Hardening Foam-like product to fill in spare tire

[cream]

Hey everyone,

I was just wondering if anyone knew of product to fill in the empty space for the spare tire. Since the tire acts as a support for my trunk, w/o the tire in there, it just collapses. I have it out cause my stock rim is useless with aftermarket ones.

So just looking for a spray in foam or whatever is used nowadays to fill it in and have it harden enough to support the cover.

Thanks in advance.

[Kloubek]

You really should have a spare tire in there. Additionally, when it comes time to sell the car, people will think you're an idiot for filling the spare area with foam.

Buuuttt... if you must, there are certainly spray foam/insulation products out there. Quite a few of them, and any should work since the (minimal) load distributed across the whole opening would mean the material doesn't actually have to be very strong at all.

[mo_money2supe]

You could always build a custom sub-box (c/w with amp and sub) to fill in the void.

[Seth1968]

Fill it with something removable, or get a cheap rim/tire from the wreckers.

[ercchry]

oooorrr, hit up pick n pull and grab a cardboard (maybe not cardboard, but that thin wood like crap) spare tire cover from one of the many vehicles that came with one :dunno:

http://c1385782.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/lrs-45026a_2221.jpg

[cream]

Originally posted by Kloubek
You really should have a spare tire in there. Additionally, when it comes time to sell the car, people will think you're an idiot for filling the spare area with foam.

Buuuttt... if you must, there are certainly spray foam/insulation products out there. Quite a few of them, and any should work since the (minimal) load distributed across the whole opening would mean the material doesn't actually have to be very strong at all.

I was thinking of the type of product where it would harden BUT be removable. Not sure if there is such a thing. Like it would follow the contours of the hole and you can take it out like styrofoam.

As for the cardboard like thing, I have one that comes with the car but there's no support from underneath it. Only thin ledges from the plastic (2cm) which the cardboard falls through when I put my backpack on it

[Seth1968]

Originally posted by cream
[B]

I was thinking of the type of product where it would harden BUT be removable. Not sure if there is such a thing. Like it would follow the contours of the hole and you can take it out like styrofoam.

Just line the hole first with aluminum foil. You could try a piece of tarp, but the chemicals in the foam may eat through it.

[ercchry]

build a support for the centre of it? :dunno:

[carson blocks]

If you're hung up on having foam in there, line the inside of your trunk with plastic (you may need to spray it with mold release or similar), fill the cavity with spray foam, then when it's dry, separate it from the plastic. Then you've got a perfectly sized chunk of foam you can install or remove at will.

Test it first outside of the car so you can see how to work with the spray foam, and how easily it will remove from your chosen plastic etc.

[brandon]

1. If your spare tire doesn't work with your new set of wheels then you obviously didn't choose the right size of wheel and tire for your car.

2. Why go through all the work to spray foam your spare tire well when you can just leave it in there? regardless if it doesn't work with your setup.. it's no more useful than filling it with foam lol

[JfuckinC]

buy a large chunk of styrofoam(kijiji?) and cut it to fit the hole.

[7thgenvic]

Come by my manufacturing facility. I'll sell you a pc of 4 x 8 6mm MDF for $30/bux a panel. I'll even cut it out for you :)

[cream]

Originally posted by brandon
1. If your spare tire doesn't work with your new set of wheels then you obviously didn't choose the right size of wheel and tire for your car.

2. Why go through all the work to spray foam your spare tire well when you can just leave it in there? regardless if it doesn't work with your setup.. it's no more useful than filling it with foam lol

Stock 16" spare tire with 18" aftermarket rims? Ok..

I'm just looking for alternatives to keeping it in there plus a little weight reduction from the exclusion of the spare tire.

I was looking more along the lines of what carson posted and what brand of spray foam there is in the market.

[ercchry]

wtf does the diameter of the rim have to do with anything?!

you probably shouldnt touch cars... just saying

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by cream


Stock 16" spare tire with 18" aftermarket rims? Ok..


