Don't take out that spare
 

I just sent a private message on this, and want to share it on the public forum.

I saw where a FIT owner had removed the spare for weight reduction.

Do not do this unless you are ready to assume the resulting liability.

When vehicles are tested for crash worthiness, the spare must be installed in the vehicle. It is considered a structural member, it stiffens and supports the area it occupies. If it is removed, it weakens the vehicle in that area.

And if you do choose to take it out, don't post that fact on a public forum..... and don't let anyone else get in the car with you.

wow, do you want to add dont install a cf hood and hatch too????

Thank you for the heads up.
Do you have a link to the source?

Yeah sorry bud, I'll have to bite my tongue...but that seriously is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Maybe the design of the compartment where the spare tire is stored provides rigidity in the event of a crash, but that POS donut sitting back there won't help you at all...hell, the damn tire is rated for 50 kilometers of total travel...

And I did a quick search on IIHS, no such safety concern. I guess all of those BMW's and Chevrolet's etc. are screwed since they use run flats and don't have spares...

+1. I'd be much more concerned about getting a flate tire without my spare than the "safety" issue. :confused:

the only bad thing about not having your spare tire in the back (other than getting stranded, but hey thats what AAA is for) is that the rear cargo area has no support underneath it and the cheap, flimsy "tagboard" will break under less weight. what i did to remedy this situation is i measured the dimesions of the spare installed in the back, took a piece of sheet metal and cut sections to form a fake spare tire. welded the pieces together. painted it black. drilled a hole in the middle, bolted it down and voila! no "useless dounut" weight and all the support for the tagboard you need. thinking that it makes your car less rigid in an accident is just retarded. now the jdm rear crashbar is another story ;)

Damn, was all that really worth it? I mean how much of a difference did the weight actually make?

it doesnt make that much of a difference at all but given the fact that i cant use the spare on the front wheels with j's racing roll center adjusters (because they dont clear the inside of the spare's rim) and all the braces ive put in the car adding weight ( c-pillar, front/rear strut tower bar, lower frame braces etc) it just seemed like a stupid idea to keep it in. its pretty much useless to me.

I saw another post about putting felt down in the well - I am planning to try this and also I am going to add another layer of felt onto of what is already there, then put my cargo tray back onto of it. Will see if that helps with any noise reduction.

Yeah, I can't see the tire being that much help in a crash but like above I would rather know I can put on the spare and drive myself home then to risk traveling the roads without one.

Cat :x

im carrying a full size spare andi dont own a space saver wheel, the full size will be fine, it fit the gap and is held down ok, the boot however doesnt look the best, will have to buy the space saver one day,

Not true, the spare is NOT a structural member of the test vehicle assembly as it is a REMOVABLE, optional part and is NOT mandatory for the tests. Feel free to run without one.

other than actual track work, why would one want to take out the spare?

I think the thread starter is wrong too. Some speaker systems require you to remove the spare tire.

You know what would have been awesome? If manufacturers gave us the option to pay for a full size spare...cuz I would...that damn donut is embarrassing, I'd rather get towed home than throw that POS on my car...

Thread Starter
 

The thread starter is I-CAR certified, what qualifications do you bring to this discussion?

So let me pose this question. The spare tire supposedly can be used for what, 50 miles? If removing the spare tire can compromise the structual integrity of the car, wouldn't everyone who uses the spare tire then be at risk for those potential 50 miles? So you're telling me Honda would allow for this to occur?

nice point corey. BAY LUV WOOT WOOT!

oh and ps. sometimes qualifications mean dick. ive only had a job as a certified aprillia motorcycle tech and ive had to prove certified car mechanics wrong. qualifications dont equal intelligence and unless you can come up with a website proving your point, i say that you are speculating or heard this "fact" from someone that thought they knew what they were talking about.

while i understand why most people are thinking that the spare would have little influence in an intrusive impact, i still think that taking out the spare is a terrible idea.

I took it out and drove my whole family all over today then picked up the friends and drove them too!

i'm gonna take out my airbags. i mean, i'm not planning on getting into an accident anytime soon, so i don't need them, right? i'll probably run a 16.87 now in the 1/4 rather than a 16.89, so it's totally worth it.