Spare Tire Delete & The Death Of Common Sense

[KingBubba]

One thing to consider when using a donut is the fact that it should not be used on the drive axle with a full sized tire on the other side, at least not for very far. It is better to swap tires around; so the donut is opposite a full size tire on a straight axle. About a year ago I had two flats within a two day span that turned out to be due to the valve stems separating. I took the car in to have the remaining two valves to be replaced. It is costly, but having AAA is a big help when problems arise.

 

[soundboy]

I was considering the Kia Niro, which is a 50mpg rated hybrid SUV kind of thing - when I ran across the same issue in their brochure.
No spare tire, not even a space saver! Seriously cheap-ass design! Sad sad ...I lost interest at that point.

If new, the Kia comes with roadside assistance for 5 years/60,000 miles.

 

[iramegdal]

I purchased a used Acura TLX two years ago . Not until yesterday have I encountered a flat tire .Being an old school thinking person I assumed I would install my space saver spear tire so I can dive to the tire shop and purchase a new tire . Too my surprise after lifting the trunk mat all I found was a 12 volt air pump and some tire sealant . I guess the bean counter at Acura was never a boy scout . The moto always be prepared is not in his and Acura`s way of thinking . Upon further research I found out they offer a spear tire kit as a dealer installed option . All I can say is common sense is something that is not too common .And poo on me for not checking my safety equipment sooner .

I am considering purchasing a new car. I am 78 years old, and would no longer replace tires myself (as I did for many years). I looked at the Honda Accord hybrid, the Toyota Camry and the Lexus ES 300h. I want a hybrid. I was stunned to discover that neither the Lexus nor the Honda have a donut. Apparently this is now common - I have not bought a new car in many years. They do have repair kits. I am concerned about what happens if my wife and I are out and I hit a pothole that severely gashes a tire beyond the capabilities of a repair kit.
With a donut, I can call AAA. They would put the donut on and I can drive home and have the tire repaired or buy a new tire the next day. We don’t tend to travel very far.
The Honda had a well in the trunk that can accommodate an after market donut. The Lexus (my choice otherwise) does not and that after market donut will take up valuable trunk space.
I am thinking that this is a deal breaker for the Lexus and will probably go with the Camry, but would appreciate the thoughts of others.
Thank you.

 

[rwartner]

I got a donut on eBay. Need a jack and a breaker bar. Walmart has best deal on breaker bar. You need one because they put the nuts on so tight.
The jack has to slide under the car to work. I got a nice one to find out too high off ground for flat. Got an accordion jack.
Also I put a rug and gloves in the well. Put a rug down where you kneel down.

 

[iramegdal]

I got a donut on eBay. Need a jack and a breaker bar. Walmart has best deal on breaker bar. You need one because they put the nuts on so tight.
The jack has to slide under the car to work. I got a nice one to find out too high off ground for flat. Got an accordion jack.
Also I put a rug and gloves in the well. Put a rug down where you kneel down.

Thank you. I would no longer put on a donut myself. How much trunk space does your donut sacrifice? Is this a significant inconvenience to you?

 

[TPettenati]

I've had one flat in the last 20+ years that left me stranded along the highway. I called AAA because I was tired and didn't feel the location was safe to be doing a tire change by myself. Otherwise I've had a few slow leaks due to a nail or screw, and the TPMS gave a low pressure warning in plenty of time. I was able to repair the problem without being stranded on the road somewhere, or take the car in to a shop.

I wouldn't let the lack of a spare deter me from buying a car. Just carry a tire repair kit with a can of fix-a-flat, tire plugs, and a 12v compressor.

And get a AAA card. Chances are if you do have some catastrophic failure, you're not going to be somewhere where you be able to safely change a tire.

 

[spicer]

For some years we've been getting used wheels at the junkyard and replacing the donuts in our cars. We drive a fair amount on the highway and far from home so it's worth it for the peace of mind. Can't imagine having a car with NO spare at all. However I'm not surprised to see this on upscale cars like Acura. Maybe they figure if you can afford the car you are more likely to have roadside assistance or just pay someone to change the tire.

The other thing I did was get a cheap breaker bar and the correct deep socket for the lugs for each car and keep it in the trunk. Almost anyone can loosen lug nuts with one of those.

I always carried a breaker bar. Now I carry that plus a high torque battery impact wrench, will remove the lugs and operate the jack. Also carry a drill, a bit package and a wick type tire repair kit. Fix it on the car and use the battery pump to air it up. Some things have greatly improved. The car does have a donut spare in the trunk. Can't imagine not having a spare of some type. Road insurance, yes, but when you're on the road sometimes you have to take care of it yourself. Driving with no spare, not going to happen.

 

[spicer]

I've had one flat in the last 20+ years that left me stranded along the highway. I called AAA because I was tired and didn't feel the location was safe to be doing a tire change by myself. Otherwise I've had a few slow leaks due to a nail or screw, and the TPMS gave a low pressure warning in plenty of time. I was able to repair the problem without being stranded on the road somewhere, or take the car in to a shop.

I wouldn't let the lack of a spare deter me from buying a car. Just carry a tire repair kit with a can of fix-a-flat, tire plugs, and a 12v compressor.

And get a AAA card. Chances are if you do have some catastrophic failure, you're not going to be somewhere where you be able to safely change a tire.

Might not be safe to change the tire but one might find themselves in a situation where it must be changed and no one to help. The thought of being stranded, helpless for any length of time is not pleasant. You never know, at least with resources on board one can get going again. Cussing might help get the job done.

