To 'Spare' or not to 'Spare'

[4WDVETTE]

OK - informal poll, who carries the spare tire tub with a tire, and who just says the heck with it? If you don't carry a spare - what will you do in case of a flat and no chase car?

Steve

 

[BigMike5]

spare me

Probably not a good person to respond since my C-5 has the GY run flats, but I have stopped even thinking about it as an issue. It has become like the HUD. I don't even notice I am using it and never looking at the dials. Just becomes 2nd nature. Same with the spare, I have stopped thinking about it, but I do keept the telephone number to call for a lead on a shop that might be able to fix/replace one while I am on the road. My biggest fear is not the flat, it is that some guy will jack the car up the wrong way, on pull it on the flat bed the wrong way and damage something underneath. Hence the phone number to call if needed. I do think about it with my Chrysler 300M which has a full sized spare, but I don't check the pressure in that often enough and will probably get burned one day when I need it. Never have tried the reinflate can stuff.

 

[67HEAVEN]

No spare for me. I carry one of those inflate-cans, in case it's a minor leak that can be stopped with the can. Otherwise, I'll call CAA (AAA) and have it flat-bedded.

 

[4WDVETTE]

Yeah - BigMike5 - The dealer jacked my TransAm wrong and broke the left front fender - plastic. They had to replace it, I purchased new and had 1000 miles on it.

67HEAVEN, I think I remember a picture of the rear of your car without the spare tire tub. Much better look. Just mounted up the tub last night - not sure. Fix-a-flat does work. Might as well use that AAA card for something.

Steve

 

[JL66REDCPE]

Steve - I carry the spare tire, tub, lead hammer et al. I have KO's on the car. I pray I dont have a flat. I think if I did I would probably call AAA and have them flat bed it also.

 

[Lucy64]

I do the same as 67HEAVEN. No spare and I do carry a can of fix-a-flat for small leaks. I do have the AAA Plus that will flat-bed it home.

 

[67HEAVEN]

67HEAVEN, I think I remember a picture of the rear of your car without the spare tire tub. Much better look.

 

[Ron Miller]

No spare on either of mine, just drive with a lot of nerve . . . it might be well if I picked up a can of Fix-a-Flat, though . . .

Ron

 

[Vetsvette2002]

I carry a spare, jack, and lug wrench. Also have motor club and a can of fix-it.

Don

 

[midyearroadster427]

two cans of fix a flat..jack..no spare, hahahah..i use the tub to carry my car cover, cleaning kit, misc items that wont fit behind the seats...AAA never leave home without it!!! AND....good tires on the beast...never let them get too worn down....fingers crossed too.

 

[JohnZ]

I also carry a spare, jack and tools, plus a cell phone and AAA flatbed card for more dire problems.

 

[Subfixer]

I carry a KO spare with all the tools.

 

[BarryK]

i have a spare and a jack in the car. Not sure if it's the real factory jack or a repro. I've seen in catalogs where the repros are listed with a note that it's not recommended to use them for jacking a car (well gee, what the h*ll else would it be used for than other than simply NCRS points in judging!).

regardless, I refuse to EVER change a tire on the side of the road again after a family friend was killed changing a tire on the shoulder of the highway and a drunk driver came alone and slammed into the car as he was working on the tire and killed him instantly and put his wife in the car in the hospital for about a month and than in and out for multiple surgeries for the next 3 years.

I always travel with my cell phone and AAA card and I'll have the car flatbedded home if need be.

 

[Viet Nam Vett]

I carry a KO spare with all the tools.

Me too...plus I have one of those tire repair kits ..you know..the one with the natural rubber strips that you push in with that thingy tool and then pull out. You don't even have to pull the tire just push that sucker in and pull out. You know ..the old in and out trick..

I also have a small air compressor that plugs into the cig lighter outlet. Cost...$39.00 at Pep Girls. Works great. Pumps up a flat in no time. Comes in a little black carry bag and doesn't take up much space in the Vette.

I was never into pumpen in that slime gack into my tire..Then what do you do when you need more air..?? Pump in more gack..??:L

 

[67HEAVEN]

Gee, Mark. You must have one of them there repro jacks.



I purchased my new jack and had it delivered to Bossvette's. I picked it up at his place during the CruiseFest trip. The jack got used on the trip home, but not for a flat tire. :gap

Seems I remember Mark's being used too. :gap

Barry. You should have seen me on the side of the Interstate.........just legs showing.

 

[Viet Nam Vett]

Gee, Mark. You must have one of them there repro jacks.



I purchased my new jack and had it delivered to Bossvette's. I picked it up at his place during the CruiseFest trip. The jack got used on the trip home, but not for a flat tire. :gap

Seems I remember Mark's being used too. :gap

Barry. You should have seen me on the side of the Interstate.........just legs showing.

Yeah ..you should have seen on the side of the interstate....


And.....Dude.. It's fricken 2006...Lose the Psychedelic Sig Pic...Ok...I'm gonna :L

 

[stepinwolf]

Like 67Heaven and a few others, I carry a spare-in-a-can and my CAA Gold card, however lately I am having second thoughts.

With my 18" wheels and tires ( @ 1200$ each ) there are only about 1 in 30 or so garages, that have the up-to-date tire machines that can do a repair, without causing any damage to the wheel or tire. Since my card will only get me 100 kilometers on a free tow, the minute I get an hour or so from here, I am at risk.

So I will most probably be setting myself up with a thin, proper diameter, spare tire and wheel that will be kept under the tank ( X or V type metal strap ) with the same type of setup that is seen on most late model pick-ups.

That way I won't need the carrier, nor it's hassle, and once tucked up into place, it will not be visible from the rear to anyone except those who have their nose to the ground.

Stepinwolf

 

[thunder]

67 heaven very impressive!!!!!

 

[4WDVETTE]

Thanks for all the ideas. I will probably go with the spare and jack. VNV, like the idea of the repair kit. We use them all the time on my sons Tahoe with 40's. Those big things are like nail magnets.

Steve

 

[davec0_17]

I have not had a flat in 20 years, so I pulled my spare and put a repair kit in. I don't like the fix-it-flat in a can. It puts a lump of material inside the tire, which throws off the tire balance big time.
But I'm second guessing removing the spare. I wonder how much in the its placement is designed for safety. Both helping the cars ability to survive a rear impact(mimumimizing frame/body damage), and also protecting the occupants.
What do you think?