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Spare Tire Delete & The Death Of Common Sense

I have donut spares in my cars and have patched numerous low tires with slow leaks from nails screws. I can't recall the last time I had to change a flat tire though, maybe a couple years ago when I broke a 4 way wrench on my daughters car up at Central. So spares are basically unused options, heck I sold one full sized one out of one of my used car with labels still on it and replaced it with the donut. Never used that either.

One thing about fix a flat and a compressor is that it won't address most sudden flats. Blowouts at speed or any tire run flat for any appreciable distance will be destroyed beyond repair and is trash. So unless you spot the low/flat before driving on it, I'm not sure what the road service solution is except a tow.

What does the road service do for you if the tire is unrepairable, as many of mine have been? You need a new tire mounted; can they do that and have the proper tire??

run-flat-tire-by-hspauldi.jpg
 
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I have a Dodge Diesel 3/4 ton pickup (note that I suggest a Dodge, and not the new "Ram" fleet). It has and came with a spare tire. But,..... it also came equipped with a jack that could not even lift the rear of the truck (empty bed end, the lighter weight end). It took the beginning of an extended event where 3 of 4 Firestone tires (those that came on the new pickup) catastrpohically failed, for me to realize that I needed to carry something far more capable of lifting heavy metal than the stupid scissor jack that came with it.
 
Grenadeslio said:
If you have staggered fitment a spare is useless unless you carry two lol.
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Not true....as long as your spare`s overall circumference is within acceptable limits to not trigger the DSC/ABS system warnings, and the offset is also within tolerance, you`re good to go. I have a staggered setup (18-inch) on my BMW Performance Package Coupe, and carry a just-about worn-out winter tire (17-inch, 225/45) as a spare, overall size is very close to the 18s. Works quite well.
 
I have only had to change a tire on the side of the road a couple times, but have used my spares on multiple occasions to give the car something to drive on while I'm having a shop fix a slow leak. It's a lot more convenient to drop off the leaky tire in the morning, and pick it up after work, than to have to wait around for an incapacitated car to be ready.

On this topic: how many of you guys check your spare's tire pressure before venturing out on a long trip? The spare isn't too useful when it has 10 pounds in it after sitting unused for years.. found that one out the hard way once, but never again! Now any time I'm leaving the city, I take a few moments to check all the tires, including the spare.
 
Andyman said:
I have donut spares in my cars and have patched numerous low tires with slow leaks from nails screws. I can't recall the last time I had to change a flat tire though, maybe a couple years ago when I broke a 4 way wrench on my daughters car up at Central. So spares are basically unused options, heck I sold one full sized one out of one of my used car with labels still on it and replaced it with the donut. Never used that either.

One thing about fix a flat and a compressor is that it won't address most sudden flats. Blowouts at speed or any tire run flat for any appreciable distance will be destroyed beyond repair and is trash. So unless you spot the low/flat before driving on it, I'm not sure what the road service solution is except a tow.

What does the road service do for you if the tire is unrepairable, as many of mine have been? You need a new tire mounted; can they do that and have the proper tire??

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by the 8 bolt wheel Id say you had an overloaded/under inflated LR C on a vehicle that called for D/E? sidewall sep at the tread cap is a classic sign...
 
My BMW 335i turns 10 years old this year and came with those awful run flats. I did purchase the factory space saver spare kit, bag, etc. but it takes half the trunk space - there's no well to stash it in. However I've had so many tire problems that I've actually switched to 17" wheels from a 328i and still carry the space saver. 19" ultra low profile tires just don't last on roads that look like landing strips that have been explosively decommissioned.
 
maxhifi said:
I have only had to change a tire on the side of the road a couple times, but have used my spares on multiple occasions to give the car something to drive on while I'm having a shop fix a slow leak. It's a lot more convenient to drop off the leaky tire in the morning, and pick it up after work, than to have to wait around for an incapacitated car to be ready.

