I have a couple of questions re: spare tyre and tyre puncture repair for the f355. 1. Do you need to jack up the car to use the can of puncture repair? I read somewhere that you need a jack to raise the car while using the puncture repair can. 2. If the inflation can is used, can the tyre be repaired, or is it throw away because of the repair liquid sprayed inside the tyre. 3. IF using the space saver spare wheel, do the front and rear wheels fit in the front boot? My car has an amplifier that takes up about 2" of the floor space in the boot. Will the wheels still fit? Thanks for your response.
Hi Darren, when using the tyre in a can it is recommended to jack the car up, this makes it easier for the pressure in the can to form an even coat of goo inside the tyre. After use the tyre may be able to be fixed, these cans make a horrible mess inside the tyre that is time consuming to remove, it also depends on the puncher if it can be fix or not. Also bear in mind these cans of puncher repair do not always work. I have no experience with the spare wheel, nor trying to put a standard rim into the boot, I would think it would be a very tight fit.
Personally, I would suggest an auto-club membership and a towing hook BEFORE messing with that fix-a-flat goo. That goo is a mess and probably sucks anyway.
Front wheel will definitely fit; rear will probably fit in there even though you have stereo equipment in there. I have a full-size spare in my trunk, sized the same as the fronts (225/40 ZR18) on a stock mag wheel, and have still quite a bit of room above the tire/wheel combo. As you would expect, it's tightest at the front of the trunk, but you should be OK. If in doubt, measure. John
I also have the factory spare tire but was concerned if the stock front & rear tires would fit after a flat. So I took a fully inflated front tire and rear tire and tried installing them in the front trunk. They both fit but the rear is a tight fit. Now your trunk is a little smaller due to the amp install.......I would recommend you actually try to install the rear rim in the trunk . Unfortunately due to the tight quarters taking a measurement might not clarify if it will fit or not. The other option is to carry a tire bag (from your local tire depot).....just in case the rear tire has to sit in the passenger seat after a flat. . Better to know before a flat happens. p.s. you should carry a jack and the best one out there is a corvette jack. They are strong, small and lightweight. I purchased a few off ebay just to have some spares.
Thanks Chris. Can you show me what a corvette jack looks like? Anyone in Australia know of an aftermarket/suitable non ferrari jack that would do the job for a F355?
+1! I have also read on here that they both fit, but the rear is a tight squeeze. You may want to check that out Darren seeing as you have an amp in there. I also called my mate who is owns his own tyre shop and asked him about tyre goo. He said you have to jack the car up to fill with that tyre stuff, otherwise it wont work. The pressure inside the can is not enough to 'pump' the tyre up, so to speak. He also said that it will ruin the tyre if you use that goo. Tyre will be a throw away job because they will not be able to repair the leak properly after the goo has been in there. The tyre goo has an oily resin, that 'seeps' into the tyre. When they buff/grind the rubber back so they can glue the plug in to repair it properly, the oily goo keeps seeping out of the rubber and the glue wont hold the plug in. So you cant repair the leak properly and you cant leave that goo in the tyre, because it will eventually go "off" and go runny and it will leak out the hole again and you will be stuck on the side of the road again with a flat tyre. Unless you put more goo in it.....of course.
Go to your local Ford/Holden/Nissan/Mitsubishi/Subaru dealer mate and look at what they have to offer. The single slot scissor jack will do the job. Or you can probably go with the flat style one also. I used the one out of my brothers Commodore once and it was the flat style one. Still worked alright.
Don't use the goo!!! I used it once (not on Ferrari), and tire was always out of balance after that. Now I always carry an air compressor (although not in the 355, probably should). If you get a flat many times you can pump it back up enough to get home if the leak is slow. If it's a nail hole and the nail fell out, well then this won't work. For my peace of mind I just always have a cell phone
Hey Thanks Pap. I've had 3 punctures in my daily driver in the last 3-4 weeks. Talk about bad luck. The last thing I want is a flat tyre in the Fezza. Murphies law has it that it will happen someday. So after all the replies, heres my conclusion about tyre punctures: Don't use the can of goo unless I'm prepared to throw out the tyre after If I do use the can of goo, I need a jack If I use a spare wheel, I need to buy one, and make sure the rear tyre fits in the front boot Run flat tyres may be a good solution here!
The rear wheel/tire will fit in the front bonnet - good luck finding a real 355 spare wheel--there are very scarce and big $$$ - cheaper to find a used front wheel and mount a decent tire on it and keep up there.. The front wheel/tire will fit on the rear , but not vice versa because of the larger tire size in the rear
Bloody hell, that IS unlucky alright!! Your conclusion sounds good man. Worst case, jack the car up, stay with the car and have someone take the tyre to get repaired for you. Bring the tyre back and bolt it on the car. That was my plan with my 348 before I bought a spare tyre for it. But I am also lucky that Mount Isa is small and you can get to anywhere within 5-10 mins. Different story in Melbourne I can imagine.
Check this out! And it's located in AU, if you can believe it! LINK: http://www.ferrarichat.com/ferrariads/showproduct.php?product=1536&cat=5
Here is the ideal way to mount a 355/360 factory spare tire in the trunk in a 1995 berlinetta coupe. Mounting it this way maximizes room and the custom cover not only makes it look cool but protects it against any scuffs /as well as protects your clothing, ect resting on a tire. As well , I have a jack in the bag attatched at the top. You can see that the majority of your trunk space IS NOT compromised. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Heres a picture of a corvette jack. They are small and light and designed to handle a 3800 LB vette and have a ridge to catch the lower edge of our frame.....don't slip. I bought a few on ebay and THEY WERE ALL BRAND NEW CONDITION (never used)but you do have to be picky. The jack you want is from a 1984-1996 model year vette. They are really cheap if you are patient. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Excellent post's Chris, thank you for taking the time to do this. The spare looks good, is that a custom cover you had made or did the spare come from the factory like that?
Thanks, The tire cover is not a factory piece. My wife made the spare tire cover on her sewing machine. I am still trying to convince her to get into sewing leather seat upholstery but no go yet
Tell your wife she did a fantastic job, looks factory. She must be a wonderful woman, most would switch off as soon as the car is mentioned....