 

[GordonW]

Spare tire delete = car purchase delete, for me. Nope.

EDIT: I actually go this far- my Nissan pickup has a now-unusual tire size (14" factory rims- hard to find 14" tires anymore in many places). I actually have a full-size spare tire in the original position under the rear of the truck- and a SECOND one strapped to the inside of the bed wall inside the camper shell. One blowout isn't stopping me from going where I need to go, safely...

Regards,
Gordon.

 

[gadget73]

honestly I don't know that I'd really trust any of my spares. The 84 Continental and the 91 Mark VII have their factory donut spares in the trunk. At 40 and 33 years old respectively I have no idea if they would even get me somewhere to get a tire.

The 86 Towncar has a full size spare, but it was a used one I put in there years ago, if that thing is less than 20 years old I'd be amazed.

The 2011 Silverado I'm sure has whatever was under there when GM shipped it. Tire may or may not be usable, unknown if the hoist works or how rusty that steel wheel is.

 

[rwartner]

Thank you. I would no longer put on a donut myself. How much trunk space does your donut sacrifice? Is this a significant inconvenience to you?

My car has a well for the spare. It came with sealant and air compressor. I have a 2008 Mustang Bullitt the tires are 18 inches and don't fit in the well. The donut fits perfectly in the well. I had a flat tire recently so I know it all works.

 

[Bill S]

Tire tech has improved immensely. You rarely see a car by the side of the road for a tire, at least I don't. 50 years of driving and I had one blowout. I replaced my tires early, not right at the wear bars. Driving with a spare is like walking around with a fire extinguisher. There may be a time you could have used it but the probability is low. One of my 2 vehicles has odd size tires. Odds are a garage isn't going to have them in stock anyway. They are also staggered, smaller in front. A doughnut would work but only for 50 miles or so. Closer and I'll call my wife or a friend. I have a tire patch/plug kit, bottle jack and 12V compressor in the unlikely event there is a fire. If I were driving across the Mojave Desert (unlikely) I'd take a vehicle that didn't have staggered wheels and bring a full size pare and lots of water. Mojave traffic isn't as remote as it once was.

 

[Bobcat]

So… 9 pm in January I'm going to FIND the hole in my flat tire, plug it, and pump it up with a chincy 12v pump? Nope.
Or I’m going to fill it with slime for the garage to deal with when installing a new tire? Nope.

 

[maxhifi]

Spare tire delete = car purchase delete, for me. Nope.

EDIT: I actually go this far- my Nissan pickup has a now-unusual tire size (14" factory rims- hard to find 14" tires anymore in many places). I actually have a full-size spare tire in the original position under the rear of the truck- and a SECOND one strapped to the inside of the bed wall inside the camper shell. One blowout isn't stopping me from going where I need to go, safely...

Regards,
Gordon.

That sounds like an ideal speaker hauling rig.

 

[quiet]

I buy my full-size tires five at a time and include the spare in the rotation program so as to never have an unsafe aged out spare and also never lose the value of a spare to age.
It also saves mounting and balancing cost because the four on the ground get an extended life cycle.
But I don't change them on the road, the road assistance dude comes out with all the fancy tools.

 

[ic-racer]

I just picked up a brand new 2025 Audi A4 yesterday. It has a spare but the tire is deflated. There is a little electric pump to inflate the spare.

 

[BillyTheKid]

Last car I had that came with a full size spare was a 2005 Camry. Loved that car.

Currently have a 15 Sentra, and 11 Odyssey, and a 16 Camry. All have donut spares that I've removed, inflated properly, and replaced. There was a thread on AK about checking the inflation of your spare...I followed that advice.

My old Dodge van and Ford Ranger had spares under the bed. All rusted up and impossible to get out when needed.
There was the day when my wife was driving the Ranger and she saw the spare bouncing down the road behind her...she went back and threw it in the bed, where it stayed forever.

 

[Erik Tracy]

No spare is a deal breaker for me.

We take frequent road trips in retirement and cell reception to call for roadside assistance is never a guarantee.

I've had several flats - even a side wall flat that a cheap pump and run flat would not work.

Self-sufficiency for me.

 

[Bill S]

So… 9 pm in January I'm going to FIND the hole in my flat tire, plug it, and pump it up with a chincy 12v pump? Nope.
Or I’m going to fill it with slime for the garage to deal with when installing a new tire? Nope.

I wonder how many people even check the air/condition of their spare or in the case of pickups, if they can get the cable lowered to access the spare? 9 pm in January, Im not crawling under the car to find the jack point, breaking the lugs free, removing and installing a tire, especially on the side of the interstate.

 

[dietz31684]

I purchased a used Acura TLX two years ago . Not until yesterday have I encountered a flat tire .Being a old school thinking person I assumed I would install my space saver spear tire so I can dive to the tire shop and purchase a new tire . Too my surprise after lifting the trunk mat all I found was a 12 volt air pump and some tire sealant . I guess the bean counter at Acura was never a boy scout . The moto always be prepared is not in his and Acura`s way of thinking . Upon further research I found out they offer a spear tire kit as a dealer installed option . All I can say is common sense is something that is not too common .And poo on me for not checking my safety equipment sooner .

A boy scout would have made sure the spare tire was set to proper PSI when the car was purchased, and quickly realized there wasn't one. Go to a junk yard and buy a donut with the proper lug pattern. That's what I did with my wife's car.