If I had a spare tire.....

[abaucom21]

Been driving 46 yrs, AAA/CAA member 40 yrs, so yes I am old school & not comfortable without a spare (skinny spare will do). AAA/CAA does not service all areas, sometimes a mobile phone does not get service. Trust me, 46 years of driving I have had flat tire experiences more than once in remote areas on holidays, during both extreme heat and extreme cold. Have a child or pet in the car a flat can be life threatening.

With spare I can change myself, or auto club can change, no towing and I am on my way. Without spare, perhaps you can find a tow, perhaps where you are towed and replacement tire in your size will be available. Its like playing the lottery, keep hoping but don't count on it.

I screwed up when I factory ordered my 2011 2LT May 2010. Somehow I missed checking the under $200 spare tire stuff option. A few months after I recieved the car here in Canada, realized after reading a post on Camaro5, I did not have a spare and in two weeks was going to drive round trip from Ottawa to Richmond VA. Told dealership to order me the spare tire option ASAP. Factory priced individual option parts would take months to recieve and over $600. Dealer found a wrecked Camaro in the states, bought the spare tire option stuff and still cost me over $500. My issue/fault I did not check that inexpensive spare tire option to start with but have felt much safer knowing I have a spare I can change myself in an emergency.

Will end with a mental image hope some of you think about. Years ago was driving Xmas eve from my home in NYC to spend Xmas with friends in remote PA. Not driving my Camaro but another auto. Two lane highway in the middle of nowhere, snow storm and about 15-degrees. Had not checked tire pressure of spare, of course never used spare tire flat/under inflated. Of course no cell service. Left car full of Xmas presents and one small white poodle dog named Mitch wearing his red Christmas sweeter, and I walked about two damn cold snow miles until I found a roadside biker bar. Called AAA from biker bar. Two hours later, and after a few drinks with the country biker guys (me a NYC Interior Designer with a stranded large white Cadillac and one small white poodle dog - LOL) AAA showed up. AAA showed up in a pickup tow truck, he had his girlfriend and two small children in the front seat and no backseat for me so I was left at the front door of the biker bar. Learned even remote biker bars close early on Xmas eve. AAA left me standing in the snow in front of a biker bar closing for the holiday. Friends I was going to visit drove in snow storm for about two hours to pick me up, then after another two hours found where my auto, dog, presents were towed. AAA just towed my car, dropped it off at a garage that looked like where cars go to die, with dog still in car in freezing temps for now six hours. Llittle white poodle dog serious had to pee and was so happy to see me. Bottom line me and dog survived no thanks to AAA. Me and dog when back to NYC after holiday via bus. Took two weeks, and two more tows to other garages before I found one garage that could replace tire in remote PA without charging me $1000 to replace a flat tire. Besides replacing tire, paid for additonal transportantion and dog walking service (best believe I would never again take small white NYC dog to the PA outback). Back on the bus, and a full day off work, to retrieve my auto.

Spare tire of no spare tire, your choice. But if you transport children or pets in a car without a spare, you might get stranded and endanger their lives. 46 years of driving, other experiences I could share like taking the wrong exit in Detroit late at night, flat tire in a high crime getto. Hope I made my point and you decide for yourself if you need a spare tire in your Camaro.

Only my opinion: If you drive your auto with occupants you are responsibile for your occupants safty. If you have a flat tire, you are still responsible for the safty of your auto occupants.

[2SS45th]

I don't have a spare in the Camaro or my truck, I live on the edge. I have used AAA before, and haven't had an issue with getting towed. Keep my fingers crossed!

[len_eng]

When I bought my Camaro I did a lot of research, especially on this website and on the Chevrolet website. The first thing I did was to check out the full list of options to see what I really needed. When I saw the spare tire option (even though it a temporary spare) it was a must have. My last car was a Grand Prix GXP and it too came with the goop and a compressor no spare was ever made available. Luckily I never had to use it.

