Removing your spare tire?

[MadisonMPG]

Originally Posted by jkp1187

Could always just buy run-flat tires. They are more expensive and tend to have a harsher ride, but they eliminate the need to carry any tire-repair equipment with you, saving some weight. It also eliminates the need to deal with the messy fix-a-flat can.

If you go this route, if you don't already have a tire pressure monitoring system in your car, you might want to install one, or else just be extremely diligent about checking tire pressure.

Runflats are an awful idea.

[jkp1187]

Originally Posted by MadisonMPG

Runflats are an awful idea.

Well? Don't just keep us in suspense like that...

[SoobieOut]

Bump-

Looks like car makers are embracing the NO SPARE TIRE theme.

New cars sold without spare tires: Automakers sell more cars without spare tires - Los Angeles Times

[larrybuck]

Wow! I appreciate the brave noble "go for it" attitude about losing the spare, and agree with you in theory, but the downside is just too unpleasant
Granted; for myself, in local driving, I probably have had about 2 flats my whole life! But I think I'd prefer seat removal any time!

Flats usually happen at the worst possible times. The weather is poor, the tire stores are closed, and even if you were close miles wise, and had a spare ready at home; would you always be sure that friend or family member would be always there to drop everything to bail you out?
What about the potential for you being robbed or worse in a strange area? There have been more than a couple of deaths around here lately by drunks or cell phone users slamming into stranded cars. Without a spare, that TARGET is there for a much longer time!

I have had to replace a tire due to shoulder debris I couldn't avoid while letting 3 other faster vehicles by. Things happen; I just don't like making myself that venerable to potential trouble.

But on the other hand; I love removing bumpers on older cars when looks and laws agree. ( here any kitcars, and collector type cars over 25 yrs. old..bumpers are optional) I think nothing looks nicer than a '55 Chevy with its front bumper gone. It removes the massive Grandma safety car look to me!

I would use the retention of the spare tire w its weight in the back of my mind to concentrate even more on the smoothness of my driving, particularly the gentleness of acceleration. With finesse, I think this additional safety weight effect can be almost zilch!

[Frank Lee]

I would never do it, if only because of the fear of rape.

[SentraSE-R]

I have run-flats on my car, primarily because I got them for $30 apiece, and got them as test mules.

The first negative is they're 4 lbs heavier than Bridgestone Ecopias in the same size.

The dealer I bought them from mounted them for free. That's good, because the shop that balanced them would have charged me something like $5 more/tire to mount them than regular tires. That's their second negative.

Negative three is likely a stiffer ride than regular tires.

On the good side, I can go without a spare!

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by larrybuck

Wow! I appreciate the brave noble "go for it" attitude about losing the spare, and agree with you in theory, but the downside is just too unpleasant

My spare has been gone since August 2010.
Haven't missed it so far, but I put it back in for long vacation trips.

I've been paying for recovery services for like 20 years, and have never had to use them. They can come out and sort it in the unlikely event that I get a flat tyre.

[SoobieOut]

Problem of no spare in the West, there are hundreds of square miles in Utah, Nevada, and Wyoming that have no cell phone coverage. There is a sign on I-70 that says "No services, next 120 miles!"

Cost for a tow would be like buying a ticket to a NFL game!

[SentraSE-R]

^^^ I drove to Utah on US Hwy 50 earlier this month. Despite driving ~450 miles each way at an average speed between 46 and 49 mph, fewer than 3 dozen cars passed me during each ~10 hour time span. There's a reason they call it the Loneliest Road in America.

[CigaR007]

I am all for fuel economy, but from an emergency standpoint, I would keep the spare at all times.