The death of the spare tire...

[Bill Talbot]

This topic came up again recently. For those that still are able to enjoy an older car from time to time will remember when all cars came with a full sized spare tire. If you happened to get a flat you pulled over and in just a few minutes you were back on your way with a fully capable vehicle.

Then sometime after around 2000 we started seeing the donut (space saver) 'spares'. These of course are not really spare tires as you can barely limp down the road to get to a place that may or may not be able to fix or replace you damaged tire. They usually are limited to 50 miles @ no more that 50 mph, if you even dare to go that fast. They are much narrower and sometime substantially smaller in diameter too. A three legged dog comes to mind.
Then there is the most recent trend to 'run-flat' tires. Besides being twice as expensive and riding very harshly in most cases, they too have a very limited 'limp-home' mode. Try finding a place with the tire you need in a small town anywhere around dinner time on a Saturday. You aren't going anywhere...

This first was drilled home to me when I got to thinking about the real issues as far as the effects in real world driving. My Subaru WRX is also my trailer puller for my dirt bikes. So say I am on the road heading for a race on a Saturday morning maybe a 100 miles from home. Halfway there I get a flat on the car. So what would the space-saver 'spare' do for me? Basically I would not be racing that day.This is why I bought a factory wheel/tire the same as the car was using and made accommodations for it to be secured in the back. Gone is the donut!

Did the same thing with my Miata, for many of the same reasons. Weekend drive up to Montreal would be ended in the event of a flat requiring it's donut 'spare'. Now I have a full sized real spare tire in the trunk and no worries about a good road going to waste!

BTW, in both cases the full sized aluminum wheel/tire combo was less than twice the weight of the garbage steel rim/donut tire.
Just some food for thought for you road travelers out there... happy motoring!!!

 

[cantunamunch]

..,and a spare for the trailer...

 

[Bill Talbot]

..,and a spare for the trailer...

That goes without saying. And checking spare tire pressures and 'born on dating' as well.

 

[scott43]

Strangely I was thinking about this recently and chatting to my 3 year old about it.. (!!!!!) My 1969 Firechicken had a space-saver spare actually. The tradeoffs of space and weight, I kinda get. How many of us actually would change a tire on the side of the road? I figure 1 in 10 maybe. Flat tires are so rare for most people..I think I've had one on the road flat in 30 years of driving. Is the lack of a spare that bad? I think space saver covers it really. Seems like spares are from a time gone by when blowouts and crappy tires were common..like carrying a fan belt just in case..

 

[François Pugh]

Our company car has a flat kit. Well the tire was too far gone for a flat kit, and it cost us a few extra hours and a tow, instead of 1/2 and hour extra.
BTW the "doughnut" is a weight saving spare, but it really doesn't save any space when you need to put the flat in the space it came from.

PS I like to live dangerously; although I reduced my speed from my regular rate of travel, I did drive a couple of hundred miles at 65 mph on a "doughnut: more than once. They build safety factors into their recommendations. Just make sure that you have it pumped up to full pressure (50 psi IIRC), and don't push your luck (no drifting!).

 

[Bill Talbot]

Strangely I was thinking about this recently and chatting to my 3 year old about it.. (!!!!!) My 1969 Firechicken had a space-saver spare actually. The tradeoffs of space and weight, I kinda get. How many of us actually would change a tire on the side of the road? I figure 1 in 10 maybe. Flat tires are so rare for most people..I think I've had one on the road flat in 30 years of driving. Is the lack of a spare that bad? I think space saver covers it really. Seems like spares are from a time gone by when blowouts and crappy tires were common..like carrying a fan belt just in case..

Your roads must be in much better shape than ours. Potholes are killing off low profile tires down here at an amazing rate. They also usually result in sidewall cuts and are not reparable, plus damage to the very expensive 18, 19 and 20" rims is not uncommon. I also pick up the odd sheet metal screws, sheetrock screws falling off the contractors trucks and broken glass is not unusual either.

What are the other 9 out of 10 people doing if they won't change to even a donut 'spare'? Waiting for someone else to solve their problems? Putting on a spare used to be part of drivers education.
No thanks, I'll deal with it more efficiently and be on my way..