[LStick]

Appreciate the pics of those who went the extra and mounted the full size spare in their trunks. I originally had the 150.00 donut and jack option.
I bought an 18" full size spare, but just had it setting in the trunk. I now see how I can make it look factory. Thanks

[SSteven]

I have an update on my spare situation. As mentioned through the posts above, I originally planned to get an almost full size spare, but found out that the load index wasn't sufficient (according to GM and Discount Tire anyways) for the Camaro's weight. Our stock tires are 103 while the best in the smaller tire was the 95. The lowest load index Discount approves for our car is 99. I ran across a used, non-directional, full size spare (245/45/20) tire for about $20 with 80% tread life and no plugs/patches..

I tried to fit it down into the spare area, but it wouldn't go, so I got to thinking about letting the air out first to make it fit. I let the air out to 0 PSI and managed to push it down in there with a little effort. To preserve the seal, I put about 5-10 lbs. pressure back in. I've attached pics of the end product, but it's essentially the same result I had hoped for with the smaller diameter tire. Sticks out just the same amount I had planned based on others posts (~3 in).

I bought one of those vinyl tire covers to put over it, but wanted to make use of the piece of carpet I cut out. I ended up cutting the vinyl cover to only leave the part that would cover the rubber. The part I cut out is the part that normally faces outward and covers the wheel. I put the remaining vinyl tire cover on and put the round piece of carpet under it. This allows me to easily remove that piece of carpet to access what I have in the battery bay (i.e. lug wrench, jumper cables, etc).

Everything packed under the wheel is insulated for sound and to ensure no contacts with the battery terminals. I got an old piece of rubber floor mat from my last car and cut it to the size of the top of the battery. I placed it on top and ran the bolt through it that previously held the doughnut screw/plastic wheel cover on. The only thing I don't like is the section on the bottom left where the vinyl splits to universally allow it to fit various tire sizes. I normally tuck that part down to the side more, but forgot to for the pics.

Now I have the best of both worlds. I have a full size spare I can use on the front or back of my 2SS without any worries of issues and I can run it for an extended period without having to worry about doughnut speed limitations. I carry a good air pump with me, so I will just have to air it up to regular PSI before mounting. My air pump takes about a minute to do this. I highly suggest getting a good air pump and not one of those cheapo Wal-Mart ones.

As an added bonus, it allowed enough space for my little sub box to fit in front of it. That and adding a little Velcro to its feet keeps it snugly in position in front of the tire.

Thanks you everyone (especially BronxxBombers213) for all the pics and advice in this thread which helped make this work for me.

[rtarz]

Hello I am new to the forum and the Camaro. My wife bought a 2013 V6 Vert, I saw it does not have a spare so I found a used spare from a totaled 2013 Camaro in another state and got it shipped it to me. I already have a jack and tire wrench. My concern is the brake clearance on the rim> I tried it on the front and there was no scraping going to try the back tomorrow Has anyone tried a stock spare on a convertible. The dealer does not even a part number for a convertible. Also will it mount in the spare tire area above the battery if I remove the over sized tire pump?

[not]

Originally Posted by ForgedReality

Just get AAA and you're set.

Hey, I have AAA for another car, but doesn't our cars have GM Roadside assistance and above and beyond 3/36, like 5/100k?


Also, I had this in my "favorites" from another thread a while back. Has anyone tried this, $300 all inclusive: tire/rim, spacer, jack, wrench.....

http://shop.performancespare.com/CAM...ros-SS-ZL1.htm

[SSmoothie]

Originally Posted by not

Hey, I have AAA for another car, but doesn't our cars have GM Roadside assistance and above and beyond 3/36, like 5/100k?


Also, I had this in my "favorites" from another thread a while back. Has anyone tried this, $300 all inclusive: tire/rim, spacer, jack, wrench.....

http://shop.performancespare.com/CAM...ros-SS-ZL1.htm

I'm looking at buying that one also. Its the best price I have found.

