Itinerant Air-Cooled

How tight is your spare tire fit in the well? I have a 165R15 and its really tight. Even when uninflated. I know the bug had front end damage but the trunk looks pretty straight.

I have a 205/75 in the front of mine, slides in and out pretty good.

Mine was pretty tight in the '69 Bus, but wiggled in all the way.
Same with the '64 Beetle I had...but in the Beetle I had to keep the air pressure down to 5-10 PSI to get the spare to squeeze in, and carried a smallish tire pump in the trunk in to fill it the rest of the way up in case I had to use the spare.
I think both cars' tire wells were designed for bias ply tires, and I was using radials. Radial are a bit rounder and fatter than the equivalent sizes of the old bias ply tires.

I have a 165R15 as the spare in my '79 Super and yes, if inflated to operate as the windshield washer pump, it's nearly impossible to get out. I think Hippie's right on with the theory on radial vs. bias ply.

Sorry, mine is a baja with a (ahem) "modified" front end

dtrumbo wrote:I have a 165R15 as the spare in my '79 Super and yes, if inflated to operate as the windshield washer pump, it's nearly impossible to get out. I think Hippie's right on with the theory on radial vs. bias ply.

That makes sense. I went out looking for a used 155R15 but there are none to be found. New ones online are $80 and I still don't know if one would fit any better. I think I'll just uninflate the tire and carry one of those pumps.

As I recall, from the mists of time back around 1989/90, a 155SR15 fitted fine in a '71 standard wheel well - I don't recall having to change the pressure to get it in or out. The '73 Super was easier, naturally

rallybug wrote:As I recall, from the mists of time back around 1989/90, a 155SR15 fitted fine in a '71 standard wheel well - I don't recall having to change the pressure to get it in or out. The '73 Super was easier, naturally

Stock VW tires sizes fit in undamaged wheel wells. My Squareback has modern slightly oversized tires and the spare takes a shove to get down in there.
Since MY pneumatic windshield washer system WORKS fine, I have to inflate the tire to 42psi . . .
Colin

165-80-15's just fit in my Ghia with a little pushing and yes, I keep the spare at 42psi for the now working windshield washer system.