Yesterday (Sunday) I travelled to a large car show via my '07 GT500 with a small caravan of fellow car guys. Beautiful day, tons of cars. My group parted without me, as I decided to stop and visit a relative since I was in the neighborhood. I hung out there for a while and, weary from several hours of sun, decided to make my trip home.
About ten miles out, at highway speed, the passenger rear let go. No warning. Like a shotgun blast in the back seat. Rubber flying everywhere in the rearview, billowing rubber smoke, as I fishtailed to a crawl. I limped onto a nearby road approach, knowing full well the situation, thinking “great, I have no make the beast with two backsing spare.â€
That's right - when I bought the car two years ago I was astonished to learn that there is no spare, just a fix-a-flat kit and inflator. Can you say worthless? The highway patrolman that stopped to check on me said it's pretty common these days....
Anyway, I called one of the guys I was with earlier and explained the situation. Another one of the guys had the original set off his ’03 Roush stacked up in the garage so into the truck one went, along with a jack and the rescue began. They got out to me a while later, and of course the Roush wheel and tire was quite a bit shorter than the OEM setup. We were concerned about the rear diff, so decided to play it safe and off they went for another for the other side of the axle. Another hour or so later and I was back on the road with stylish little chrome Roush wheels and rock-hard gatorbacks.
Luckily the only damage is a little burned off undercoating in the wheelwell, and the shock cover is trashed. I on the other hand am sunburned as hell, with several hours of my life squandered because I didn’t have a damned spare tire. It will be getting one soon.
(http://i367.photobucket.com/albums/oo118/Speedbag/IMAG0043.jpg)
If you have a late-model vehicle, you might want to check your trunk....
Looks like you saved the rim so that's good. I checked my 620 and no spare, those cheap Italians.
Haven't had a spare tire in 10 years. Lost the one in my jeep. None of my work trailers have had one. My truck has one, but the bumper is bent in such a way that you can't lower it. No dice on the bike spare. No jack in any of my vehicles either. Don't make the beast with two backsing need 'em if you don't have a spare, right?
<--- guess who's gonna get a flat tire tomorrow...
And I suppose there is no place to store a spare either. And folk used to complain about space saver spares.
The invention of runflats has kunda pushed this trend but when oem isn't runflats no spare is dangerous and stupid by the manufacturer
Quote from: howie on June 26, 2012, 04:31:58 AM
And folk used to complain about space saver spares.
This folk still does complain about space saver (cost saver more like [roll]) spares. The dumb thing about the space saver spare in the boot of my car (yes I'm foreign, its a boot) is that the wheel well it lives in is deep enough for a real wheel, the "saved" space is filled with a crappy piece of styrofoam as an excuse to fill the void whilst posing as a holder for the jack [bang].
Cheap arseholes >:(.
No spare is even cheaper/dumber [bang]
Weight.
Less weight for the car to carry = higher MPG rating.
DOn't believe me? Stop eating McDonald's and lose 20 lbs. Your MPG will go up by about 1%
Quote from: Little Monkey Toes on June 26, 2012, 06:17:55 AM
IZ?
[laugh]
I noticed this while car shopping recently. Luckily, VW (look at me, the fanboy! hahaha) has bucked the trend, and both of our cars '07, and '12 have spares...and not just spares...full sized spares [thumbsup]
standard.
my bro-in-law bought a BMW recently that just had runflats...he promptly changed them to normal tires, and bought a spare to take up all his trunk space [laugh]
I hate runflats way to hard and no input. [thumbsdown]
That's what I've heard about the Priapus brand of tires.
Ya our Volvo can with some I could not get them off fast enough.
Quote from: ducatiz on June 26, 2012, 06:13:11 AM
Weight.
Less weight for the car to carry = higher MPG rating.
DOn't believe me? Stop eating McDonald's and lose 20 lbs. Your MPG will go up by about 1%
Exactly.
Cost as well.
Yep, cost and weight are the reasons from what I've gathered.
Bullshit. >:(
There's a spare tire well in the car, occupied by the inflator kit....
That sucks. [thumbsdown]
I've never heard of a new car not at least having a little donut spare. Both of ours have spares ('08 Infiniti G35xS and '12 Frontier Pro-4X). Not sure I'd buy a new car that didn't have a spare...but I'm weird like that.
I knew the car didn't have a spare after I got it and read through the owner's manual. I didn't think much of that plan at the time.
I think even less of it now.
The car is going to have a jack and donut spare soon....I have a plan (although it's ridiculous that I have to come up with it).
It's not like I'm using this car for hypermiling, dammit.....