[MrPace]

Originally Posted by not

Hey, I have AAA for another car, but doesn't our cars have GM Roadside assistance and above and beyond 3/36, like 5/100k?


Also, I had this in my "favorites" from another thread a while back. Has anyone tried this, $300 all inclusive: tire/rim, spacer, jack, wrench.....

http://shop.performancespare.com/CAM...ros-SS-ZL1.htm

I bought this package from performancespare shorty after I took delivery of my 2013 2SS.

Fits perfectly in the spare wheel well...just sucks that you have to change two tires if you happen to get a flat in the rear...

[bbarnett]

From someone that's had a lot, and I mean a LOT of flat tires...

If the flat is toast, just drive on it.

WHAT?!

Yes, just drive on it.. and like all things, context is important.

This thread was started with someone stating that they had to wait 4 hours, and pay $150, to go 9 miles.. when the tire had a 2" gash in it. Well, clearly that tire is now useless, yes?

I can tell you, I've driven 100 miles on such flats. True, the flat I drove on was complete ground up... but, the rim was NOT touching the pavement.

The secret is that you slap on the 4 way flashers, and drive slow. That, and make absolutely sure you don't hit a pothole...

As a reference, I've driven (at 50mph) on a flat for 5 miles. Yup, it was ground up, but I was in a hurry.. and the tire was toast.

I've also driven 15 miles, at 5mph, and then had a pinhole fixed...

AND THEN USED THE TIRE FOR ANOTHER 6 MONTHS!

It all comes down to heat, and that comes down to speed.

So, 9 miles away from a destination, where your tire is going to be replaced anyhow? Take it slow, leave the flashers on, get there in 20 minutes.. and you'll be better off.

[Scalded Dog]

Originally Posted by bbarnett

From someone that's had a lot, and I mean a LOT of flat tires...

If the flat is toast, just drive on it.

WHAT?!

Yes, just drive on it.. and like all things, context is important.

This thread was started with someone stating that they had to wait 4 hours, and pay $150, to go 9 miles.. when the tire had a 2" gash in it. Well, clearly that tire is now useless, yes?

I can tell you, I've driven 100 miles on such flats. True, the flat I drove on was complete ground up... but, the rim was NOT touching the pavement.

The secret is that you slap on the 4 way flashers, and drive slow. That, and make absolutely sure you don't hit a pothole...

As a reference, I've driven (at 50mph) on a flat for 5 miles. Yup, it was ground up, but I was in a hurry.. and the tire was toast.

I've also driven 15 miles, at 5mph, and then had a pinhole fixed...

AND THEN USED THE TIRE FOR ANOTHER 6 MONTHS!

It all comes down to heat, and that comes down to speed.

So, 9 miles away from a destination, where your tire is going to be replaced anyhow? Take it slow, leave the flashers on, get there in 20 minutes.. and you'll be better off.

Might get lucky and have success with that method. However, I've seen, and personally experienced, enough to know that 95% of the time, driving on a flat tire will utterly, absolutely, and completely destroy a rim. And, frequently (yes, even at low speeds), the tire will actually ignite (the tire flex is remarkable on a flat tire, and just a few minutes of that will create enough heat to ignite the tire... and good luck to anybody trying to put out a tire fire). Sure, slower is better if you are going to drive on it... but even low speeds can cause a lot of damage.

Even with the small chance that you won't destroy the rim, and or cause a fire, indeed, any hope of repairing a tire is lost... there will be nothing but shredded rubber and some sharp belt wire remaining on the tattered carcass... even driving on a very low tire will destroy the sidewalls, and render the tire utterly unsafe to use.

Now, I have witnessed people who get a flat tire, and refuse to get out of the number two lane on the 405... that's just f'n stupid, but they can't comprehend the idea of driving to the shoulder. So, yes... drive to the side of the road, drive to a safe place to change it, or, if somebody in your car is bleeding heavily or giving birth, well, keep driving, but know that it'll cost ya.

