

I wish I had a better feel for how good the current spare is at 34 years of age. It looks brand new, in fact it still has mold release gunk on the sidewall. No decay that I can see, and still soft. It was completely flat when I pulled it out of the car last night, so it may have been going on the original Italian air all these years. I haven't tried to see if it will hold pressure yet.

I am unlikely to stray far from home with the 328, will stay within 20-30 miles at the most, but even getting a flat 1 mile away would be a hassle without a spare. So I want something I can count on. My BMW M2 came with the fix-a-flat kit and a compressor, but that goop can ruin a tire (causes balance issues) and destroy the TPMS sensor. So I bought cheap wheel and tire to carry as a spare in the trunk, as well as a jack and tools (all at the cost of weight and trunk space). I also carry a plug kit in my cars and truck. Many times I have been able to fix nail punctures on the fly.

 

It's not good at all, except for presentation purposes.

 

Try and use the factory tools to change a tire in your driveway. Then think about what it will be like on the side of the road. The integrity of the spare fades as a priority if you either can't get the car safely high enough or get the lugs off. Make sure your AAA Platinum coverage is paid up

 

I found a Continental T125/70 R 18 works after questioning several local and online sources. Hope this helps!

 

It was literally doing this, that led to me removing the spare completely and leaving it in the garage. I'm not even sure if the wider rear wheel/rim fits under the hood in the spare cubby, to be honest. Hagerty offers roadside assistance/towing, and that's my flat tire plan.

 

Yeah, I was able to get the specs for that tire and it will work on our 3-1/4" wide rims, so I ordered it. For $114 plus mounting costs, I think it will be the best solution.

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Get rid of that thing, its useless !! Are you really going to put that on your car if you get a flat tire ? I sold mine to a guy in NZ for 900 plus shippping, and never looked back. Nice storage area under the front bonnett, also a good place for car audio equipment. Flat tire = FLAT BED !!!

Thank you

 

If you plan to show the car at FCA events, you will be dinged if it is missing.

 

There's no way I'd call a truck for a flat tire, that's seriously overkill. Not to mention all the risks you open yourself up to getting a car on a truck. I used to drive a rollback about 30 years ago and believe me, many things can go wrong if you don't have a good operator with a careful touch. If there is something I can fix myself on the side of the road, I'll do it!

 

I have never put my car in a show, frankly, its dumb at best, Ferraris are not meant to be trailer queens, no matter if they are worth 50 million , or 50 thousand, Ferraris are meant to be driven, not to be judged, good grief. Its a shame that most F Cars will only be seen in a garage, or on some golf course, and thats all. Give me a 250 LM, or a 275 GTB, GTO, or whichever, and I will do donuts all over said golf course, then right out to the canyons and never look back !! lol

Thank you

 

A thread from 2015, Brian A mentioned using a Volvo spare:
Using a Volvo Space-Saver Spare on a 3x8

He got a spare from a 1999 Volvo V70, spare size was 125/80R17? I got a Volvo S80 spare, an 18" steel wheel and 125/80-18 tire. It's the same diameter as my 16" tires. Because of the centre bore diameter differences on the 308, the Volvo spare would have to be used on the front hubs, so if you had a rear flat you'd put the Volvo spare on the front, and the Ferrari 16" front wheel/tire on the rear hub.

 

I've changed plenty of tires on the side of the road; can't see waiting around for who-knows-how long for a tow truck to show up. Further, the repair might only require a plug rather than actually changing a tire. Of course you would need "air" for that.

Re only driving 20-30 miles from home...When I bought my 328 in '08, I saw the car for the first time, liked it, had a PPI done and drove it home - nearly 3000 miles - two days later. It wasn't a pleasure trip, just needed to get back quickly due to work so I drove the miles in 2.5 days. Car didn't miss a beat and hasn't since - which included 2 more cross-country trips.

As far as mechanical issues, don't worry about a well-sorted 328!

 

I have come to adopt the following solution:
- original slim space-saving spare in the car, knowing full well that it would be useless with the original tire on it, and a sealer/compressed gas can when I drive "around in my departement and neighboring ones" (change "departement by "county" for the US) let's say a 100 kms / 60 miles radius from my garage.
- I have a full-size spare front factory wheel (7 X 16') which is not pretty (some road rash, etc...) with a good tyre on it that I use instead as a spare if I have to drive long distance (still planning to drive to Italy "sometime in the near future"). And I do control my ability to unlock the wheel bolts on each wheel with the on-board tools - using an extension tube - from time to time.
(This way the car is fitted as the U.K and Swiss market 328 models, which had a full-size front 7 X 16 as a spare, their legislation did not authorize slim space-saving spares)

Rgds

 

Sorry you've never done a show. Actually, both driving them and showing them is fun and you meet some great folks who work on their own cars, drive them and show them. I don't think that someone who does something different than you is "dumb".

 

I prefer the " cars & coffee" meet ups myself.

Thank you

 

That's the most sensible solution, IMO. Simply buy a used OE 7x16 wheel and put a new tire on it and you're done, problem solved. The OE wheel/tire combo fits just fine in the front spare wheel well. You can pick up an OE wheel on ebay quite easily. There were several for sale when I looked yesterday.

Or just rely on roadside assistance. Or carry a can of inflator/sealer. Or carry a plug kit and compressor. Any of those will get you out of 99% of flat tire situations. Today's modern tires rarely go flat quickly. If you get a nail or screw in the tread of a modern tire, it will usually deflate very slowly over hours or days. Even if you carry only a compressor with you, and even if you leave the offending object in the tire, you can pump the tire up and it should hold air long enough to get home, or to the nearest tire store or dealer. If it only gets you part way, then stop and air it up again and continue. I really think all this hand-wringing about a disaster if you can't use your compact spare is unfounded. There are plenty of easy and simple alternative solutions to this problem.

One other thing...if you have the original compact spare, fully inflate it for a couple of days and check to see how well it holds air. If the rubber is in good condition and the thing holds air, I would trust it.

 

Here is the Volvo spare that fits our cars and allows for more space up front.
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If your 308/328 still has the disc retaining pins holding the brake disc to the hub, then the Volvo spare wheel won't quite bolt up - there are two pins per hub that protrude like this:
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The standard 308 wheels have space for those pins in the back of the wheel mounting face, but the steel Volvo spare does not. The Volvo wheels need a couple (or 5) holes drilled to let those pins through in order to fit flush on the hub face:

 

I got the new tire (shipped from TireRack) on Saturday and mounted it up today. I was debating whether or not to bring it to a tire shop, since I have not worked with this type of tire before, but it was fairly easy to get the old tire off with clamps and tire spoons. The new tire went on easily.

The fit is very good, in fact I'd say that this 125/70 tire fits better than the old 105/80 tire. The old one was on there like a rubber band, while the new one fits more like a regular tire. Some pics below.

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Also, does anyone think there is any point keeping or giving away the old original tire? It's in excellent visual shape. I have no idea if it would have value in a restoration job or to a collector trying to be accurate. It will cost me money to dispose of it properly, so I can either try to find a home for it or throw it the back my barn and let somebody else deal with it when I croak.