Anyone ever use their spare tire?

[Tony_H]

I was thinking about upgrading to 18'' wheels but then I looked in my trunk and thought how is the wheel going to fit in there?
I know all about going with a larger rim and the need to use a lower profile tire to match the 16'' rim and tire circumfrence but have you or any others actually tried to put the wheel into the trunk? or better yet an 18 or 19 inch wheel into the trunk?
I don't think it would go over too good with the wife holding a 19inch wheel in the front seat in her lap if I ever got a flat...

Thanks,
Tony

[WestSideBilly]

:doh:

Yes, several times...

For most flats, fix-a-flat works good enough. Many owners take the spare out altogether. A bigger wheel will still fit in the trunk, though, since the tire should be about the same size.

[3ngin33r1]

I've never used mine.

[RT_]

Originally posted by Tony_H
I was thinking about upgrading to 18'' wheels but then I looked in my trunk and thought how is the wheel going to fit in there?
I know all about going with a larger rim and the need to use a lower profile tire to match the 16'' rim and tire circumfrence but have you or any others actually tried to put the wheel into the trunk? or better yet an 18 or 19 inch wheel into the trunk?
I don't think it would go over too good with the wife holding a 19inch wheel in the front seat in her lap if I ever got a flat...

Thanks,
Tony
If the 16" fits why wouldn't the 18, 19 or 20? Now if your concern is width related you might have a point but you're talking about a 25" diameter tire/wheel combo anyway you slice it otherwise :confused:

[Urmil]

In 4 years I've never used the spare....even when I had the spare in the car. The one flat I caught in the parking lot was quickly fixed with a can of "Fix-A-Flat" substitute (can't remember the name of it, but it's more gooey and gel-like than the foamy Fix-A-Flat stuff).

Then I drove to a tire shop where they repaired it, and the tech thanked me for not using the Fix-A-Flat mess.

The next time I caught a flat, I didn't have the spare. The can of the tire 'patch' stuff saved me again.

If I ever get into a situation where the can of stuff can't save me, I have my triple-A card that shows membership to a service that will either bring me an acceptible wheel/tire to use, or a tow to the nearest facility to fix it. If triple-A cannot make it out in due time, I will use the service provider my insurance company provides for me. If that doesn't seem fit for my time frame, I will use the free service provided by my employer (largest publicly owned insurance provider in the nation), and yet still if that doesn't work, I will either ask wife, parents, sister, friends, etc. to help me out and bring me a spare tire from my garage......but that's just last resort.

[LT'S S2K]

I did, but didn't know better. Well, it paid off for me though, so I still keep it in the trunk.

When I first changed my rears, it was slick and I didn't realize how slick until too late. I replaced the OEM SO2's with Yokohamas SO. One week after, I had my spinout...

To make the long story short, I jumped a curb and had a huge gash in the front driver's side wheel. No way any fix-a-flat would've solved that.

I was glad I had my spare. If I were to had it towed from DC to Arlington, I would've paid an arm and a leg.

I may switch it out and just carry the fix-a-flat from now on though. I'm not that careless anymore.

LT

[3ngin33r1]

I'll have to take back what I said earlier. I've used mine to hold down a tarp once.

[jlambeth]

The spare tire is just a placeholder for installation of a sub.

[GChambers]

The spare tire is just a placeholder for installation of a sub.

This is incorrect. the amplifier goes where the spare tire was. The sub goes in the trunk well where the tool kit used to be. :D

[andersonvp]

Back to the original question. The proper way to fit the flat tire in the trunk is to remove the tool kit and place the tire in the trunk. I had to throw a bungee chord over the top, but it worked fine and did not rattle around in the trunk.

[ruexp67]

I pulled out my spare and put an amplifier in that spot. If I ever get a flat, I will call Urmil. :laugh:

[profpin]

since i took the spare out of my trunk... if i had a flat, i would drive it until the tire fall off the rim and spark its way to the nearest wheel shop... (im just playin)

[Urmil]

Actually, I wouldn't put it past profpin to actually drive the tire off the rim if he ever had a flat. It'd make it easier to remove teh remnants and just get a new tire installed.