Speed limit on normal looking spare/emergency wheel?

supersunbird

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So I saw this New Polo next to me in the traffic with its spare wheel on the front. It had that yellow "do not drive faster then 80km/h" sticker on, but it was the same tyre as the other wheels, just a steel wheel instead of mags. Not a marie-biscuit emergency wheel where that sticker would make sense.

So what's the reason for that sticker on a full sized wheel?
 
Probably has a cheap tyre fitted and if you use it in conjunction with three other "proper" tyres it could cause instability at higher speed.
 
Probably has a cheap tyre fitted and if you use it in conjunction with three other "proper" tyres it could cause instability at higher speed.

No, we were standing still on the Marlboro offramp. It's the exact same tyre as on the other wheels (I checked, it was a loooooong wait :p).

The only reason I could think of so far was that it might be a light (thus weak) steel wheel so as to save weigh? But I might be wrong so that's why I am asking.
 
Mmm, could be the fact that it is a steel wheel and the weight thereof is different from the other wheels?
My Corsa has the same type tyre on a steel wheel for spare, like the Polo, but there is no yellow sticker.
 
Likely done with little more reason than having a visual reminder that the car is sans spare wheel.
 
I have seen people still drive like maniacs with the marie-biscuit spare wheel.
 
lol someone I know's wheel on her polo got damaged yesterday and she put the spare wheel on - said it looks normal but has the do not drive faster than 80km sticker on. No one believed that its a normal wheel :)
 
Multiple reasons for the 80km/h . Firstly, the spare wheel doesn't get used often and deteriorates through the years. Also. Wheel alignment may be out. Spare wheel might not be balanced anymore. Prevent liability to the manufacturers.

This reminds me of some idiot with an Alpha Romeo driving down the N1 at 120km/h on a Marie biscuit a couple of years ago. He was driving like an idiot, but I did catch up. After his marie biscuit disintegrated and dug a groove into the N1 south after John Vorster. You could see that there was steering and strut damage.
 
I have seen people still drive like maniacs with the marie-biscuit spare wheel.

Chris Harris or one of the car magazines fitted marie biscuits on all fours of an AMG as a tyre test of sorts.

Results were pretty surprising and made for an awesome drift car but as I recall up to certain speeds and driving normally it was quite capable.
 
Chris Harris or one of the car magazines fitted marie biscuits on all fours of an AMG as a tyre test of sorts.

Results were pretty surprising and made for an awesome drift car but as I recall up to certain speeds and driving normally it was quite capable.
I am sure it is, quite capable, but my point is, that, many in SA don't read manuals, or warnings, and as per creeper's post, end up either digging a crater in the N1, or damaging car, or both.
 
Those Marie Biscuits are only supposed to be used for a short period of time, like get you home and then to a tyre place sigh.
 
What puzzles me is when a front tyre is punctured on a FWD vehicle, where it has to contend with acceleration, braking and steering, and then they put the marie biscuit on at the front as a temporary replacement, instead of doing the logical thing and swapping the normal rear tyre to the front, and then putting the marie biscuit on the back, until they can get the punctured tyre replaced.

The lack of traction, grip and response to steering inputs must get quite interesting in the rain at speeds over the 'Maximum 80 km/h limit' for the marie biscuits!
 
To begin with marie biscuit, or space saver tyres are a crime against humanity. We know who the guilty ones are.
 
What puzzles me is when a front tyre is punctured on a FWD vehicle, where it has to contend with acceleration, braking and steering, and then they put the marie biscuit on at the front as a temporary replacement, instead of doing the logical thing and swapping the normal rear tyre to the front, and then putting the marie biscuit on the back, until they can get the punctured tyre replaced.

The lack of traction, grip and response to steering inputs must get quite interesting in the rain at speeds over the 'Maximum 80 km/h limit' for the marie biscuits!
You try rotating tyres on the side of a road with a single jack - it won't puzzle you after that. ;)
 
You try rotating tyres on the side of a road with a single jack - it won't puzzle you after that. ;)

My thinking as well. It doubles the amount of work you need to do at the side of the road.

I have seen that some cars come with repairs kits these days, and have a spare tyre as an optional extra.
 
You try rotating tyres on the side of a road with a single jack - it won't puzzle you after that. ;)

Take out marie biscuit, jack up rear and replace with marie biscuit, now go to front and jack that up and replace faulty wheel with functional wheel.

Still twice the work yes and doesn't mean the space saver emergency wheels are not the work of the devil. What is worse is there are cars that only come with wheel repair kits!!!
 
Take out marie biscuit, jack up rear and replace with marie biscuit, now go to front and jack that up and replace faulty wheel with functional wheel.

Still twice the work yes and doesn't mean the space saver emergency wheels are not the work of the devil. What is worse is there are cars that only come with wheel repair kits!!!
If you're happy to spend that extra time on the side of the road (and possibly further damage your full size rim/tyre) that's your call. Personally I'm not and I wouldn't even think to suggest that course of action to the missus.
 
If you're happy to spend that extra time on the side of the road (and possibly further damage your full size rim/tyre) that's your call. Personally I'm not and I wouldn't even think to suggest that course of action to the missus.

I refuse to buy such a vehicle, so doesn't worry me.
 
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