Removing your spare tire?

[Krunko]

I know that this of course is a risk if you get a flat tire. But I was wondering, since spare tires are so heavy, how much of an MPG boost this might actually get you. I have a Mazda 3 and havn't gotten over 29mpg yet on a full tank, and I'm looking for ways to get over the 30mpg mark. I live in LA, so I have to deal with traffic and hills, so that makes it harder to get more than 30mpg.

I have AAA, so if I were to get a flat I wonder if they offer a spare tire service of some sorts?

Anyways, on average how much weight do you save from removing a spare tire on a small-mid sized car like a mazda 3?

[Arminius]

The spare and jack on a Honda Civic are about 25 pounds, combined. I took mine out of my car. I put it in when I go on trips.

[Krunko]

yeah I think I'll just get a bottle of runflat just in case...and if I go on a long trip I'll put the tire back in.

[SuperTrooper]

Since you have AAA, if you do get a flat just tell them you have no spare and want to be towed home.

IMHO I'm not sure the 25 or so pounds makes enough difference when you do have a flat and you have to be somewhere. If you can change the tire yourself the inconvenience is minimal, otherwise is it worth what you have to go through without a spare?

You're doing fine given your location and fuel saving obstacles you face. Check out the 100+ tricks thread to see where else you can do better.

[PaleMelanesian]

I agree about the 100+ tips list. I've done 48mpg on a test loop in a friends Mazda 3s (the 2.3L sport version).

I would not remove the spare. It's not that much weight, but the one time you need it, it's worth many MPGs the rest of the time.

[Arminius]

If your reason to remove the tire is to save a lot of money, keep it in the car. If ecomodding and hypermiling is a sport for you, remove it.

[RiseAbove]

I would start elsewhere to find mpgs. Start with driving habits and aero mods. I currently run w/o a spare, but my car is a commuter that makes a 34 mi roundtrip so I am never too far from help. You may later choose to trim weight from the car, but I would work up to that point.

[Vince-HX]

yeah, i second that. Removing stuff like spares, seats and stuff like that seems like more trouble then its worth. The place to really save weight that will really matter is rotating weight, like lighter rims and tires.

I posted up my best tank with about 100lbs extra stuff in the car.

[rsx2002]

Isnt the popular conception that in stop and go traffic weight reduction is more important than aero mods? and the opposite for highway travel? So for him weight reduction could help a great deal. I know a spare is only 25-30 lbs but its the easy weight to remove. Vince is right though rotating weight makes a bigger difference than weight off of the chassis. Vince...60 mpg or die? I had no idea how long did the doctor give you? That well be impressive but from your previous most I can see you doing it. You seem to know alot about tuning. GL

[Arminius]

Originally Posted by rsx2002

Isnt the popular conception that in stop and go traffic weight reduction is more important than aero mods?

Right. Weight makes a huge difference in that situation, which is why I removed my tire. Seeing 7 mpg on my SG when going up a hill with a cold engine made me finally want to take my tire out.