What does your rims size have to do with the functionality of your spare?


edit: Shit, beat me to it, lol.

[Projek01]

lol gotta keep the car looking fresh even when one of your tires blow. cant pick up bitches with one 16" wheel man. The stock spare in a 7th gen celica is

1. full size
2. a light steel rim

[cream]

The tire size is different as well. But my bad. So does anyone know of a brand of spray on foam that fits my application?

[carson blocks]

Originally posted by cream


Stock 16" spare tire with 18" aftermarket rims? Ok..



As long as you don't have a big brake setup or next to no ground clearance or something, the 16" spare will still work fine. If the flat is on the front drive axle and you have to drive for any extended period of time, just put the spare on the rear and the borrowed rear on the drive axle.

[revelations]

Originally posted by cream
Stock 16" spare tire with 18" aftermarket rims? Ok..

:banghead:

A 185 60 16" wheel actually has a slightly larger radius than a 185 40 18" one.

OP, expandable foam is what you need. Get some plastic and place it in the spare tire compartment and then add the expandable foam.

But to drive around without a spare tire - especially here in the winter - is :rolleyes:

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by revelations


OP, expandable foam is what you need. Get some plastic and place it in the spare tire compartment and then add the expandable foam.


Expandable foam will likely eat the plastic. Seth1968 had the best idea, just use tinfoil to the line the wheel well.

But seriously Cream, you don't drive an AWD vehicle, your spare tire should stay in the car. It WILL work to get your car off the f'ing road, and out of the rest of traffics way.

[brandon]

Originally posted by cream


Stock 16" spare tire with 18" aftermarket rims? Ok..

I'm just looking for alternatives to keeping it in there plus a little weight reduction from the exclusion of the spare tire.

I was looking more along the lines of what carson posted and what brand of spray foam there is in the market.

As everyone else has pointed out.. when you change rim size you're not supposed to change the overall diameter of your wheel and tire.. meaning.. if you have an 18" rim your tire size should be smaller and equal the same size diameter as your stock 16" with larger tire.

[syritis]

go buy some "great stuff" from home depot, it's an aerosol expandable foam for cracks in home foundations. I use it for fiberglass plugs.

[Squishy]

Chris just buy a bigger piece of that thin shit in there already and shape it to sit ontop of the side plastic holders on each side of the trunk. I've always kept my spare in there. Regardless of the size I'd rather have something to limp on if necessary than nothing.

[Maxx Mazda]

Yeah, no spare is a bad idea... Unless you need mad weight savingz y0!!

[ddduke]

Originally posted by ercchry
wtf does the diameter of the rim have to do with anything?!

you probably shouldnt touch cars... just saying

Fuck, this is the best thing I've read yet. The only way it wouldn't work is if he got adapters for a different bolt pattern. This guy actually boggles my mind.

Put your stock one back in and just don't use it if you don't think it'll work as a spare (it will). Or buy a 5th rim and tire that matches and put that in there (I do it with every truck I own).

wtf are you going to do if you catch a flat?

[schocker]

Originally posted by ddduke
wtf are you going to do if you catch a flat?
Spray foam :dunno: :rofl:

[bspot]

I've needed a spare tire once in my entire life.

It was on highway 1 coming back hungover as shit from a wedding in Windermere at the beginning of winter. Boy was I glad to have it and not be stuck out there all day waiting for an expensive tow.

That alone made it worth lugging one around (not that it's hard) for all my years of driving.

If you think dropping 40lbs of weight is going to do anything for you, just take a big dump before you drive and never fill your gas tank past half... problem solved.

[topmade]

+1 for a 3/8" piece of mdf. Those thin cardboard covers that some cars come with bends pretty easily with any decent weight on top of it and it requires the spare tire for support. Foam is alright but if you are tight for space it's a space waster whereas with just a wood cover you can put shit in the well still. But like the others stated keep the spare tire in there. It's there for a reason and it's not one of those things you should just remove because you never use it.