what about my temp spare

jwetering · jwetering's Garage

I'm planning a 2000 mile trip from Vancouver to San Fransisco and back this weekend and I'm wondering about my temporary spare. I have never used it, and in fact it's been in my basement for the last few years. If worse comes to worst and I need to use it, will it be any good? It's been collapsed for almost 30 years now. Does anybody have any experience with this ?

Thanks

randywebb · 10-04-2005, 09:58 PM

yes - but you don't want to hear about it...

jevvy · 10-05-2005, 12:02 AM

take a few cans of tyre weld too - they may get you home without having to change the wheel.

I have also read that if you get a flatty on a back tyre and have a passenger then you have to leave the wheel or the passenger at the roadside since they both wont fit in the car!!!!

My mrs always brings a large coat in case of such situation!

jwetering · jwetering's Garage

should I just not bother bringing it then? I'd have to find a pump and everything.

cashflyer · 10-05-2005, 05:20 AM

I've never used my collapsed spare. I never even carry it. I consider most tires like this, and also donut wheels, to be junk.

I keep a AAA membership. I'll let them deal with it.

Richard C2S · 10-05-2005, 06:06 AM

I agree with all of the above. Although I continue to carry the original collasped spare and an air pump, I also carry a couple of cans of Fix-A-Flat and keep my AAA membership up to date. Most importantly, as Jevvy has said, if you do change a tire, what are you going to do with it?

porschenut · 10-05-2005, 06:12 AM

Jasper, why are you guessing? Just pump the damn thing up and see if it holds air. I recently tested my 20 year old one and it worked perfectly. I'm glad I tested it because I had to actually use it a few weeks later. When you let the air out it collapses back.

jwetering · jwetering's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by porschenut
Jasper, why are you guessing? Just pump the damn thing up and see if it holds air. I recently tested my 20 year old one and it worked perfectly. I'm glad I tested it because I had to actually use it a few weeks later. When you let the air out it collapses back.

duh! good idea. I'm going to do that tonight. Surprised I've neverthouight of that/done that before.

afterburn 549 · 10-05-2005, 06:00 PM

If you carry a tire punture repair kit on board plus a couple cans of flat fix you will be just fine..thats all I carry so it has to be ok! besides if you have a tire come apart you have more problems if you have a spare or not.

randywebb · 10-05-2005, 07:37 PM

The ability of the flat fix cans to fix a tire depends on several factors:
- temperature
- damage to the tire
- age of the can

They are not a substitute for a spare. I carry both.

porschenut · 10-05-2005, 07:48 PM

Yup. Fix-a-flat and patch kits will suffice if you just get a nail in the tread, but if you have a blowout or a sidewall laceration you're screwed without a spare tire.