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[SH20]

Installed my space saver and made new dummy floor.  Feel better for having an old fashioned spare. What original tools I need I now carry in my mini trolley jack case. 

 

 

[Alison Burgess]

Ive just purchased a Lexus ES 300h and am looking to fit a space saver spare wheel. My Lexus garage say they can’t get one - can you advise? 

Thanks

Alison

[SH20]

Alison,  it's true that a dealer won't be able to supply a space saver on an official new part basis because the UK spec did not include the option for one so no part number exists as far as UK part numbers are concerned. The US get an alloy space saver as standard.   It's really about weight saving  rather than cost.

My previous car was a GS450h which had a pressed steel space saver as standard.  I did not keep it when I traded the GS in for the ES but simply went on to E Bay and typed in space saver wheel for Lexus GS.    These space saver wheels get very little use even when a person gets a flat .  They are very plain and stand out against the alloy wheels on the car.  Most people get the flat repaired and then the space saver goes back in the boot.    The E Bay wheel cost £40  with free delivery and I made sure it fitted the front and rear hubs when I got my ES.   It did,  so I can now use it if I get a flat.     The tyre inflation kit in your boot will work fine once you work out how it should be used but the use of the goo inside the tyre  tends to result in having to buy a new tyre instead of a £25 puncture repair.  You also need to buy another  canister of goo for future flats.    Some people say the goo that inflated the flat tyre can be removed but the likes of Kwik Fit, ATS, Halfords etc won't entertain removing the goo in order to fix an ordinary puncture, they will just say you need a new tyre hence my wish to have an old fashioned spare wheel.    If you look for a space saver on the internet make sure you look for Lexus ones as they have 5 holes to match the 5 holes of your ES alloys.   You could always buy a GS450h space saver from a Lexus dealer but it will cost at least £200 incl a tyre.   The dealer will still ask you for a registration number and/or a chassis number and of course your car is an ES so he/she will just get confused as to why you are wanting a GS part when you own an ES.     

The tools you have in the boot enable you to get a wheel off the car so if you discover a flat or a slow puncture on your drive or in your garage then remove the wheel at home and then get a mate to help you deliver it to a tyre firm who can repair it providing the offending nail/screw  etc  has not punctured the tyre too close to the edge of the tyre.  £25 puncture repair for a little hassle   getting the wheel to kwik fit is better than £150 for a new tyre.  If you are out and about then the tyre inflation kit would have to be used.  Space saver tyres run at around 60 psi  tyre pressure,  much higher than the 35 psi your current wheels/tyres run at.   It's because the space saver tyre is skinny.  Hope this helps..

[jumbojake]

I love the idea of a real spare wheel.

But, just a thought.... we had a flat in our RX, without a spare ... AA (Lexus assist) came out and fitted a plug from the outside... it was a temporary repair until we got to a tyre place who did a proper puncture repair... to me that worked better than a spare, as the wheel size remained the same, didn't affect the steering (although also limited to 50mph until proper repair made)... just a thought to anyone who can't get a spare, or not brave enough to try swapping a wheel on a hard shoulder!.

[SH20]

Didn't think those nylon plugs still existed. I remember in the late sixties early seventies you could by a kit with a supply of 3 inch long nylon strips that you inserted with a T bar tool which the plug slid onto and then dipped in a tin of special lubrication  and you simply pushed the nylon strip into the puncture hole and twisted the T bar tool and then extracted it. The two visible bits of nylon were then just cut off.    Back then though that was the repair.     A few years later that type of repair option was effectively banned in favour of a traditional vulcanisation repair from the inside and those quick repair kits disappeared.    I guess when we have a recovery company that we can call on, John's experience is a great service and I agree nice to be able to drive off with the original wheel in a serviceable condition.   Maybe as I was in the motor trade a space saver just means I'm not faced with using the inflation kit and goo or calling someone out.    Yes changing a wheel on the hard shoulder of a motorway can be a bit hairy.            

[PRT68]

No spare in my RC either. I do carry a plug kit and footpump in the boot. 

A friend of mine does similar, and when on a long journey or holiday, has one of his old legal tyres as well (ie, no rim). He fills the tyre with soft luggage, shoes etc. That way if he gets a non repairable puncture, he can give the tyre to the rescue person to get fitted so he doesn't get stung for an expensive replacement.

[Cardiff Lexus fan]

On 9/1/2019 at 12:55 PM, SH20 said:

Installed my space saver and made new dummy floor.  Feel better for having an old fashioned spare. What original tools I need I now carry in my mini trolley jack case. 

 

 

hi there, can you confirm where you were able to source your spare wheel from please and how much? we are after one for our ES

[jumbojake]

we had the same with out Rx... AA put a plug from the outside, and sent us on our way to a tyre shop for a proper puncture repair.  AA chap said we were safe at 50mph, so pretty much the same as a spare for a basic puncture,..and avoid the goo if that's what you have

[AndrewLast]

On 9/1/2019 at 12:55 PM, SH20 said:

Installed my space saver and made new dummy floor.  Feel better for having an old fashioned spare. What original tools I need I now carry in my mini trolley jack case. 

