Spare tire removal for weight reduction

[silver07b7]

Thinking about removing my full size spare to lighten up the car a little. Anyone think this is a bad idea due to it throwing off the balance of the car? I'm new to A4's but I've read that they're heavy in the front so it may not hurt to have a little extra weight in the rear. Any input on this is appreciated.

[QuattriumMT6]

I removed mine since I'm driving by myself 95% of the time. If it saves me some gas over a long period of time due to weight reduction cool. If not, I've cleared up space for some of the other crap in my trunk I could store in the spare tire department!

[Okedokey]

No worries about the weight. Just keep more fuel in there (say don't go under half) if you're that worried.

Sucks if you get a flat though...

[mbogosia]

I thought about it too but I travel all over TN for work and it's just not worth the risk for me. One flat tire and I'm stuck waiting for AAA.

[aluthman]

The only time I pull my spare is if I'm at the drag strip. I've never needed my spare, but the second I go anywhere without it will be the first time I need it.

[silver07b7]

I thought about it too but I travel all over TN for work and it's just not worth the risk for me. One flat tire and I'm stuck waiting for AAA.

Luckily I work 10 mins from home and I could always get a ride from co-worker if I ever needed to run home to grab my spare and jack.

[QuattriumMT6]

My car is just low enough (not slammed or stanced by any means) to be unable to use a standard jack and the death trap of a tool Audi provided us with in our trunks is only still there because it fits nice and snug by the spare wheel well. Even AAA has to use blocks to drive my car up on a flatbed.

[tloft4]

My car is just low enough (not slammed or stanced by any means) to be unable to use a standard jack and the death trap of a tool Audi provided us with in our trunks is only still there because it fits nice and snug by the spare wheel well. Even AAA has to use blocks to drive my car up on a flatbed.

im glad im not the only one, wtf is that thing..... seems like a strange place to start cutting weight vs utility tho, its like 25 lbs?

[yxri]

If you get a flat with no AAA. Good luck!

[Low and Behold]

The only time I pull my spare is if I'm at the drag strip. I've never needed my spare, but the second I go anywhere without it will be the first time I need it.

This.

The reward simply does not outweigh the risk.


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[Fasterd]

there is no reward. may i give my 2 cents as someone who has completely gutted a 99 down to eliminating every wiring harness not ignition/emissions/brake light related?

weight reduction really benefits you when you take it serious, taking out sound deadening, every bolt, all plastic....at the end of the day you still only net a few hundred pounds. in the grand scheme of things thats better for less than half a second reduction in the quarter mile. so you may gain .05 on your quarter and save 11 cents over the year all to have your car strand you on the side of the road by cutting 35 lbs. from the trunk. and don't quote me but i believe i read these cars are so far out of balance.....like 60/40 front to rear and out of whack laterally as well....so unless you want to add ballasts and corner balance the car good luck making a difference.

its never a good idea for a daily, unless you need to relocate the battery there for either swaps or electrical modifications like compressors for bags.

[LINDW4LL]

The reward simply does not outweigh the risk.

What he said. ^

You'll regret it bigly when you get a flat tire away from home.

[WtA4WtQ5]

You could compromise and put a space (weight) saver spare in place of the full size one. The new cars without a spare have an air pump and Audi brand slime, so at least have that if no spare carried.

[onedumslack]

there is no reward. may i give my 2 cents as someone who has completely gutted a 99 down to eliminating every wiring harness not ignition/emissions/brake light related?

weight reduction really benefits you when you take it serious, taking out sound deadening, every bolt, all plastic....at the end of the day you still only net a few hundred pounds. in the grand scheme of things thats better for less than half a second reduction in the quarter mile. so you may gain .05 on your quarter and save 11 cents over the year all to have your car strand you on the side of the road by cutting 35 lbs. from the trunk. and don't quote me but i believe i read these cars are so far out of balance.....like 60/40 front to rear and out of whack laterally as well....so unless you want to add ballasts and corner balance the car good luck making a difference.

its never a good idea for a daily, unless you need to relocate the battery there for either swaps or electrical modifications like compressors for bags.

Agree 100% with this. Unless going all out you won't notice anything from just the loss of a spare except standing on the side of a busy highway waiting for a tow truck for possibly many hours.

[silver07b7]

Agree 100% with this. Unless going all out you won't notice anything from just the loss of a spare except standing on the side of a busy highway waiting for a tow truck for possibly many hours.

As an experiment I stripped about 70lbs out of my trunk (full size spare, jack, tools, air compressor, trunk mat, and a couple other random things I had back there) and the car is noticeably lighter, which seems to complement the APR tune nicely. I think for now I'll be sticking with the stripped out trunk. I explained in an earlier post why the flat tire situation is pretty much a non-issue for me, and I have AAA anyways.

[80sGuy]

Stupid idea.

[Ashtonts]

^^ Agreed. It's not worth the weight savings to need anything you've taken out even once

[twofaze]

This is the kind of post I'd expect on a Honda Civic or Dodge Neon forum.

[Fasterd]

As an experiment I stripped about 70lbs out of my trunk (full size spare, jack, tools, air compressor, trunk mat, and a couple other random things I had back there) and the car is noticeably lighter, which seems to complement the APR tune nicely. I think for now I'll be sticking with the stripped out trunk. I explained in an earlier post why the flat tire situation is pretty much a non-issue for me, and I have AAA anyways.

