Tyre savers

[pshanks76]

I'm looking at getting some tyre savers / cradles for when I put the Elise away in the garage for winter to stop flat spots and looking on the web there seems to be 2 options;

Expensive - Car specific cradles like the Race Ramps RR-FS: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Race-Ramps-RR ... 4d19e55383
Cheap - caravan/camper cradles like the Fiamma tyre savers: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fiamma-Wheel-Cr ... B00BTI15DI

Has anybody used either or have any opinions??? The Fiamma's can be joined together to be wide enough for my rear tyres and 3 sets will work out about £44 versus £118 for the Race Ramps.

[donaldosaurus]

Good idea,

these might do the job?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CARAVAN-WHEEL ... 27fe1dae95

[pshanks76]

Yeah, they're even cheaper. I will probably just stick some rubber to the base of them to stop them slipping and a bit of extra cold protection (from the concrete floor) and job should be a good 'un.

[Ferg]

For the non caravan user... do these work?

[pshanks76]

I've heard they do... my folks use them and say they work. They spread the weight across a larger surface area and create a barrier between the cold. I think I'll just get the cheaper ones and see how they go!

[Ferg]

Let us know how it goes. I was thinking of putting foam floor padding down for the car to sit on. Unless the curve of the tyre savers closely matches the curve of the tyre, I imagine the effect should be similar.

[ClarkyBoy]

A few of the guys in the racing fraternity use those wheels skids, keeps the tyres off the flat and you can move the car around really easily without having to mess about taking them on and off the ramps

[Dominic]

Let us know how it goes. I was thinking of putting foam floor padding down for the car to sit on. Unless the curve of the tyre savers closely matches the curve of the tyre, I imagine the effect should be similar.

Nice foam flooring is cheap and cheerful - lovely to be on when working on the car, saves the tyres a little - esp if like me you always park in the exact same spot - leaving dents in the foam floor. Aldi do garage flooring from time to time - costs buttons. Seems to be about the same as the play matting you get for kids, but much cheaper! If you go for it, one tip; leave an inch or so around the edge, as through use, it expands - like dough being rolled with a rolling pin. I didn't, and had to go back around it trimming the edges.

[thinfourth]

Or

A jack and some axle stands

[pshanks76]

I read on a PistonHeads thread that prolonged periods on axle stands isn't great for the shocks... No idea if there is any truth in that though?

I hadn't really considered the foam/rubber matting as a solution but the more I thought about it the better it seems... Means I can easily manoeuvre the car when I need to access my garage loft, so I've ordered some matting which should be here next week. Will post some pics once in place.

[Dominic]

I read on a PistonHeads thread that prolonged periods on axle stands isn't great for the shocks... No idea if there is any truth in that though?

I hadn't really considered the foam/rubber matting as a solution but the more I thought about it the better it seems... Means I can easily manoeuvre the car when I need to access my garage loft, so I've ordered some matting which should be here next week. Will post some pics once in place.