Spare Tire Owners and Thoughts...

[wtibbit]

Let me explain my last nightmare. Last Saturday night. After starting the cross country roadtrip Saturday morning. From CO to MD with two dogs and a truck full of luggage. Fortunately no kids.

at about 10pm I heard something on the tire didn’t see anything in the road. Pulled over off the major interstate it’s pitch black in the middle of nowhere. I just received the aero covers so I thought maybe one fell off.

check the drivers side tires all good as I approach the passenger front tire I hear hissing, I inspected the tire and see what I’d describe as a box cutter blade sticking in the tire. I grab my tire plug kit by ARB. Removed the piece and tried my best watching videos and attempting to plug the tire. Tried for hours. Unsuccessful.

Contacted Tesla roadside service, first person incompetent. Hung up. Obviously panicking because middle of no where middle of night with two dogs and car full of luggage unsure how to make it safely somewhere.

second person was able to get a tow company out to us. Luckily tow company allowed our two dogs and me and my wife to ride in the truck to the closest service center.

the service center doesn’t open until Monday. Had to sit in a hotel for a day. Walked to the service center Monday morning and hoped they had a tire in stock. Fortunately for me they did and they got me on the road in 2hrs.

the whole thing was traumatic and I’ll never do a cross country road trip without a spare again because feeling hopeless is truly the worst and putting your loved ones in that situation is embarrassing and a neglect of my duties and responsibilities. Tire plug kit wasn’t enough.

This scenario is why I made comment #3, above. I'd rather move that spare from storage to the bed any number of times than have bigmoose's nightmare just once.

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[bigmoose70]

This scenario is why I made comment #3, above. I'd rather move that spare from storage to the bed any number of times than have bigmoose's nightmare just once.

Never again, uber doesn’t go to where we were at if the tow truck said no we would be on the side of the road stranded. Around town/civilization it’s fine, you have hotels and options. In the middle of nowhere absolutely not.

 

[Art138]

? funny part is some Of the owners that are buying them and hauling them wouldn’t know how to change a tire in the first place ?.

For many it will be lifting the tire and affixing it to wheel bolts lol.

 

[Celiboy]

I think everyone makes the choice to get one or not based on many factors. Everyone’s situation is different. It’s easy to say “Just do a, b, c”. Not everyone has the skills or knowledge to a, b, or c, or the strength. If anyone believes they need a spare tire for their truck, get one cause the guys who are saying just do a, b, and c won’t be there if you’re stuck. Just because someone has never had a flat, doesn’t mean you won’t.

Me personally, I’ve changed plenty of flat tires. That has never been a problem. I have the skills and the knowledge. I’m waiting on my spare tire now because I had to spend the $2500 voucher money and nothing is ever in stock. I would not have bought it with my own money. I tow more than I ever haul anything so it just sitting in the back isn’t an issue. If I need to take it out to move something, not an issue.

The biggest difference for me is I also have AAA. Now if possible, I gladly call let them do all the work. If the wait is to long, I can do it myself.

Bottom line is everyone has a reason for or against having a spare and they are all valid.

 

[HaulingAss]

check the drivers side tires all good as I approach the passenger front tire I hear hissing, I inspected the tire and see what I’d describe as a box cutter blade sticking in the tire. I grab my tire plug kit by ARB. Removed the piece and tried my best watching videos and attempting to plug the tire. Tried for hours. Unsuccessful.

Wait...you were watching videos by the side of the road to learn how to use your tire plugging kit? What kind of compressor did you have and what was the specific problem you were having?

 

[bigmoose70]

Wait...you were watching videos by the side of the road to learn how to use your tire plugging kit? What kind of compressor did you have and what was the specific problem you were having?

After unsuccessfully trying I decided I must be doing it wrong. I wasn’t. I got the first piece that makes the hole bigger but since the box cutter blade made a slash on the thick lug even though the first device was able to go in. The second device with the plug was impossible to push in. Even with all my force. My compressor is a Milwaukee m18 inflator. That thing is a beast but there was no way I could possible get the plug into the tire. I’m 200 lbs and lift almost every day. Don’t think it was a lack of strength. Had lubricant and everything , the plug was refusing to go into that type of hole.

 

[SentinelOne]

Im non committal. In summer = hell no, takes up too much space I need for dirtbikes/gear - have tire plug kit/compressor as alternative. In winter, dont go camping or dirt biking so minimal bed use and if I need bed space I just remove the tire...otherwise it's there with a jack/torque wrench / Milwaukee impact.

My 2500 is a 2016, 90k miles, never a flat (it has an underbed spare, granted not 35" like the rest of the tires)...so history proves I wont use it - famous last words.

So worst case, get a flat in summer - repair flat or call service (via wife with satellite messenger or soon starlink cellular hopefully, if needed - but most likely I'm at a mall or Starbucks J/K).

