Inflatable Spares...

[merc3065]

I've seen 2 types of inflatable spares, the steel rimmed one and the one that I have, the aluminum one.

Whats the deal? Was it an "option" to get the aluminum rim?
Was it better to have the steel one vs the aluminum?

Weight savings???

Anyone?

[gtayumiko]

I have only seen the GTAs having the aluminum one. I always thought that it was standard for GTAs to have this aluminum one but could be ordered as an option for the other Pontiac cars. I think that the only advantage of having this aluminum one is it is lighter which will make it easier to move it around, a convenience for the person who is changing the tire because of flat. This is all that I thought of it and the differences though. Also the aluminum spare will fit on front and back of the car, the offset does not effect it. But I am unsure of the metal/steel one if that would work on the GTA because of the offset differences between front and the back. Yumiko

[merc3065]

mine was out of a trans am, so im thinking that if the trans am got it and has the same spacing as the GTA, the steel one wouldn't have offset problems either.

It looks kinda neat, but never really figured out why there would be 2 types when the aluminum is clearly the better for weight savings.

[FearThisGTA]

I have never looked at mine.

[Stephen]

The silver one is from my 87 GTA, the black one is from my 89 GTA. BOTH are aluminum! Yes, even the black one is. I used the reacher magnet from my tol box. Didn't stick to either one.

[mr.turbota]

I do know that the black one is used on all 1989 290th Anniversary Turbo Trans Ams.
I have picked up a few of the silver ones too. As well as the black one.

George :cool:

[Stephen]

Maybe the black ones(all aluminum, or some steel?) are 89 & later? Anybody with an 88? What ya got? I'm ust wondering if GM switch from the silver ones, like from my 87, to the black ones that look like steelies, in 88 or 89?

[merc3065]

mine is from an 88 t/a

[strc09]

I believe mine is black.

[Stephen]

Aluminum or steel?

[strc09]

I'll need to take a magnet to it to find out.

[Arrow]

my '88 has the aluminum one

[Stephen]

I'm assuming you mean the silver one then. My black one is aluminum, not steel.

[tandy806]

Just checked my spare. I do not think it has ever seen the light of day until this morning. Never been on the ground. It is the silver wheel and is aluminum. I hope I never have a flat and really need to use this. What a pain to get out. I think I would just call a friend to come and get me and keep the spare original. Tandy 1987 GTA with paddle mirors.....

[Stephen]

I meant to put one of my spares on the front of the 89 GTAI have, then use a front crosslace wheel, as the spare in my 87.

All of my tires are in GREAT shape, so short of hitting something in the road, I'm in no danger of a tire going flat, separating, etc.

[Xophertony]

the reason for the inflatable spare is that a full size wheel/tire will NOT fit back there. you cannot use your spare cross lace as a spare and keep it in the factory location. also, driving on the spare as a tire is NOT recommended for any length of time.

my 88 GTA has the black aluminum inflatable spare, but if you read the spotlight on my car you will know that my GTA is far from original, who knows what the past owners have done to this thing.

[FrankieRider2]

the reason for the inflatable spare is that a full size wheel/tire will NOT fit back there. you cannot use your spare cross lace as a spare and keep it in the factory location. also, driving on the spare as a tire is NOT recommended for any length of time.

my 88 GTA has the black aluminum inflatable spare, but if you read the spotlight on my car you will know that my GTA is far from original, who knows what the past owners have done to this thing.

Don't you just love seeing all the idiots on the road that zip and zoom around on their doughnuts spares like they're running the Indy 500 or something? That is hysterical.... and it's like embossed on the tire not to drive above 50 mph or something.... If I did that, the tire would explode in about a million pieces.

My red GTA has never had the spare dropped.... and I don't think I've ever even looked in the cavity to see which style spare rim it has. I'm pretty sure that my Notchback has the silver aluminum spare in it. Hector has a bag for the flat tire to go in because you cannot use the rear well to store the tire in; you put the flat in this vinyl zip-up bag, fold the rear seats down flat, and transport it there instead.

But I'm with Tandy.... I don't think I'd even try to use a spare on one of my cars unless I was trapped a LONG way from home.

[Stephen]

Actually, that rear well, is plenty deep & wide for a full size, flat or inflated. Just not the factory spare location, behind the panel. How else could have a GM customer carried the flat tire home? The factory had to have a way to get the flat home.

I know a full sized 245/50R16 isn't going to fit in the factory spare location. I want to use one of my spare fronts, in the well, since it'll fit on all 4 corners, and I won't be forced into going tire shopping. I can put on the spare, nobody will even notice, and I can buy a new tire, whenever I want. Even a year later!

[gtayumiko]

Actually, that rear well, is plenty deep & wide for a full size, flat or inflated. Just not the factory spare location, behind the panel. How else could have a GM customer carried the flat tire home? The factory had to have a way to get the flat home.

I know a full sized 245/50R16 isn't going to fit in the factory spare location. I want to use one of my spare fronts, in the well, since it'll fit on all 4 corners, and I won't be forced into going tire shopping. I can put on the spare, nobody will even notice, and I can buy a new tire, whenever I want. Even a year later!

Actually you will not be able to put a full sized GTA rim with the tire and filled with air in the back compartment - I am talking about the thing you refer to as the "rear well", not the spare tire compartment. You should try it some time, I did. The "rear well" is not deep enough and you will not be able to close the hatchback fully down. I wanted to do the same thing, having a full sized spare tire. But it is really an inconvenience because the only place you can put such a large spare tire is laying it down on top of over where the gas tank is. To me it was just a big hassle having that tire there. But again, I did attempt to put a standard GTA rim with the tire mounted to it and with air in that "rear well" but I could not close down the hatch when it was there. Try it yourself and tell me if it works for you.

Yumiko

[Stephen]

It's been years since I owned the 92 RS, but I had a full sized, 16"x8" spare. I don't recall it not fitting though.

[gtayumiko]

It's been years since I owned the 92 RS, but I had a full sized, 16"x8" spare. I don't recall it not fitting though.

RS means "Rally Sport" yes? That would be a Camaro. A full size tire may fit in that car, but I do not know that for sure because I never had one. But I do know that in the GTA, there is not enough depth in that rear well and it can not be placed at an angle in there because the "hump" where the gas tank is, is not angled enough and the tire will be at perhaps an 85 degree angle at the most and that is not enough for it to be out of the way so it does not get into the way of the hatch. Yumiko

[Stephen]

Yes, Rally Sport. But the unibodies("frame") are the exact same, between the Camaros & Firebirds. Only the interior trim pieces, and body panels were different. The rear well space, would have been the same in both.

[merc3065]

Someone should try this on a standard glass hatchback...
If you look closely on the underside it looks like theres a slight indentation on the plastic covering where the trunk latch is.
I believe you are supposed to put the tire into the trunk well on an angle kinda like this... -> //

And then close the lid with one of the edges of the tires resting in that little indentation so it doesn't roll around.

I'm not 100% sure on this but thats what it looks like...

[FrankieRider2]

Yes, that is correct.... the spare was supposed to be set at an angle in the trunkwell area in order to allow for the closure of the hatch glass.

But also keep in mind that the 3rdGen cars were originally introduced with P215/65R15 tires being the largest available.... not P245/50R16 tires like our cars have. I don't think there's any way the 50 series tires would fit in the rear area and have the hatch close all the way down.