Flat tire repair vs weigth savings techiques

[redpoint5]

One of my last flats was a 9mm bullet. Didn't try doubling up the plugs for that one since the tires needed replacement anyhow. The bullet lodged into the steel belt and didn't go all the way through, so I was able to drive home on it.

[Taylor95]

I carry a full size spare and a plug kit in my Jeep. I've driven maybe 20,000 miles or so on a plugged tire. The repair lasted until I needed new tires.

[Vekke]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

I'm carring a spare. People around here just don't care and drop nails and metal on the roads from their uncovered trailer and pickup loads of roofing tear off, junk pickup, ect.
Last flat tire I had was a a hole almost big enough to stick my finger in. No plug will seal that.

How did this happen at high speed?

[Piotrsko]

Just to be difficult, I carry the donut, can of goop and a mounted spare. Haven't had much success with the goop, and the tires I run are special order so if im on the road I either have to run the donut at <55 mph until I get to a large city then wait a couple of days for it to get installed or try the goop (which is usually expired). Then I have to also buy a new donut assembly. The 2 nd spare tire doesn't fit in the hole for donut storage and I cant use the trunk with the spare missing.

Otoh, I can count the number of tire failures in 50 years on the fingers of one hand

[Vman455]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Tire plug kit, pliers, and a mini air compressor is the best option.

I started doing this a couple of years ago. I've driven close to 30,000 miles in that time and haven't had to use it yet; in fact, I haven't had a flat in 50,000 miles on my current Continental tires. (The previous OEM Yokohamas flatted twice in 45,000 miles).

I ditched the spare mainly to free up the storage space. Now I can fit, entirely under the trunk floor and hidden, a sleeping bag, pillow, tool box, and pump. With the rear seat replaced by a platform, I can store everything for a weekend camping completely out of sight.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by M_a_t_t

I use to play the no spare, no sealant game. Once I got a flat though and had to call my Mother to bring the jack and wheel to me so I could replace it I changed my tune.

No-spare is a no-way for me, even though I'd rather carry a fix-a-flat kit instead of nothing at all if I had no option.

I'm not about to pay for a tow truck or any service fees. I now carry a full size spare with me. Since it's only a 14" rim it's only ~25 lbs.

If I were too concerned about weight, I'd rather use a donut spare instead of nothing. Even though it was not so usual in my country until some years ago, folks who already had cars fitted with a donut spare used to resort to motorcycle tyres on their assembly once the stock one became due to a replacement.

[oil pan 4]

Originally Posted by Vekke

How did this happen at high speed?

I don't know. I was on the highway at night, heard a bang then pffft, then the rim was on the sidewall.
Never even saw what I ran over.

[redpoint5]

Grabbed the mini Segway today to run over to the neighbors house for some fresh herbs and realized a tire was low.

Found the culprit


Took 7 minutes to repair since I couldn't get a good angle on the tire (low profile). It's the 2nd plug in 450 miles.

[Ecky]

The spare that came with my car weighs only 8lbs (it's alloy), and I'd say the jack couldn't weigh more than ~2. Total weight of the two is maybe 10lbs / 4kg. I've never needed to use it, but the footprint and weight are so small, I haven't been seriously tempted to remove it.

[redpoint5]

Went tree hunting yesterday with the Mazda and a trailer. I had already scheduled to get new tires Tuesday, but I managed to push my luck. A sharp rock punctured the tire and lodged in the tread. I'd never seen a sharp rock from a gravel road puncture a tire before, so that's new. It broke in half as I attempted to remove it with pliers, so half of the rock is still in the wheel.

The hole was too large for a single plug, so I doubled them up. By far the most lengthy tire repair I've done, taking about 45min. Took a while to realize the tire was losing air as fast as the pump could provide it, which is when I added the 2nd plug. Normally with a screw puncture I'm able to repair the tire without losing much air, but this time it went all the way flat once I pulled the rock.