 

 

Hi 

Got the exact same wheel as yours from ebay for my 2019 ES 300h. 
Did you make any modifications in the boot? How did you secure the wheel? 
thanks.

[SH20]

Dominic and Andrew,  bought the GS300 space saver on eBay for £45, also bought on eBay a Toyota spare wheel securing bolt  that is pretty much standard across Lexus and Toyota as  the ES has the captive nut in the boot floor as standard.  Although the making of the dummy floor  was straightforward and there was no modifications needed to the spare wheel well  I decided to go back to the original arrangement and refit the moulded tool kit and tools back into the wheel well to preserve originality. I now carry my space saver in the boot in a nylon cover.  Yes I do lose a bit of boot space but not too much   

[AndrewLast]

On 3/2/2021 at 10:51 AM, SH20 said:

Dominic and Andrew,  bought the GS300 space saver on ebay for £45, also bought on ebay a Toyota spare wheel securing bolt  that is pretty much standard across Lexus and Toyota as  the ES has the captive nut in the boot floor as standard.  Although the making of the dummy floor  was straightforward and there was no modifications needed to the spare wheel well  I decided to go back to the original arrangement and refit the moulded tool kit and tools back into the wheel well to preserve originality. I now carry my space saver in the boot in a nylon cover.  Yes I do lose a bit of boot space but not too much   

Thank you!

been looking for that "Toyota spare wheel securing bolt" (long,short ones)but there are lots of different ones 😳😟 and i dont know which one to pick. 

Also tried to place the original grey moulded tool kit in top of the wheel just to see if it fits as you said and no chance to stand in place. 
there is any way you can make a few more photos/video of how you place the grey moulded kit in top of the wheel,please??? 
thanks. 

[AndrewLast]

On 3/2/2021 at 10:51 AM, SH20 said:

Dominic and Andrew,  bought the GS300 space saver on ebay for £45, also bought on ebay a Toyota spare wheel securing bolt  that is pretty much standard across Lexus and Toyota as  the ES has the captive nut in the boot floor as standard.  Although the making of the dummy floor  was straightforward and there was no modifications needed to the spare wheel well  I decided to go back to the original arrangement and refit the moulded tool kit and tools back into the wheel well to preserve originality. I now carry my space saver in the boot in a nylon cover.  Yes I do lose a bit of boot space but not too much   

Hi

Have the spare wheel,securing bolt,fits perfect,glad i took your advice. The problem is how did you built the New dummy Floor? I dont know where to keep all tools the kit that came into the grey moulding. 😟😟 want them to be nice and neat. 

[Diesel Do Nicely Brian]

Great idea. I am about to move from my brilliant GS450h to an ES300 Premier, due this weekend then it has 3 days of full new car detailing/machining and ceramic coating. 
 

I may rob my spare from my GS450h as it’ll be going to auction anyway! 

[AndrewLast]

2 hours ago, Diesel Do Nicely Brian said:

Great idea. I am about to move from my brilliant GS450h to an ES300 Premier, due this weekend then it has 3 days of full new car detailing/machining and ceramic coating. 
 

I may rob my spare from my GS450h as it’ll be going to auction anyway! 

Keep the wheel if you have it on your GS and the secure bolt, fits perfectly. 
i m not into ceramic coating,doesnt last,did 2 cars before plus the climate/rain not helping at all,waste of money. Have a friend he did it on a Tesla S last year and he said the same thing and paid good money for it then went to the garage where the coating was done and complain about it as he was told lasts up to 3 yrs and they blamed him that He was supossed to wash the car with some special shampoo,never to selfwash places and alot of other stupid things he was never told before.

Buffering if really needs too enough but not recomended more then 1 stage  not good for the clear coat and then wax every 3-4mths. Will get myself fusso99 as i seen very good rewiews for it.

 

[Diesel Do Nicely Brian]

Luckily I am incredibly picky about my cars and seal/machine them regularly so I’ll have no issues maintaining the ceramic coating that is being applied properly by a detailing company, with 1 stage machining, before the dealer delivers it. Their valeters will NOT be touching it (I don’t ever let the dealer wash any of my cars). 

[ciao_chao]

Hey, bit late to the game here so maybe OP has figured a solution. My experience with space savers/steelies on a car with alloys is to be careful with wheel bolts. You might want a set of shorter wheel bolts as the longer alloy wheel bolts may cause damage to the hub, also the correct length of bolts definitely safer. Otherwise I prefer to ditch any original tools in favour of a hydraulic jack (bottle or trolley), breaker bar and correct sized sockets (remember some alloys have deep bolts so either an extension or longer sockets may be needed), all of this can be heavy but so much faster and safer especially if you're at the side of the road. Personally also carry a torque wrench because of my penchant for snapping bolts, but that's totally optional so long as you are careful.