Quote from: Speedbag on June 26, 2012, 08:19:27 AM
It's not like I'm using this car for hypermiling, dammit.....
Blame the fleet mileage requirements.
Chevy did the same kind of BS with their Equinox. In order to get the 32mpg rating, they installed a baffle in the fuel tank so you can't fill the tank to the 18.5gal capacity.
Meanwhile, they were advertising it has having an "almost 600 mile per tankful" ability. I asked the sales guy how it was able to do that when you could only fill it up to 16 gal-- which it said in tiiiiny letters in the brochure.
They needed to shave off 15 lbs and cutting off 2.5 gal in the tank was the easiest way to do it.
Quote from: Triple J on June 26, 2012, 08:13:18 AM
That sucks. [thumbsdown]
I've never heard of a new car not at least having a little donut spare. Both of ours have spares ('08 Infiniti G35xS and '12 Frontier Pro-4X). Not sure I'd buy a new car that didn't have a spare...but I'm weird like that.
my fiancee's Mini has no spare...is equipped with RunFlats as well...
Quote from: ducatiz on June 26, 2012, 07:50:38 AM
That's what I've heard about the Priapus brand of tires.
[laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh]
2012 VW Jetta GLI does have a spare tire and wrench and jack. ;D
Sorry to hear about the GT500...
My RX-8 came without a spare tire, but I split the cost of the spare tire kit with the dealer just to be able to have a spare.
It eats up a big chunk of the trunk, but if I need more trunk space (rare) I just take it out.
Better to have something and not need it than to experience that one day when you need something, but you don't have it.
BC.
Quote from: ducatiz on June 26, 2012, 07:50:38 AM
That's what I've heard about the Priapus brand of tires.
Same here, may as well be made of wood.
Quote from: brimo on June 27, 2012, 06:25:08 PM
Same here, may as well be made of wood.
[laugh]
My Jeep LJ came with a full size spare.
My Merc E320 has a full size spare too. It has a rather nice looking wheel in there as well. I keep snow chains in there with it. I see that the 750 has no spare though. It must have fallen off someplace.
My Dakota has a full size spare too.
My 280Z has a rather odd spare solution. It's a full sized one, but not inflated and the sidewalls collapse so it fits in like a donut diameter-wise. Datsun even supplied a can of inflator.
(http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn168/the_journeyman/280z/DSC_0083-1024.jpg)
JM
that can of inflator looks older than me. lol
If you were born after 1978, it is! Needless to say, I only use it to run around town locally and not far away! I'm betting the tire is about useless, and the inflator is past its "use by" date!
JM
1974 man I am getting OLD. [roll]
Yeah, when was the last year anything was sold under the Datsun name? My bets are that can is ornamental only.
I wouldn't toss it out though, detail items like that are gold to restorers and the concours crowd.
Quote from: Speedbag on June 30, 2012, 11:41:43 AM
Yeah, when was the last year anything was sold under the Datsun name? My bets are that can is ornamental only.
I wouldn't toss it out though, detail items like that are gold to restorers and the concours crowd.
According to wiki...March '86.
We had a Datsun B210 when I was a kid. I thought it was cool because it have turtle shell hub caps. lol
Hmm I heard the new fiat 500 DON'T come with a spare. Thought it was strange. It looks like it may not be so strange after reading this thread. What a BS to not include one!
Quote from: Speedbag on June 30, 2012, 11:41:43 AM
I wouldn't toss it out though, detail items like that are gold to restorers and the concours crowd.
Precisely why it and the OEM spare still rest in below the hatch deck. Simply for originality!
JM
Quote from: ab on June 30, 2012, 07:37:27 PM
Hmm I heard the new fiat 500 DON'T come with a spare. Thought it was strange. It looks like it may not be so strange after reading this thread. What a BS to not include one!
AAA has a list of newer cars that come sans spare.
Total BS, and in the future I will verify if a potential new car has one or can be fitted with one....if not, I'll buy something else.
Quote from: Speedbag on July 02, 2012, 07:48:17 AM
AAA has a list of newer cars that come sans spare.
Total BS, and in the future I will verify if a potential new car has one or can be fitted with one....if not, I'll buy something else.
In some cases, there simply isn't room for a spare (iQ, 500, ForTwo, Prius Plug-in).
As mentioned previously, it's mainly a weight issue...spare tires (full size or not) plus a jack, tire iron, and related parts add weight to a car. With ever increasing fuel economy & emission requirements, every ounce of a vehicles weight is scrutinized. Eliminating a spare can easily drop 50lbs from the curb weight.
Think 50lbs doesn't matter? Take the 2012 Camry Hybrid as an example - LE version weighs 3,417 and gets 43 city/39 hwy/41 combined - XLE version: 3,441 40 city/38 hwy/40 combined.
