Tire Mobility Kits

[wings&wheels]

Anyone have any experience w/ the commonly available non-OE mobility kits; Terra, AirMan ResQ, Slime (seem lower end), etc?

Getting the nice weather toys out, I realize I'm inflating ~20 year old compact spares on several of the cars. At best these are risky, deadly at worst, and the prices for compact spare tires are crazy. I am leaning towards just carrying mobility kits in the cars, probably removing the spares so others in the family who aren't enthusiasts but occasionally drive them, don't wind up using them.

As I see it;

Pro's for the kits are; flats are very rare especially on lightly used vehicles, $ vs. spare tire (even with replacing the sealant when it expires), space and weight (smaller than a wheel, weight is really immaterial), easier to use than swapping tires, they are good enough for OEM's (but there are other reasons for the OEM's making the switch).

Cons; won't fix all flats, how effective are they even on normal punctures?, expiration of the sealant, availability of compatible sealant in 5-10 years, and choosing a quality one is a challenge....there are just a lot of poorly made products out there.


The Terra and AirMan ResQ products appear to be quality goods, may even be OEM for some so I am leaning to them or OE ones, with the current VW kits being especially nice.

Appreciate any thoughts and experiences. Thank you.

 

[supton]

I'd be concerned about cleaning up after a can of fix-a-flat, but maybe tire shops just charge extra and it's not a big deal? Never used it, so can't say much.

Recent conversation on here though indicated that an unused spare ages quite well. Once in service, the flexing of the rubber causes it to start to age--but when stored out of the sun, and never been in use (not even once) the degradation is much lower than one might expect.

 

[WhyMe]

i would carry a plug kit and inflator instead of a fix a flat kit. would probably be just as fast and work better.

 

[Dave9]

Figure out which newer cars use same size & bolt pattern spare and get one from a junkyard.

 

[wings&wheels]

Originally Posted by WhyMe
i would carry a plug kit and inflator instead of a fix a flat kit. would probably be just as fast and work better.


The mobility kits I'm looking at have an inflator and a separate bottle of sealant, plus usually a tool for removing the valve core. Adding a plug kit to that is a good idea, thx. Funny, the Lotus "spare tire" is a can of some German made fix-a-flat.

"Figure out which newer cars use same size & bolt pattern spare and get one from a junkyard."

Thought of that using a winter steel wheel, but putting a full size wheel in the Porsches eats up front trunk space, plus they are an odd fitment, not sure anyone makes a steel wheel that fits.

Thx both.

 

[eljefino]

Consider what sealing goo might do to your TPMS sensors.

I +2 on the plug kit idea. Saved my bacon when I was on the road for work.

It doesn't have to be an either/ or. A plug kit weighs a few ounces. Wife's prius came with a 4wd motor where the spare normally lives, and only goo plus an inflator. I supplanted this with a plug kit and some diagonal cutters (good for pulling nails out of tires as well as cutting the rope plugs down to size.)

 

[wings&wheels]

Originally Posted by eljefino
Consider what sealing goo might do to your TPMS sensors.

I +2 on the plug kit idea. Saved my bacon when I was on the road for work.

It doesn't have to be an either/ or. A plug kit weighs a few ounces. Wife's prius came with a 4wd motor where the spare normally lives, and only goo plus an inflator. I supplanted this with a plug kit and some diagonal cutters (good for pulling nails out of tires as well as cutting the rope plugs down to size.)



This is my thinking, a plug kit in the mobility kit....gives options. None of the toys have TPMS sensors...and I am happy about that. Thanks.

 

[Rand]

usually if you need a spare either a plug kit will work or it really wont work.

if you dont have tpms tire will likely disintegrate and you will need a spare.