IMPORTANT NOTICE
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This post has been edited after consultation with forum admin and Abarth UK in order to make sure that owners do not cause any damage to their cars.
Admin have asked me to make it clear that:
1. I am using non OEM Abarth purchased or recommended equipment that I have sourced myself.
2. Positive engagement MUST be made with the sill area and the slot on the Fiat OEM jack, as the actual jacking point is inboard of the arrows. This is to avoid any damage to your car.
Abarth do not recommend owners jack the car themselves so as to avoid getting it wrong as outlined above. That is why the owners manual asks you to ‘refer to dealer.’
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After spending some time being recovered at the roadside because a flint had punctured my tyre and goo wouldn't fix and go.......I started to research carrying a spare wheel in my 595.
There have been other threads but here is my personal complete solution to carrying a space saver spare wheel in your 500/595 to get you moving again. Abarth obviously (in my opinion) decided not to use the space saver option as it WILL NOT fit on the front due to the size of the brakes. So as a manufacturer you could not let people loose with a wheel that would only go on the back. Obviously discerning owners (that's why you are here yes?) can think for themselves and make sound personal decisions.
So search on eBay and locate a Fiat space saver 135/80/14 wheel/tyre and the insert with jack/wheelbrace etc. Do not search for 'Fiat 500 spare wheel' as there is a price premium on them! Just search under Fiat as the OEM jack kit for the Punto/Grande Punto does the trick. I found mine as separate items but this solution has cost me only £45. The wheel fits inside the Abarth spare wheel well perfectly after removing the polystyrene insert.
I can hear some of you saying 'but the jack doesn't work on our cars due to the skirts' - wrong, it works perfectly and almost fully collapsed it slides under just fine. Make sure you get the Fiat tool kit with the 17mm wheelbrace, some can be 19mm. The towing eye will be too short in the Punto kit, you need to use the one supplied with your Abarth. I have tried both to check, see photo.
The jack works perfectly and if you look at the skirt you will see arrows on them front and rear where you can locate the jack. Please make sure the jack is positively located on the sill in the slot and not on the skirt. I hear you saying 'but that jack will damage the body' - no it doesn't as it is designed to lift the car on the sill area in the strongest location and does so on many other ordinary 500's. This kit is OEM supplied by Fiat on those cars. There is no damage to either front or rear, I have personally tested it extensively on my 595, damage is often caused by incorrect jacking in tyre bays etc. If you prefer you can lift on the front body mount adjacent to the sill - there was a post from the mechanic at Vospers (Chunkymonkey) a while ago with photos. This is where the 500 is attached to the production line and it carries the weight of the car during the build process. You cannot get to the rear one due to an undershield. If you lift here use my top jacking tip.....an ice hockey puck. They are nearly solid vulcanised rubber and make a brilliant softer jacking point, just search on Amazon or eBay and they are only few pounds. Photo below in use on the front body mount. This is the front jacking point often used in workshops and the one I use at home but with a FLAT rubber jack pad on my low entry trolley jack.
So the front tyre is flat and the space saver wheel will not fit the front, no problem, fit the space saver wheel to the rear, move the good wheel to the front.....get home! In fact as you will see in one of my pictures if you jack on the front jacking point/body mount it lifts the whole side of the car so the wheel swap is easy....and so much better than a few hours at the roadside.....waiting....!
Personally I carry Tyreweld as if you get a small nail etc. it should work well for that, anything bigger forget it! The fix and go stays in the garage as my tyre bay are happy to wash out Tyreweld but not the Fiat fix and go.
I have attached several photos of the solution including my padded pocket for the towing eye to stop it making a noise in the kit. I hope this helps someone else and saves you spending time at a grim rainy roadside when all you wanted to do was just get home those few miles!
And finally….I must point out that you do any of the above as your own personal choice.
Shaun
Now a happier 595 Competizione owner!
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