No doubt that the weight matters. But still BS.
I'll take the MPG to not get stranded in BFE without a spare.
JM
When it comes to larger than sub compacts there are other weight saving techniques. Some cost a bit, like alloy wheels instead of the standard steel wheels and plastic wheel covers. Well, maybe not, in 1992 we made the mistake of buying a Civic SI that came with plastic wheel covers and steel wheels. $65 a cover plus wheels? First week that car got alloy wheels (TUV approved) for not much more than the price of four wheel covers. Certainly weight and cost can be saved on more upscale cars by careful gadget elimination. Do we really need a motor to adjust the steering wheel?
Quote from: Randimus Maximus on July 02, 2012, 08:39:31 AM
In some cases, there simply isn't room for a spare (iQ, 500, ForTwo, Prius Plug-in).
As mentioned previously, it's mainly a weight issue...spare tires (full size or not) plus a jack, tire iron, and related parts add weight to a car. With ever increasing fuel economy & emission requirements, every ounce of a vehicles weight is scrutinized. Eliminating a spare can easily drop 50lbs from the curb weight.
Think 50lbs doesn't matter? Take the 2012 Camry Hybrid as an example - LE version weighs 3,417 and gets 43 city/39 hwy/41 combined - XLE version: 3,441 40 city/38 hwy/40 combined.
Of course weight matters. EPA should be telling people to lose 50 lbs instead if you want better fuel mileage, not putting it on the manufacturers. :-)
Fuel mileage has gone up arithmetically in car models year after year, despite average BMI/weight going up geometrically.
Want better gas mileage? Stop eating.
Quote from: the_Journeyman on July 02, 2012, 10:50:19 AM
I'll take the MPG to not get stranded in BFE without a spare.
Yep.
Having been stuck in semi-BFE for a few hours with no spare, I assure that it is no fun. Could have been a much worse area.....or the Deliverance-looking pair in the ratty plumbing service van that stopped to see if I needed help could have really been Deliverance-esque after all.
Quote from: ducatiz on July 02, 2012, 11:16:05 AM
Of course weight matters. EPA should be telling people to lose 50 lbs instead if you want better fuel mileage, not putting it on the manufacturers. :-)
Fuel mileage has gone up arithmetically in car models year after year, despite average BMI/weight going up geometrically.
Want better gas mileage? Stop eating.
Ding!
Quote from: ab on June 30, 2012, 07:37:27 PM
Hmm I heard the new fiat 500 DON'T come with a spare. Thought it was strange. It looks like it may not be so strange after reading this thread. What a BS to not include one!
Not entirely true, yet not entirely false, either.
The various Fiat 500's (Pop, Sport, Lounge, Abarth) don't come with spare tires.
However, all the models, with the sole exception of the Abarth, has an option group you can choose that contains the spare tire kit.
The spare tire is mounted under the car, all the way in the back.
I know from personal experience of having a 500 Sport in my garage from September 4th through June 13th, and now currently an Abarth from June 13th on.
BC.
Quote from: Randimus Maximus on July 02, 2012, 08:39:31 AM
In some cases, there simply isn't room for a spare (iQ, 500, ForTwo, Prius Plug-in).
As mentioned previously, it's mainly a weight issue...spare tires (full size or not) plus a jack, tire iron, and related parts add weight to a car. With ever increasing fuel economy & emission requirements, every ounce of a vehicles weight is scrutinized. Eliminating a spare can easily drop 50lbs from the curb weight.
Think 50lbs doesn't matter? Take the 2012 Camry Hybrid as an example - LE version weighs 3,417 and gets 43 city/39 hwy/41 combined - XLE version: 3,441 40 city/38 hwy/40 combined.
Dood...
think being make the beast with two backsing stranded in the middle of BFE doesn't matter?
Pull that gizmo out of the closet that will improve cafe and stop poking the consumer. :-*
Quote from: ducpainter on July 02, 2012, 04:19:54 PM
Dood...
think being make the beast with two backsing stranded in the middle of BFE doesn't matter?
Pull that gizmo out of the closet that will improve cafe and stop poking the consumer. :-*
Our cars (Toyota & Scion) that don't come with spares (but do come with tire inflation kits) also come with 3 years of road side assistance.
While it might not help you if you're in BFE....
Quote from: Randimus Maximus on July 02, 2012, 04:46:03 PM
Our cars (Toyota & Scion) that don't come with spares (but do come with tire inflation kits) also come with 3 years of road side assistance.
While it might not help you if you're in BFE....
for the record...
I know how to, and am still capable of, changing a tire.
