Augh – Car shopping is so frustrating!

[redpoint5]

I plugged a tire almost exactly a year ago when I went Christmas tree hunting. It was in the snow, and was no big deal. It was easy to identify the stone that had punctured the worn tires, pry it out with pliers, plug (took 2 because of size of hole), and fill. There was hot chocolate in a thermos, so the whole thing was enjoyable.

If a puncture is severe enough that it loses air too quickly to complete the current trip, it's usually easily identifiable.

About the only threat I'm vulnerable to with no spare is sidewall damage. I've needed a spare only once in my lifetime, and that was after going airborne and landing sideways out in a farm field where the tire was pulled from the rim. I'm not 17 anymore, so a less likely problem going forward.

I almost signed up for AAA the other day when Napa was offering 25% off for members. Between that and a plug kit, I'd be comfortable.

Here's the 2 plugs I performed last weekend.

I thought the Segway might be leaking from my previous plug, but unsurprisingly it was a new puncture, and the previous plug was holding up fine.


Used a cordless drill on the truck tire since reaming the tiny hole was going slowly.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Even if the risk of sidewall damage was lower, I'd still rather carry a spare tire. What does bother me is when some cars have a mismatching spare tire, such as the Thai Toyota Yaris available in my country with a tire of the same size (a little smaller) fitted to the Toyota Etios.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Even if the risk of sidewall damage was lower, I'd still rather carry a spare tire. What does bother me is when some cars have a mismatching spare tire, such as the Thai Toyota Yaris available in my country with a tire of the same size (a little smaller) fitted to the Toyota Etios.

A compact spare smaller than the main tires is very common in the USA. It works fine as long as you put the small spare on a wheel that isn't driven. That is easy to do with FWD but a little sketchy for RWD (Mismatched braking with the little tire on the front. With AWD you need a tire the same size as the rest even if it is narrower.

I still have the compact spare for the Astro - I need to check if it will work for the Bolt. I might just need to buy a steel wheel.

[redpoint5]

I've left all the spare tires in my vehicles that came with them because the fuel penalty is miniscule and the space occupied not very useful.

That said, I'll probably not get a spare for any vehicle that does not come with one. The odds of me suffering damage that cannot be repaired with a plug and also out of cell phone range is extremely low. Any vehicle that I'd drive up into the mountains or out of cell service would have a spare tire. Running about in a 100 mile radius in an EV, I have almost no situation in which a spare is useful.

Now if I lived in Montana, all my cars would have a gallon of drinking water, warm cloths, a fire starting kit, and a spare tire.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by JSH

A compact spare smaller than the main tires is very common in the USA.

The so-called space-saving spare tire is becoming mainstream in Brazil too. Odd enough, in some vehicles such as the 2nd-generation Fiat Strada it's actually taller than the regular tires.

With AWD you need a tire the same size as the rest even if it is narrower.

Regardless of which wheels are driven, I'd rather get the spare the same diameter as the rest. Narrower doesn't really bother me.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Now if I lived in Montana, all my cars would have a gallon of drinking water, warm cloths, a fire starting kit, and a spare tire.

I do that with all my vehicles - minus the fire starting kit. A habit from living in Michigan where it can be subzero and you are on the side of the road freezing. Hat, gloves, spare jacket, poncho, and a wool blanket. The water was added in Oregon for earthquakes. I also added some N95 masks for post earthquke. (Imagine the dust after every brick building collapses)

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Regardless of which wheels are driven, I'd rather get the spare the same diameter as the rest. Narrower doesn't really bother me.

I'd like the same diameter tire too but that isn't what is included in most vehicles here. I upgraded the spare in on the van after limping down a forest service road for more than an hour on a space saver. I just kept the best of the old tires after I upgraded and bought a steel wheel for the tire.

[freebeard]

I also added some N95 masks for post earthquke. (Imagine the dust after every brick building collapses)

Imagine Mount St. Helens in 1980.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by freebeard

Imagine Mount St. Helens in 1980.

I was 2 when Mount St. Helens blew so it was a little bit before my time. This is a little bit more familiar to my generation:

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by JSH

I'd like the same diameter tire too but that isn't what is included in most vehicles here.

It's also becoming more common in my country. Even models which were once available with a full-size spare tire ultimately got it replaced by a space-saver. On a sidenote, it's quite harder to find replacement space-saver tires for the spare-wheel assemblies here.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

It's also becoming more common in my country. Even models which were once available with a full-size spare tire ultimately got it replaced by a space-saver. On a sidenote, it's quite harder to find replacement space-saver tires for the spare-wheel assemblies here.

Same here but you aren't actually suppose to drive on the compact spare more than just driving to the tire store. It would be very bad luck to get a puncture in your spare on the way to get the original tire fixed.