No Jack or Spare Tire?!?!

[Bobbers]

CHECK THIS OUT.
If you have a spare make sure you check the pressure yearly if not more. A few months ago the wife damaged a tire with me in town and the pressure in the compact spare was less than 15 psi. We were not far from home which was good. She always has her car serviced at the deal but they never check the spare. I make sure I check the spare every time I check the rest of the tires now.

 

[ByMyBeard]

I have heard the reason for no spare is as a weight saving measurement for improved gas mileage. My theory is that it is to save the manufacturer money.

Sadly, the compressor likely costs as much as more as the spare. Especially if it's a donut and not a full size version. Of course, both weight and cost savings likely have an impact in the decision.

While I would certainly prefer to at least have a donut available, this also would prevent people from just using said donut as a regular tire. Which I've seen often enough to find this a positive as well.

 

[Hms123]

One advantage of driving older cars is that both of ours have full-sized spares and jacks. My wife and I both keep a tire pump and jumper cables in our cars. I am reluctant to buy new cars with the run-flat tires. As Rudy said, they are expensive to replace and don’t do you a lot of good in the middle of nowhere.

I hate “progress”.

 

[ColtRevolver]

I appreciated progress up to a scissor or bottle jack. I always thought those old bumper jacks were sketchy.

 

[tube_guy]

When I was a kid, the temporary spare tires had just come out and they were marketed as saving weight, fuel, and cost. I remember when my dad bought a new car that happened to have one of those new temporary spares, he worked a real full-size spare tire into the deal during the final negotiations. I remember the salesman rolling the full-sized wheel over to the car and making the replacement, himself.

I understand where I get it from.

 

[DesertIguana]

Wonder how many kids 18 - 24 could use Jack, and Change Tire?

Bet few.

I worked in tire shop short time, no automation, we fed everything by hand mounting, in mounting, HOT patches worked great.

 

[ColtRevolver]

I still have the spare tire for a 1977 truck we bought new. It's an old Goodyear Polyglas. We had a custom hitch put on the truck and had to remove the spare. We only took it on long trips. The rest of the time it sat in the garage.

 

[ByMyBeard]

Wonder how many kids 18 - 24 could use Jack, and Change Tire?

Bet few.

I worked in tire shop short time, no automation, we fed everything by hand mounting, in mounting, HOT patches worked great.

Not quite the same thing, but I did end up showing one of the new graduates at the office how to jump a car a few weeks back. First, it wasn't his vehicle. He had cables, but didn't know how to help the guy out. It made me feel pretty old, but glad I could pass along some wisdom.

 

[DesertIguana]

Not quite the same thing, but I did end up showing one of the new graduates at the office how to jump a car a few weeks back. First, it wasn't his vehicle. He had cables, but didn't know how to help the guy out. It made me feel pretty old, but glad I could pass along some wisdom.

We as old people need to help
young with out life experence.

Some will actually embrace this ideas, and experences.

Other know it all because they went to Collrge.

 

[ColtRevolver]

While I carry jumper cables, I also equipped my vehicles with lithium jump starters. They have impressed me. I have started a big block gas engine with no battery installed and a diesel tractor with them. Each start pulled the unit down about 5%.

 

[Go West Young Man]

Number of times in my life I've needed to change a tire and NOT been within a 10 minute drive of a tire place: 1
And that one time was in a full size camper van that needed special custom tires and there was no way I'd do that job myself.

My life is different than yours, but pretty sure most non-commercial-driving in the US takes place in highly developed and serviced areas. Car manufacturers build for the 95% of use cases, not the 5% exceptions.

 

[Doc4]

When I was a kid, the temporary spare tires had just come out and they were marketed as saving weight, fuel, and cost. I remember when my dad bought a new car that happened to have one of those new temporary spares, he worked a real full-size spare tire into the deal during the final negotiations. I remember the salesman rolling the full-sized wheel over to the car and making the replacement, himself.

Soon enough, the compartment for the spare tire shrunk to be just big enough for the doughnut but too small for the regular tire. "Problem solved".

 

[FarmerTan]

My wife's Rav4 has one in the trunk.

What it doesn't have, is front tow hooks or a spot to pull it out of a ditch if needed.

Amen. Cars suck today. No rhyme or reason to it. My Yaris is a lot like a big go-kart. But I think even that has tow hooks on it?

I'm old enough and have USAA car insurance so if I have a flat I call roadside assistance. (I also turned in my man card instead of my driver's license!)

 

[FarmerTan]

Tow it.