Obviously, if you have a run- flat tire, the facts are different... drive on with my blessing. Otherwise, be prepared for consequences.

My experience? Working with AAA, and many years of screwing around with "thrash/ demolition" cars... When I have purchased a car for a couple hundred bucks for the sole purpose of bashing it, trashing it, and crashing it, sure... I'll drive on flat tires, even no tires. But I can tell you that, almost without exception, doing so results in utter destruction of the rim, and sometimes fire. No problem when you are prepared (I always have fire safety equipment on hand when I am recreationally running a car into the ground), or when it doesn't matter if catastrophic damage occurs. But if those are not part of your plan, don't drive on a flat tire any longer than necessary to get to a safe place. Just because it CAN be done does not mean that it can be done without catastrophic damage.

[bbarnett]

Originally Posted by Scalded Dog

Might get lucky and have success with that method. However, I've seen, and personally experienced, enough to know that 95% of the time, driving on a flat tire will utterly, absolutely, and completely destroy a rim. And, frequently (yes, even at low speeds), the tire will actually ignite (the tire flex is remarkable on a flat tire, and just a few minutes of that will create enough heat to ignite the tire... and good luck to anybody trying to put out a tire fire). Sure, slower is better if you are going to drive on it... but even low speeds can cause a lot of damage.

Even with the small chance that you won't destroy the rim, and or cause a fire, indeed, any hope of repairing a tire is lost... there will be nothing but shredded rubber and some sharp belt wire remaining on the tattered carcass... even driving on a very low tire will destroy the sidewalls, and render the tire utterly unsafe to use.

Now, I have witnessed people who get a flat tire, and refuse to get out of the number two lane on the 405... that's just f'n stupid, but they can't comprehend the idea of driving to the shoulder. So, yes... drive to the side of the road, drive to a safe place to change it, or, if somebody in your car is bleeding heavily or giving birth, well, keep driving, but know that it'll cost ya.

Obviously, if you have a run- flat tire, the facts are different... drive on with my blessing. Otherwise, be prepared for consequences.

My experience? Working with AAA, and many years of screwing around with "thrash/ demolition" cars... When I have purchased a car for a couple hundred bucks for the sole purpose of bashing it, trashing it, and crashing it, sure... I'll drive on flat tires, even no tires. But I can tell you that, almost without exception, doing so results in utter destruction of the rim, and sometimes fire. No problem when you are prepared (I always have fire safety equipment on hand when I am recreationally running a car into the ground), or when it doesn't matter if catastrophic damage occurs. But if those are not part of your plan, don't drive on a flat tire any longer than necessary to get to a safe place. Just because it CAN be done does not mean that it can be done without catastrophic damage.

Well, I've driven on flats on all sorts of cars, over 30+ years. On gravel roads, in snow, and on hot summer days.

Never, not once, did I ever damage the rim. Not even slightly.

Destroy the tire? Sure, but my point was the thread starter had a slash in his tire. It was toast. There was nothing to save.

And, with caution, absolutely, positively, nothing to lose driving on that flat.

I'll put this to you another way. When I say a LOT of flats, I mean it.. at least 25 in the last 30 years. Out of those flats, I've had some that were not repairable, so I just drove on them. At least *10*. I know what I've experienced, but...

We're talking about people paying $1000 for towing, with nightmare stories, the list goes on. Just how much do you think a Camaro rim runs for, at a wrecking yard?

I see *entire sets of rims* for sale, with used tires, for less than $1000 sometimes!

So, just to rehash.. everyone should keep it in perspective. Roll the dollar value.

And remember -- driving slow on a flat -- you're fine. Hell, driving slow on the RIM, you'd be fine. Just how do you imagine a rim getting bent, driving at 4mph?

15mph is fine on a flat, for 5-10 miles.

[h018871]

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7814865

poor guy, I'm out of town and can't help

[Les7311]

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