Give me the materials and figure another way to pass 'the test'. ;)
Just sayin'
there is no greater suckage than to have a flat and be on the side of the road....spare or no spare....any vehicle
I am phobic about that
and will change out a set of tires if they even look like they might be wearing low
If we're talking about a common puncture flat, all you need are tire plugs and a portable tire pump. Relatively easy and much cheaper than taking the tire to a shop that will "professionally" fix it the exact same way for $15-25...
Quote from: The Mad King Pepe' on July 05, 2012, 01:33:05 AM
If we're talking about a common puncture flat, all you need are tire plugs and a portable tire pump. Relatively easy and much cheaper than taking the tire to a shop that will "professionally" fix it the exact same way for $15-25...
Most reputable tire shops or dealers will do a patch & plug, which is a lot safer than a plug fix.
BTW and based on my experience, YMMV, Discount Tire will repair tires for free - regardless if you've ever done business with them.
Quote from: Randimus Maximus on July 05, 2012, 05:41:50 AM
Most reputable tire shops or dealers will do a patch & plug, which is a lot safer than a plug fix.
IIRC a lot of places are required by law to do a plug/patch. Plugs can dislodge, a patch + plug will last the life of the tire.
Quote from: Randimus Maximus on July 05, 2012, 05:41:50 AM
BTW and based on my experience, YMMV, Discount Tire will repair tires for free - regardless if you've ever done business with them.
As will Les Schwab.
Never seen a tire place do a patch ever around here.. is the patch on outside or inside?
Quote from: Randimus Maximus on July 02, 2012, 08:39:31 AM
In some cases, there simply isn't room for a spare (iQ, 500, ForTwo, Prius Plug-in).
As mentioned previously, it's mainly a weight issue...spare tires (full size or not) plus a jack, tire iron, and related parts add weight to a car. With ever increasing fuel economy & emission requirements, every ounce of a vehicles weight is scrutinized. Eliminating a spare can easily drop 50lbs from the curb weight.
Think 50lbs doesn't matter? Take the 2012 Camry Hybrid as an example - LE version weighs 3,417 and gets 43 city/39 hwy/41 combined - XLE version: 3,441 40 city/38 hwy/40 combined.
Then drop the electric windows, seats, and all the other weight laden shite first.
Quote from: Dwead Piwate Woberts on July 05, 2012, 09:38:17 AM
Then drop the electric windows, seats, and all the other weight laden shite first.
i kind of like being able to lock all my doors witht he push of a button as well as rollign down all the windows in the car from the driver's seat.
Please keep those 2 things
Quote from: cokey on July 05, 2012, 09:28:26 AM
Never seen a tire place do a patch ever around here.. is the patch on outside or inside?
It's on the inside
Quote from: KnightofNi on July 05, 2012, 09:41:25 AM
i kind of like being able to lock all my doors witht he push of a button as well as rollign down all the windows in the car from the driver's seat.
Please keep those 2 things
If they all didn't automatically unlock you wouldn't need the button. Let your passenger wait.
You can keep the electric windows if you drop the A/C.
Drop the airbags. The average car has something like 900lbs of "safety" related equipment.
The electric locks are small potatoes,.
I'd love to see what my Golf's dritvetrain would do in a first generation Rabbit.
It'd be quick as hell and get ridiculous fuel economy, especially with a DPF delete and a tune. [drool]
Quote from: ducatiz on July 05, 2012, 10:12:02 AM
Drop the airbags. The average car has something like 900lbs of "safety" related equipment.
+1. Bring back the Pinto fuel tank configuration as well. Maybe people would put down their cell phones if they knew rear-ending the guy in front of them would result in an explosion! [laugh]
Quote from: Dwead Piwate Woberts on July 05, 2012, 10:06:37 AM
If they all didn't automatically unlock you wouldn't need the button. Let your passenger wait.
You can keep the electric windows if you drop the A/C.
but i like that button. i want to keep it. and i'll keep my a/c and electric windows. i'll sacrifice the weight savings.
Quote from: Dwead Piwate Woberts on July 05, 2012, 09:38:17 AM
Then drop the electric windows, seats, and all the other weight laden shite first.
So you'd like to drive something like this?
(http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/07/mobius-motors-mobius-two-628.jpg)
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/07/02/mobius-motors-plans-6-000-suv-for-africa/ (http://www.autoblog.com/2012/07/02/mobius-motors-plans-6-000-suv-for-africa/)
Quote from: Randimus Maximus on July 05, 2012, 01:21:51 PM
So you'd like to drive something like this?