Really? So lets do some math

there are variable because ratios change the effect of reduction but all things considered 8lbs. of reduction is worth roughly 1hp. in a given standard that I killed too many brain cells to remember. so 70/8 = 8.75.....so youre telling me you can feel essentially no change whatsoever? and from a handling standpoint the weight of these cars is in the front, rear weight removal only serves to reduce traction and cause a greater tendency for instability in high braking situations.

i once rode in a 3600 lb car with a driver at rockingham speedway, this car had roughly 250whp. i weighed 170lbs at the time, and made his time change from 14.2 to 14.4 in the 1/4. combine that with the fact i think youre overestimating your contribution in weight loss and i come to the conclusion there is no real world change worth the result of not having it when you need it.

[silver07b7]

This is the kind of post I'd expect on a Honda Civic or Dodge Neon forum.

My research suggests that the spare tire removal is a common mod on these cars but people on the forums love to flame you for it if you bring it up. Just one of those things I guess.

[silver07b7]

Really? So lets do some math

there are variable because ratios change the effect of reduction but all things considered 8lbs. of reduction is worth roughly 1hp. in a given standard that I killed too many brain cells to remember. so 70/8 = 8.75.....so youre telling me you can feel essentially no change whatsoever? and from a handling standpoint the weight of these cars is in the front, rear weight removal only serves to reduce traction and cause a greater tendency for instability in high braking situations.

i once rode in a 3600 lb car with a driver at rockingham speedway, this car had roughly 250whp. i weighed 170lbs at the time, and made his time change from 14.2 to 14.4 in the 1/4. combine that with the fact i think youre overestimating your contribution in weight loss and i come to the conclusion there is no real world change worth the result of not having it when you need it.

Carrying around 70 extra lbs in the rear is no different than towing a small 70lb trailer behind the car. You'll definitely notice it, especially in a car with a little 2.0L engine.

[Fasterd]

ok youre right can't argue with that logic

[onedumslack]

Carrying around 70 extra lbs in the rear is no different than towing a small 70lb trailer behind the car. You'll definitely notice it, especially in a car with a little 2.0L engine.

Actually vastly different. A 70lb trailer hanging off the rear of the vehicle will add greater resistance because it will have wheels on the ground. Add this to the fact it is farther from the center of the car and it will also have a greater effect on handling. You could more accurately compare it to having an 8 year old riding in your rear seat. I personally can't feel that on a butt Dyno.

[Fasterd]

Actually vastly different. A 70lb trailer hanging off the rear of the vehicle will add greater resistance because it will have wheels on the ground. Add this to the fact it is farther from the center of the car and it will also have a greater effect on handling. You could more accurately compare it to having an 8 year old riding in your rear seat. I personally can't feel that on a butt Dyno.

are you sure? his conclusions are backed by plenty of scientific research.

[Cobra351]

Actually vastly different. A 70lb trailer hanging off the rear of the vehicle will add greater resistance because it will have wheels on the ground. Add this to the fact it is farther from the center of the car and it will also have a greater effect on handling. You could more accurately compare it to having an 8 year old riding in your rear seat. I personally can't feel that on a butt Dyno.

Well said.

And if you still want to test this- tell us how much of a measurable difference there is in driving with and without a passenger.

[oVeRdOsE]

Carrying around 70 extra lbs in the rear is no different than towing a small 70lb trailer behind the car. You'll definitely notice it, especially in a car with a little 2.0L engine.

you can notice it when car reporters show 0-60 with an extra passenger. Sometimes they can get 5-8% difference with a 160 pounds person on small engines.

Personaly I don't have the spare tire. I'm working at 7 miles from my house, I can call someone to get my spare.

and over all my driving years, I had many flat tires, but all of them can be fixed with a tire plug until I get a real fix at the shop.

The tire is back on long summer trip, because like many mentioned, having a 500$ towing bill VS saving few $ on gas and few 0.xsec on 0-60 , 1/4, does not worth it.

[KJack]

Heck, I'm just glad this car has a full-size spare...or any spare for that matter. Many new cars are being sold with a can of Fix-a-Flat and a portable air pump; not even a donut spare. Drives me crazy.

[onedumslack]

I don't think anyone would argue against saving 160 or 200lbs as long as this keeps going up is beneficial and even calculable.

[dwinters14]

Anything short of a passenger or actual heavy cargo, it's difficult to notice the difference in weight. Honestly this is what I tell everyone who talks about weight reduction. The things you love the most in your car also weigh the most, your comfy seats, the radio, all the HVAC shit, WINDOWS etc...

Removing the backseats (can't tell you how many of my friends have done this thinking it's weight reduction) or spare tire etc... isn't going to reduce very much weight. It only makes sense in my opinion if you need the space, otherwise ADD more HP to compensate for the cars weight. These aren't miata's and won't ever be.

[pezgoon]

I just wanna say that removing the spare tire isn't a "mod"

Your not modifying anything

Your just taking out something that can be taken out to begin with and leaving it out lol

You want achievable results from mods, do some real mods

You wanna do some weight savings, do what yxri and another member did. Strip that shit.

I wouldn't even waste the brain power considering removing the spare, that's just idiotic.

Instead why not leave it and relocate the battery to the trunk or something, since you know about the balance issues, work to balance the car. Hell if anything, throw some cinderblocks in the truck while your at it! Get that rear end planted though the corners




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[yxri]

I just wanna say that removing the spare tire isn't a "mod"
You wanna do some weight savings, do what yxri and another member did. Strip that shit.
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: ) strip that shit is a very good motto!

[1killera4]

The only time I pull my spare is if I'm at the drag strip. I've never needed my spare, but the second I go anywhere without it will be the first time I need it.

Exactly...not worth not having it in the car.

[pezgoon]

: ) strip that shit is a very good motto!

Haha I figured you'd like that

Exactly...not worth not having it in the car.

He said to leave it in the car, he only pulls it out when at the drags lol


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