If you have never used your spare tire...

[97f150]

I adjust the pressure in the spares on both vehicles every 4-6 months during a routine tire pressure, fluids, and lights check. The jack and tools for my truck required and owners manual consult to find and I'm glad it was in my driveway during a self education moment and not on the side of the highway.

On a related note, my brother called me at work one day asking what could cause his tpms light to remain on even after he checked and verified that the proper pressure was in his tires. I asked about the spare, of course he hadn't, nor had he even lowered the spare in the previous 5 years he owned the truck. Bring the pressure up to the sidewall max pressure (from 10 psi) he was good to go with no lights to bother his rythem while jamming Five Finger Death Punch at full volume.

 

[01rangerxl]

I'm glad I don't have to deal with rust. Something ripped a hole in one of my tires a couple weeks ago and it lost air rapidly. It was the first time in 10 years of driving that I had to change a tire in the dark, away from home, in a parking lot. It was actually pretty much trouble free. The only aggravation was that the factory bottle jack takes a lot of cranking to get the truck off the ground.

 

[901Memphis]

I don't think I'd have any battery issues. I carry two car chargers and up to two portable battery sources for charging my devices and sometimes even an ac adapter. I have a dual 18650 battery box with dual Panasonic 3,100 mah cells for if I'm not in the car.

But back on topic I agree you should check your spare more often. I carry an air compressor too in the trunk. Pretty much everything in the trunk.

Glad my spare is safe from the sun and rust in my trunk.

 

[exranger06]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
I'm glad I don't have to deal with rust. Something ripped a hole in one of my tires a couple weeks ago and it lost air rapidly. It was the first time in 10 years of driving that I had to change a tire in the dark, away from home, in a parking lot. It was actually pretty much trouble free. The only aggravation was that the factory bottle jack takes a lot of cranking to get the truck off the ground.

I had a flat in my Ranger once. I cranked and cranked on that factory bottle jack for what seemed like forever and the tire still wasn't off the ground! The progress was so slow I thought the jack had extended as far as it would go as it didn't seem to be moving any more. I made my mom come and bring me my big floor jack from home. She managed to lift that heavy thing into the back of the Explorer herself. It took me about 2 minutes to finish changing the tire once she showed up.

 

[MCompact]

I check my spares on all my cars every few months. I don't have to worry about the wheels sticking to the hubs as I use anti seize when I swap the winter tires/wheels for the summer tires/wheels and vice versa on the E90 and MS3. I do the same when I rotate the track rubber on the Club Sport. I live dangerously with the other three...

 

[Sawdusted]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Glad my new car does not have one, nothing to worry about. I get a can of fix-a-flat, an air compressor and a prayer.

I couldn't use a spare if I wanted to, they don't fir over my front calipers.


A full size one will. Don't be cheap. It's cheap insurance. Unless you have run-flat tires.

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted By: Sawdusted
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Glad my new car does not have one, nothing to worry about. I get a can of fix-a-flat, an air compressor and a prayer.

I couldn't use a spare if I wanted to, they don't fir over my front calipers.


A full size one will. Don't be cheap. It's cheap insurance. Unless you have run-flat tires.


No room in the trunk, well there is a well for a mini-spare where the air compressor lives. I got rid of the one on my 95 because it literally would not fit over the Cobra R brakes.

That being the case, I have an AAA Premier membership so I can get my car towed to my work to order a tire if I need to.

 

[HTSS_TR]

We rarely get any flat down in So Cal. In the last 20 years my family drove over 500k miles and we get 2-3 flat tires, all the flats were with the LS400, the E430 and S2000 never have any flat.

The original full size spare in the E430 never touch the ground but I changed it with a used tire 3 years ago because of over 10 years limit.

The compact spare of the S2000 is in garage for 10 years now, never had a flat on that car. The room for spare is occupied by a sub-woofer and a can of Fix-a-Flat.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Glad my new car does not have one, nothing to worry about. I get a can of fix-a-flat, an air compressor and a prayer.

I couldn't use a spare if I wanted to, they don't fir over my front calipers.


LOL! Just like the M5

 

[Benzadmiral]

I need to run a practice on mine. I did that with the Park Avenue, and discovered that my bottle jack was much easier to use than the GM scissor-type jack. Remember, too, space-saver tires usually have a much higher tire pressure than regular tires -- 60 lbs. vs. 33. It's a good idea to check that and air it up before a trip, or once a year.

 

[ddombrowski]

Gosh, can we just go? Why do you have to check the spare tire shouldn't it be fine? We never use it. This is taking too much time we should already be on the road.

Why doesn't the spare have air? You were supposed to check that! Can't we just fill it with air with the air compressor you put in my trunk but I took out because it took up space and I didn't know what it was?

 

[surfstar]

Cell phones, AAA, kindness of strangers - I'm living dangerously.

Spare was removed from my Civic for more trunk room. Never check the psi in my Vue. 18 yrs without a flat or blowout.

 

[gfh77665]

Originally Posted By: Traction
I'm referring to 90% of the people that don't even know they have a spare,


90% "don't even know they have a spare?"

Seriously?

 

[ddombrowski]

My uncle was telling me there was a segment on the news the other day that said that 1/3 of all new cars don't have a spare (either using runflats, a can of fix-a-flat, or ?).

Of all the people I know, I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of people I would bet money on if they had to complete a tire change on the side of the road.

 

[Clevy]

I've got a few cans of fix a flat so I haven't needed to change to the donut spare.

 

[Ken2]

I help my elderly neighbor by loading the mounted tires into her car to take to the tire store for snow tire installation or removal. I always tell her to have the tire shop check the air in all five tires.

 

[Rand]

I check the pressure, maybe once a year. But the tire is inside in the hatch area and I carry a small air compressor.

I also carry a 10$ breaker bar from HF with a 1$ socket on it.

Much much better than the oem lugnut "dogleg"

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I carry a small compressor, so I can inflate it.

I also carry a full sized spare in the spare compartment and the stock donut spare in the trunk.

Department of Redundancy Department.

 

[meep]

my truck was hit a couple of months ago and it blew a tire. truck was driveable but I had to change the tire. No problem, right? it's dusk, darkening, but I'm in a parking lot with plenty of room.

I ended up disgusted.

yes, had plenty of pressure. I check that.

But, getting the 4-section stick together... fishing through the hole.... there's no guide! you have no clue if you are near, approaching, past, or next to the cable winch crank. so my wife tried and gave up before I did. so it took both of us.... me to climb under the truck, reach over the spare, and her to guide the crank rod in as I brought it to the winch by feel.

No manner of preparation will fix this. I will have to do this if I need to pull the spare again. it's about the only complaint i've ever had about this truck!

 

[97f150]

My Ford trucks had little plastic "tunnels" for that rod to follow to the winch crank. They are nice, I never appreciated them until I bought my Ram 1500 without the tunnel. I aggravated myself more that day then any other.