(http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/07/mobius-motors-mobius-two-628.jpg)
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/07/02/mobius-motors-plans-6-000-suv-for-africa/ (http://www.autoblog.com/2012/07/02/mobius-motors-plans-6-000-suv-for-africa/)
I drive a 1967 Kaiser Jeep. It doesn't even have heat. Or a roof, or power anything. Dash lights? Bring a lighter.
If driving was more work people might actually have to pay attention to it.
Also any car manufacturer that designs anything with a touchscreen (so you *have* to take your eyes off the road) should be dragged behind that vehicle by the ankles.
Quote from: Speedbag on June 30, 2012, 11:41:43 AM
Yeah, when was the last year anything was sold under the Datsun name?
Ahhh, that sad time when we had to stop using the joke "I came round the corner and there was a sound like thunder, and before I knew it, it was raining Datsun cogs…"
big
Quote from: Dwead Piwate Woberts on July 05, 2012, 09:38:17 AM
Then drop the electric windows, seats, and all the other weight laden shite first.
Interestingly, the 4WD turbo Celica they sold for WRC homologation had electric windows because they were lighter than the mechanical hand-cranked ones.
big
Quote from: bigiain on July 06, 2012, 01:25:00 AM
Interestingly, the 4WD turbo Celica they sold for WRC homologation had electric windows because they were lighter than the mechanical hand-cranked ones.
big
that's also the car that i have lusted after for along time.
Quote from: Dwead Piwate Woberts on July 06, 2012, 01:02:59 AM
Also any car manufacturer that designs anything with a touchscreen (so you *have* to take your eyes off the road) should be dragged behind that vehicle by the ankles.
agreed. that's completely idiotic to me.
all the touch screen functions on my car's radio are redundantly controlled by the buttons on the wheel [thumbsup]
Quote from: Randimus Maximus on July 05, 2012, 01:21:51 PM
So you'd like to drive something like this?
(http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/07/mobius-motors-mobius-two-628.jpg)
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/07/02/mobius-motors-plans-6-000-suv-for-africa/ (http://www.autoblog.com/2012/07/02/mobius-motors-plans-6-000-suv-for-africa/)
I commented on that story on autoblog! [laugh]
I'll say it here, too: I'd be highly interested in a small offroadable SUV that cost 6-8 brand new.
It's a much better option than an ATV like a polaris or gator or something, that cost 10k new, and you can't drive on the roads. I'd love one of those for camping trips and off road hooliganism in general [laugh]
Quote from: Dwead Piwate Woberts on July 06, 2012, 01:02:59 AM
If driving was more work people might actually have to pay attention to it.
[thumbsup]
remove all the automatic gizmos -- lights mainly. leave your lights on you deserve to have a dead battery, and if that means you're eaten by bears, then fine.
Quote from: bigiain on July 06, 2012, 01:25:00 AM
Interestingly, the 4WD turbo Celica they sold for WRC homologation had electric windows because they were lighter than the mechanical hand-cranked ones.
big
i'm not surprised, the crank regulator has a fairly heavy mechanism to lift the window. the motor just has a worm gear, and with a low-ratio "no frills" dc motor, it oculd be pretty small.
No power windows, no ac, no auto off lights, no alarm.
Full size spare, heat and a radio.
2002 Jeep!
Quote from: bigiain on July 06, 2012, 01:25:00 AM
Interestingly, the 4WD turbo Celica they sold for WRC homologation had electric windows because they were lighter than the mechanical hand-cranked ones.
big
Two pieces of plexi that slide past each other. Bonus if it's not easily lockable, more people might get phones stolen, and thus won't look at them instead of driving.
(http://www.lakelandraceway.com/images/two-lane/tlb2004g.jpg)
Quote from: Dwead Piwate Woberts on July 06, 2012, 09:23:48 AM
Two pieces of plexi that slide past each other. Bonus if it's not easily lockable, more people might get phones stolen, and thus won't look at them instead of driving.
someone needs to take his centrum and metimucil. he's getting cranky
>damn kids!
>>get off his lawn!
Quote from: KnightofNi on July 06, 2012, 11:33:40 AM
someone needs to take his centrum and metimucil. he's getting cranky
I like how he's advocating for less "gadgets" (cough...touchscreen navigation systems in automobiles) that rely on him sending rockets into space to work properly.
Is that the '55 from the movie "Two Lane Blacktop"?
Quote from: Dwead Piwate Woberts on July 06, 2012, 01:02:59 AM
If driving was more work people might actually have to pay attention to it.
Also any car manufacturer that designs anything with a touchscreen (so you *have* to take your eyes off the road) should be dragged behind that vehicle by the ankles.
[thumbsup] [thumbsup]