spare tire questions and concerns

[NUCAR]

1-800-CHEV USA

Roadside assistance for 5 years/100,000 miles. Free towing, even if you wreck! Are you going to trust a plugged tire on a 150mph car?

[snofyter]

Originally Posted by TomSlick

I opted for having less trunk space and a spare than relying on "inflate-a-flat" in a can!

Me too. Rather be safe than sorry.

[redjewel]

Originally Posted by Tanner

I've heard Fix a Flat doesn't always work. I've also read where it can damage the sensors used in the Tire Pressure Monitoring System. Then when you go to get the tire fixed they may charge you extra for cleaning the goo out. For nails and such I'll probably get something like this to get me home or to the nearest station.

http://www.alpharubicon.com/bovstuff/tirepluguzi.htm

Fixa flat can damage a sensor. You are putting a liquid into your tire through the valve where the sensor is located. Liquid and anything with electonic components don't mix well.

Originally Posted by Gameover

I wouldn't use fix-a-flat. It would throw the balance off the tires with all that adhesive foam. Its quite a mess inside.

It is just like putting water in your tire for most fixa flat products. Put a bottle of water in a tire and see what kinda vibration you get. The other products that turn more to a gel tend to goop in one spot of the tire and stay there. That creates a bigger vibration.

Best thing to do is get a flat bed and tow to a reputable tire dealer who can fix the tire correctly or advise you to get a new one. If you can air the tire up with the inflator and safely drive to a dealer that would be an option. Just keep in mind a low tire heats up very quickly and if you don't keep adequate air in the tire it may come apart and tear your baby up.

[2ndTimeAround]

Originally Posted by camarossrs2150

i just called my buddy up who is a sgt in nyc he told that they used this method post 911 it was a way to get into peoples trunks to search for certain things .so they gave out tickets for no jack and sparetires as a safety infraction .my bad on that im sorry

i'm not sure i understand what you're saying here? i've been licensed in NY for 30 years and i've always known it to be a ticketable offense to not have a spare/jack in your trunk.

as a matter of fact i had written down some questions for my dealer about that when i saw "spare option not available" on my workbench order.

i'm just confused about your sgt friends comment...can you clarify? thx

[Levicub]

If you use fix a flat, you have to drive the car around until it dries so it doesn't settle in one spot. I used it for a slow leak I had in my Firebird once, I was putting air in a back tire every few days. I had to drive 1100 miles from FL to MD and put it in the tire as I left town. I made it there and back with no problems. The tire lasted another year, it did not throw off tire balance and the slow leak was never an issue again.

[SummoneR]

Originally Posted by Tanner

I've heard Fix a Flat doesn't always work. I've also read where it can damage the sensors used in the Tire Pressure Monitoring System. Then when you go to get the tire fixed they may charge you extra for cleaning the goo out. For nails and such I'll probably get something like this to get me home or to the nearest station.

http://www.alpharubicon.com/bovstuff/tirepluguzi.htm

That's what I plan to use, mine is called something else... Not the foam kind either it's a rubber plug like in the link.
other than that I'm not worried about it.

[beausbriggs]

Don't forget about Onstar that includes roadside tire repair... included for the 1st year.

[cyberbro]

No one is going to get a compact spare over a 14" Brembo!

[Jamie Mac]

I hit several large deer "chunks" in my wifes Saturn Sky. Middle of the night with a sidewall tear. I used the sealant kit and compressor. To high up on the sidewall to do any good. That last 70 miles home was a long trip since I had to stop every 15 minutes to reinflate the tire and I drove at a low speed. I had the option to call onstar and get towed but I chose to make it home and have it towed to my regular dealer. It sucked but I made it. When I called Onstar for the tow the next day I let them know to tell the towing service that it was a very low car and to come prepared. They ended up going back to their shop anyway to get more lumber to get it up on their flatbed. Dealer did not have a tire in stock and that took 2 days. They did not have a new sealant kit in stock and that took another week. Somebody made a comment about driving a 150 mile and hour car with fix a flat in the wheels. Read the can/owners manual. Fix a flat is only to get you to the tireshop as soon as possible. Your supposed to let them know you installed a sealant. It is not meant for continued daily use. You can either worry about not having a spare or think about the number of times you have actually had a flat from a good tire in your driving history. I'm going to get my Camaro and just go without a care in the world.

[Vash]

Just toss a one of those rim riders in the back. Average officer is not gonna really care / know if it fits on the brembs or not. He will probably be giving you a ticket or checking for booze, drugs and guns.

[Xmicro_SS]

Everyone should carry one of these:

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...6644_200326644

[TomServo]

I find it odd that Chevy to omitt the spare tire and jack as standard equipment (its an option) when the car doesn't come with run-flats like the vette in the first place. I know the trunk is small but, they saved some weight and a few bucks off MSRP. But to me w/o run flat tires thats going to bite a few folks in the butt the first time they get a flat.

Does the Mustang and Challenger come standard with a spare tire/jack.

I know this is a concern for my son who is in the military and travels great distances on lonely streaches of interstates out west (he's stationed in Colorado). I think we erred in not getting the optional spare tire.

[camarossrs2150]

Originally Posted by 2ndTimeAround

i'm not sure i understand what you're saying here? i've been licensed in NY for 30 years and i've always known it to be a ticketable offense to not have a spare/jack in your trunk.

as a matter of fact i had written down some questions for my dealer about that when i saw "spare option not available" on my workbench order.

i'm just confused about your sgt friends comment...can you clarify? thx

it was a antiterrorism method to get into peoples trunks with out drawing any attention towards terrorists

[Rock]

Originally Posted by TomServo

I find it odd that Chevy to omitt the spare tire and jack as standard equipment (its an option) when the car doesn't come with run-flats like the vette in the first place. I know the trunk is small but, they saved some weight and a few bucks off MSRP. But to me w/o run flat tires thats going to bite a few folks in the butt the first time they get a flat.

Does the Mustang and Challenger come standard with a spare tire/jack.

I know this is a concern for my son who is in the military and travels great distances on lonely streaches of interstates out west (he's stationed in Colorado). I think we erred in not getting the optional spare tire.

the thing is, spares are not generally needed nowadays b/c of the tire pressure monitoring system that thing is pretty sensitive as it goes off in cold weather on my current car if the pressure is 28psi or less, if you actually have a leak somewhere it'll go off at 25psi. Normally when you get a flat it's a slow leaker, so the electric pump will be fine. I used to work at a tire shop and I've seen tires with 15+ nails and them and they held air long enough to drive to a tire shop. Most sidewall damage is from a) hitting a curb b) driving on flat tire. TPS prevents the second option from happening if you pay attention. In my car the light comes on and the car has a annoying beeping sound. I wouldn't sweat needing a spare unless you do tons of highway driving where there aren't very many tire shops you can have access to.

P.S. I've seen weird stuff from people running over stuff, like a screwdriver handle first, a RailRoad Spike about an inch thick and 7 inches long, various bones from animals they ran over, a barbie doll, and a kitchen knife.