I once had a truck OVERFILLED with cord wood on it. My wife was driving and I was following. I was about two miles from my house one way and two miles away from my friend's place that sells used tires.

I called him, he had a replacement. He jacked that little Toyota pickup truck up fully loaded and swapped out the tire, $20 or so. I ALSO had to get lectured about overloading a Japanese truck in front of my wife. She proceeded to tell him how I did that ALL the time, and once when the battery went dead fully loaded. I proceeded to brag about having her and her cousin push it a little bit to a downhill spot where I popped the clutch in second gear and it fired right up!

And she wonders why I buy used tires! Where else can you STILL tell stories while another dude is werkin' on yer truck?!

 

[Quaznoid]

My Honda Clarity came with sealant and a pump, but no jack or spare. I bought a spare and jack for the trunk. I travel in remote areas and would feel vulnerable without them

 

[brucered]

Wonder how many kids 18 - 24 could use Jack, and Change Tire?

Bet few.

I worked in tire shop short time, no automation, we fed everything by hand mounting, in mounting, HOT patches worked great.

My 16y old and I, regularly work on our truck. Installing aftermarket accessories, swapping bulbs, rock sliders, skid plates, tire rotations, and soon oil changes.

It falls back got to the parents.

My wife took this pic unexpectedly, as we were installing our Rock Sliders last summer.

 

[NorthernSoul]

One reason I like older cars! You can still do most of the maintenance work, also, if you care to.

If people want to save fuel, why are they driving around in huge SUVs with the aerodynamics of a brick?

 

[czgunner]

Just my opinion, but outside of a total tire failure, the best (permanent) repair is a plug kit: Blackjack (BLJK20SC) Tire Plug Starter Kit - https://www.tooltopia.com/Blackjack-BLJK20SC. Use a decent inflator to air back up: https://www.amazon.com/Viair-00088-88P-Portable-Compressor/dp/B005ASY23I/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1IQVU7V7ABO4N&keywords=viair+compressor&qid=1682979668&sprefix=viair+comppresso,aps,234&sr=8-5
I use a side cutter to remove the screw, nail, etc: https://www.amazon.com/Channellock-447-Curved-Diagonal-Cutting/dp/B00004SBDF/ref=sr_1_4?crid=PWJN5GEJKHKI&keywords=channel+lock+side+cutter&qid=1682979703&sprefix=channel+lock+side+cutte,aps,196&sr=8-4

This is how we repaired a lot of tires in the shop. I have this kit in both cars. Way faster than fooling with a spare, and I've never had one fail.

 

[brucered]

Just my opinion, but outside of a total tire failure, the best (permanent) repair is a plug kit: Blackjack (BLJK20SC) Tire Plug Starter Kit - https://www.tooltopia.com/Blackjack-BLJK20SC. Use a decent inflator to air back up: https://www.amazon.com/Viair-00088-88P-Portable-Compressor/dp/B005ASY23I/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1IQVU7V7ABO4N&keywords=viair+compressor&qid=1682979668&sprefix=viair+comppresso,aps,234&sr=8-5
I use a side cutter to remove the screw, nail, etc: https://www.amazon.com/Channellock-447-Curved-Diagonal-Cutting/dp/B00004SBDF/ref=sr_1_4?crid=PWJN5GEJKHKI&keywords=channel+lock+side+cutter&qid=1682979703&sprefix=channel+lock+side+cutte,aps,196&sr=8-4

This is how we repaired a lot of tires in the shop. I have this kit in both cars. Way faster than fooling with a spare, and I've never had one fail.

I have the exact air compressor in my truck. It's awesome and way more powerful that USB/interior vehicle plug in ones, as it clamps directly to the battery. Long cord, long cables, can even reach my trailer if I need to air it up. I paid $59 Canadian for it, amazon warehouse deals.

Tire plugs are also a good option and something I carry as well. Never had to use it, but I like having options. I'd try the plug first and if I cucked that up, I can throw the full sized spare on.

 

[FarmerTan]

I have the exact air compressor in my truck. It's awesome and way more powerful that USB/interior vehicle plug in ones, as it clamps directly to the battery. Long cord, long cables, can even reach my trailer if I need to air it up. I paid $59 Canadian for it, amazon warehouse deals.

Tire plugs are also a good option and something I carry as well. Never had to use it, but I like having options. I'd try the plug first and if I cucked that up, I can throw the full sized spare on.

You are going to cost me some money, you and @czgunner !

The War Department has already okayed the expenditure.....