Also if you choose to go with the typical OEM tool kit, one thing that they never pack is a wheel block/chock, but strongly recommended for safety.

[AndrewLast]

21 minutes ago, ciao_chao said:

Hey, bit late to the game here so maybe OP has figured a solution. My experience with space savers/steelies on a car with alloys is to be careful with wheel bolts. You might want a set of shorter wheel bolts as the longer alloy wheel bolts may cause damage to the hub, also the correct length of bolts definitely safer. Otherwise I prefer to ditch any original tools in favour of a hydraulic jack (bottle or trolley), breaker bar and correct sized sockets (remember some alloys have deep bolts so either an extension or longer sockets may be needed), all of this can be heavy but so much faster and safer especially if you're at the side of the road. Personally also carry a torque wrench because of my penchant for snapping bolts, but that's totally optional so long as you are careful.

Also if you choose to go with the typical OEM tool kit, one thing that they never pack is a wheel block/chock, but strongly recommended for safety.

I m going to use sound deadening/insulation on all floor where the spare wheel is coming but i m looking for a way to store the car jack and all other bits and pieces. I might make a box from a peace of playwood to sit on top of the wheel spacer as i dont see any other way to store all this. 

[ciao_chao]

Hmm, I have a similar problem with my trolley jack, I can’t see a way of storing it below the boot lining. Does it fit in the space behind the wheel arch? You could carve a foam block to hold your jack securely and fashion a board that conceals the jack behind it and if you glue that board onto the foam it will hold it in place, maybe even find an appropriate OEM handle to attach to it. I saw someone on the LS group reupholster their tired centre console here and I think that material would look right in the boot to cover all that custom work. 
 

As for the other tools, would it be possible to mount the spare inside facing up? That might eek out a little extra space.

 

Edit for clarity - flip the spare the other way round

[AndrewLast]

2 hours ago, ciao_chao said:

Hmm, I have a similar problem with my trolley jack, I can’t see a way of storing it below the boot lining. Does it fit in the space behind the wheel arch? You could carve a foam block to hold your jack securely and fashion a board that conceals the jack behind it and if you glue that board onto the foam it will hold it in place, maybe even find an appropriate OEM handle to attach to it. I saw someone on the LS group reupholster their tired centre console here and I think that material would look right in the boot to cover all that custom work. 
 

As for the other tools, would it be possible to mount the spare inside facing up? That might eek out a little extra space.

 

Edit for clarity - flip the spare the other way round

Thats the way my wheel is at the moment so i can gain a bit of extra space and so the box i m going to make will fit into the wheel. Hope will come ok :)) there is no space behind the wheel arch on the ES. Was thinking about the foam thing too but cant find any place i can get it from. Also will try to get the original grey foam car jack holder from an 2017 up passat as a 2nd option if i find any. 

[ciao_chao]

33 minutes ago, AndrewLast said:

Thats the way my wheel is at the moment so i can gain a bit of extra space and so the box i m going to make will fit into the wheel. Hope will come ok :)) there is no space behind the wheel arch on the ES. Was thinking about the foam thing too but cant find any place i can get it from. Also will try to get the original grey foam car jack holder from an 2017 up passat as a 2nd option if i find any. 

Might be worth trying building supply places like Wickes. I think they use some pretty dense polystyrene type materials for insulation. 

[AndrewLast]

8 minutes ago, ciao_chao said:

Might be worth trying building supply places like Wickes. I think they use some pretty dense polystyrene type materials for insulation. 

Will try everything...have to sort it out somehow. Thanks 🙂 

[Diesel Do Nicely Brian]

I am certainly going to look at a range of options for mine. 
 

I assume the ES (as it does not have the same sized front brakes as my GS450h) will pretty much take any alloy from Lexus - I know a set from an IS220d (17’s) fit my GS450h (fitting them to my Avensis in the summer) so I’d imagine any IS etc will fit. 

[AndrewLast]

8 hours ago, Diesel Do Nicely Brian said:

I am certainly going to look at a range of options for mine. 
 

I assume the ES (as it does not have the same sized front brakes as my GS450h) will pretty much take any alloy from Lexus - I know a set from an IS220d (17’s) fit my GS450h (fitting them to my Avensis in the summer) so I’d imagine any IS etc will fit. 

From what i know most lexus alloys will fit for sure. I dont know anything about size of front brakes. I powder coat my alloys from my ex Lexus Is and i was using hyunday tucson alloys as a replacement for a few days 😁

[Diesel Do Nicely Brian]

Due to collect mine from the dealer on Monday (after it’s spent 3 days at the detailer first) - all docs signed/paperwork etc and the car will be taxed/registered on Friday 😄👍

[AndrewLast]

2 hours ago, Diesel Do Nicely Brian said:

Due to collect mine from the dealer on Monday (after it’s spent 3 days at the detailer first) - all docs signed/paperwork etc and the car will be taxed/registered on Friday 😄👍

Nice one...drive safe 😊 put up some pics so i can see how it looks like ceramic coating and all.