On this topic: how many of you guys check your spare's tire pressure before venturing out on a long trip? The spare isn't too useful when it has 10 pounds in it after sitting unused for years.. found that one out the hard way once, but never again! Now any time I'm leaving the city, I take a few moments to check all the tires, including the spare.
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I carry a Viair 12V compressor in the trunk. Again I've had so many tire issues due to the bombed out roads in DC and also the inability of the business next to where I work to actually hit a Dumpster with their trash that this is a necessity. I also carry a real plug kit - not the parts store one, the one like your mechanic has in the bottom drawer of his roll cabinet.
 
quaddriver said:
by the 8 bolt wheel Id say you had an overloaded/under inflated LR C on a vehicle that called for D/E? sidewall sep at the tread cap is a classic sign...
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That's not my tire; just a pic of a shredded one I found online to illustrate something a pump won't fix. I've had a few that looked like that after getting a flat at speed on the freeway...
 
We rarely get blowouts because we take care of our tires and replace them when it's time, but the wife had a blowout 10 mi from home coming back from a 350 mile trip on Friday of 4th of July weekend a few years back. Bad spot on the highway too, and loads of traffic. Luckily a cop pulled up to run interference for us. I ran out from home with the breaker bar to change it. Anyway it was a total sidewall blowout, tire was shredded. Usually we just get nails around here.
 
Full size spare in the Crown Vic. For me, it's the only way to roll. I have mine mounted on a fifth alloy rim, same as the others.

UnMwG6m.jpg
 
BMWCCA said:
Hopefully that plastic "socket" for the hub-cap is in your spare-tire well. It should have come with the car.

So you felt comfortable driving on an 18-year-old spare tire? I understand, you do what you have to do, but often that's not even as safe as not having a spare at all! Modern BMWs all have run-flats, with the exception being the M-cars where the high-performance tires don't come in run-flats in those sizes or speed ratings. Those come with a "mobility kit" (sealant and inflation method). I just tell my customers to call BMW Roadside Assistance and get towed to the nearest dealer. BMW roadside is free for at least 4-years and also included for the duration of the CPO warranty on used cars. Beyond that, it's available for a charge.

Many new BMWs offer the option of a space-saver spare. For some that deletes the standard run-flat tires. In some it also impacts the trunk space . . . a lot!!. I don't order any that way.
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The thing is, the spare tire generally hasn't been exposed to what kills tires, and that's UV, ozone and heat. 18 years is pushing it but I'd use it if I had to.

Besides fuel mileage, spares are also dying off because of how large wheels and tires have become. Something like a 2 series BMW simply has no space for a spare the same diameter as the 19" tires it has. The Toyota AWD minivan has no spare because between the fold down rear seat and the rear differential, there's no place left for one.

That said, I bought a VW Golf R in 2016 and it had no spare despite having a place for a donut. It's essentially the same car as an Audi S3 and that came with a spare. I ordered one and put it in.
 
I was actually under my S10 today to do the fuel pump. Tire is an original 1996 Uniroyal Tigerpaw. It looks OK, but the winch is sketchy, and I have concerns about the rim itself. Its steel, and its been under there for 23 years. I can see scaly rust on the back side of it. I truly don't know what would happen if I tried to use it. The winch is very liable to break, the wheel probably won't mount up flat from rust, and the tire might fail from age.
 
Usually the rust isn't as bad as it looks and they have to use a strong alloy steel for the rim which is also less rust prone so the bit of loss from rusting usually won't hurt. The sun won't hit that spare, but cracking should give away a bad one.
 
This thread is bad luck, I got a flat this morning and had to use my spare! Good thing I have it, and maintain it.. 10 minute inconvenience could have spoiled my whole morning.
 
Full size spare in my 2016 Ford Focus ST. I was surprised to see that after I bought the car a little over three years ago. Had a chance to use it about two months ago.

Sidewall blowout, thanks to a homeowner that decided to use some sort of TIRE SHREDDER blocks right next to the street (I swerved to avoid a texter coming into my lane, speed was less than 25mph.) After replacing the tire, I thought about throwing the (now) useless tire in the guy's front yard around 2:00am, I was pissed.

It happed on the next block over. I was able to make it back to my driveway without damaging the wheel. Full size spares are great! Just make sure you check the air pressure now & then. Pulled it out, check pressure, damn! 19 lbs., Opps! I forgot about that. ...and now for another great invention, the air compressor. Good thing I made it home.
 
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