 

[scott43]

Yeah, we have decent roads..and maybe on dirt roads things are different..but those people are driving different vehicles. Most people in my experience are calling CAA. Or their mfg's roadside assistance. Just saying, we're the outliers..nobody changes tires anymore. Just like they don't carry fan belts anymore. And mfg's are going, nice, more space, better mileage and less weight...

 

[mdf]

think I've had one on the road flat in 30 years of driving.

So that got me to trying to count. I think I've had four in 45 years of driving. But three of those were because I did something dumb.

When my in-laws took a car-trip honeymoon in the 1940's, I think they took three spare tires with them.

 

[Near Nyquist]

Just so ya know
Trucks come with real spare tires

 

[scott43]

Just so ya know
Trucks come with real spare tires

And spectacular handling!

 

[KingGrump]

What are the other 9 out of 10 people doing if they won't change to even a donut 'spare'? Waiting for someone else to solve their problems? Putting on a spare used to be part of drivers education.

With the advent of cell phones, most people relies on AAA. It's just a call away from anywhere. Well almost anywhere,
A few years back, I was teaching my niece how to change a tire at my house. She asked why does she have to learn that when she can just call AAA. I said I will answer that later. Two weeks later, on the way to Stratton, we were driving on VT Route 30. A few miles outside Battleboro, I ask her to call her Mom for me. She noticed there were no cell signals at that location. I turned to her when the cell signal reappeared after 10 miles. I turned to her and said, "Long walk to call AAA."
She has become more attentive in subsequent car maintenance sessions.

When my in-laws took a car-trip honeymoon in the 1940's, I think they took three spare tires with them.

We had two spare tires with us on my first cross country drive in 1978 with my brother. Had to use both by the time we reached Kansas. Spent what little money we had between us to buy another one - just in case. Slept in the car and peanut butter sandwich for the rest of the drive.
Don't even want to think about the reliability of tires from the '40s

 

[Philpug]

Our 2010 Jetta SW had a full sized spare, I would have to say it must be one of the last cars with one.

 

[Bill Miles]

In 168,000 miles, I had one flat tire on my Corvette, and that was at home so I just drove 2 miles to the tire shop.

Last time I had a flat tire on the road was in the 70's, I think.

 

[Don in Morrison]

For a while I was able to carry a full-sized spare instead of the donut, but that was when the spare tire well would still hold a full sized tire. Since they don't any more, I had to settle for the donut.

A friend took his family on vacation, got a flat and discovered that, in his car, a full-sized flat won't fit in the spare tire well of a donut spare. With the trunk fully loaded, there was no place for the flat. Their teenage daughter rode with the flat in her lap for about 100 miles before they found a place to fix it.

 

[Started at 53]

My new car (picking it today) does not have a spare tire, it has run flat tires

 

[Dave Marshak]

The donut spare seems like a good compromise, and way better than run flat tires. It's also way easier to change than a full size wheel.

But who doesn't change flat tires? What if you are someplace that doesn't have cell service?

dm

 

[Bill Talbot]

My new car (picking it today) does not have a spare tire, it has run flat tires

That usually means 50 miles @ 50 mph max. That's not a spare, that's a way to maybe get somewhere to wait to get it repaired or replaced
(and expensive and poor ride quality).

 

[Dave Marshak]

Last time I had a flat tire on the road was in the 70's, I think.

I had 5 flats on 2 different cars in 1 winter a few years ago. Two of those were caused by failed puncture repairs.

With 18 inch wheels in the mountains, you are gonna have some broken wheels and flats.

dm

 

[Bill Talbot]

The donut spare seems like a good compromise, and way better than run flat tires. It's also way easier to change than a full size wheel.

But who doesn't change flat tires? What if you are someplace that doesn't have cell service?

dm

I don't find the compromise compelling.

 

[François Pugh]

For a while I was able to carry a full-sized spare instead of the donut, but that was when the spare tire well would still hold a full sized tire. Since they don't any more, I had to settle for the donut.

A friend took his family on vacation, got a flat and discovered that, in his car, a full-sized flat won't fit in the spare tire well of a donut spare. With the trunk fully loaded, there was no place for the flat. Their teenage daughter rode with the flat in her lap for about 100 miles before they found a place to fix it.

That's what I call a poor design.