I think the winter setup is just for fun for me: traction boards, shovels(2), Chains, Spare/jack, etc.....hopefully never going to use this shit but if I need it I have it and it was fun setting it up!

Proved to wife I'm nuts!

 

[HaulingAss]

After unsuccessfully trying I decided I must be doing it wrong. I wasn’t. I got the first piece that makes the hole bigger but since the box cutter blade made a slash on the thick lug even though the first device was able to go in. The second device with the plug was impossible to push in. Even with all my force. My compressor is a Milwaukee m18 inflator. That thing is a beast but there was no way I could possible get the plug into the tire. I’m 200 lbs and lift almost every day. Don’t think it was a lack of strength. Had lubricant and everything , the plug was refusing to go into that type of hole.

Was the tire deflated when you tried to insert it? That can cause the hole to close up from the deformation of the tire. Half inflated seems to work best. Most important is a "can do" attitude. If you feel defeated from the beginning, you will probably be defeated. I look at it as an opportunity to get back on the road quickly.

I carry different sizes of worm plugs, some are bigger/longer than others, some are slimmer, to go into tighter spaces. Every puncture is different, but the repair is the same concept, force the worm inside and remove the insertion tool while holding the worm firm with the retainer ring.

If it wouldn't go in, you just needed to ream the hole bigger. Not all kits have the same tools in them, that's why I recommend practicing on an old tire until you are confident with both your tools and your skill.

 

[AlmostHuman]

Add a dead blow hammer to the kit as well.

 

[Crissa]

Plug kit won't work on a weird shape failure. That's what fix-a-flat and frequent re-airing is for.

Spouse has a story of driving from Oklahoma City to Pittsburg with two spares and having a truck drop nail-filled boards across the freeway in front of her. Three flats.

If you can't patch it, don't remove the foreign body; cut it to the surface. Paying $40 to clean the inside of a goopy wheel is cheaper than both the spare and a tow.

That said... When in the backcountry, I wouldn't crawl rocks without a spare. You can get sidewall damage with a simple scuff or slip and there's no goop or plugging your way out of that one. Sidewall damage == blowout later.

-Crissa

 

[CactusPilot]

Was the tire deflated when you tried to insert it? That can cause the hole to close up from the deformation of the tire. Half inflated seems to work best. Most important is a "can do" attitude. If you feel defeated from the beginning, you will probably be defeated. I look at it as an opportunity to get back on the road quickly.

I carry different sizes of worm plugs, some are bigger/longer than others, some are slimmer, to go into tighter spaces. Every puncture is different, but the repair is the same concept, force the worm inside and remove the insertion tool while holding the worm firm with the retainer ring.

If it wouldn't go in, you just needed to ream the hole bigger. Not all kits have the same tools in them, that's why I recommend practicing on an old tire until you are confident with both your tools and your skill.

What also works great is an electric drill with a nice sharp bit to ream the hole out. The plug will slide right in. I carry a small drill in my “go bag”. I also always purchase the tire warranty from Discount Tire.

 

[AlmostHuman]

I think at the end of the day if you want to get a spare, don't "need" the space it will take up in the bed, and it gives you peace of mind it is worth it. I know we will take one on our trips (often doing 2,200+ mile trips) to visit family but know it may not be practical for everyone to do the same. It is only two of us on our trips so we have plenty of room for a spare and we travel light or are simple travelers. When we get to our final destination I can always take the spare out to help family move things when we need to use the bed. If we ever needed to use the entire bed for the trip I'd just buy some crossbars and mount it up there. I do agree with many here that for just "tooling around town" or trips to the airport (60 miles) I will not keep the spare with me. Also agree that knowing how to use some tools like a patch kit is a useful skillset.

 

[Mikec3399]

AAA is worth the $88 annual fee

 

[carsly]

I carry a spare, and prefer to do so with all of my vehicles - just in case. Yes, I have a plug kit. And an air compressor. And battery jump starter. And extra water. And emergency blankets (mylar). and AAA.

Not because I need them regularly, but because when you need them. You really NEED them. I've got the bed divider separate the spare from the rest of the bed and it leaves me plenty of storage. I even have a folding table and chairs sitting in the section with the spare tire now. At some point I'll take them out but it's not as if the area with the spare is lost, it can still be used.

Now, if I had to haul a load of lumber or something then I might remove the spare. But in that (rare) instance I'd fold up half the rear seat and roll the spare into the cabin.

I get it if you need the full bed, all the time as a work truck. But for the rest of us suburban folks with families having a spare just adds safety, convenience and peace of mind.

 

[Jet55]

My spare setup. It's currently in the bed since I have been street parking in Chicago lately. I carry a bottle jack, jack stands, plug kit and compressor in all my trucks. Ironically, in almost 40 years of driving I have had one or two flats.

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