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Spare or no?

SuperBuickGuy

SuperBuickGuy

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,403
Location
Woodinville, WA
It's been at least 20 years since I've put a spare tire onto a car or 4x4. I air down regularly, have an air compressor to air back up. On my FJ40, I'm seriously considering ditching the spare and going with a tube (stapling sidewalls if there's a problem). Beside being heavy and a sight block, I'm actually at the point on my H3 where the spare is beyond its useful life and has never touched pavement.

Cell phones, beadlock wheels (or tire irons), tubes, plug kits, air compressors, fix-a-flat (worst case), and travelling with others seem to me to make carrying a full-size spare pointless (I suppose I could carry a smaller spare for long-distance-road-trips, but even there.... I'm a tow-truck away from getting the vehicle to be fixed)....

so what say you? is it time to set the spare free?
 
J

JPaul

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,436
Location
Way up north, UT
I'm sure a lot of people will say to ditch the spare, but for me I'd rather keep it and never need it, than get rid of it and end up with a completely blown tire somewhere extremely inconvenient. Maybe leave it off when doing daily driving, but when you are going somewhere you're likely to shred a tire, throw it back on?

You do bring up an interesting question to me though, how big of a deal is it to put a inner tube inside a radial tire that normally doesn't use one? While I wouldn't drive on it permanently, that makes a great idea for fixing a really bad flat on the trail if you can just pop the bead, remove the TPMS sensor/valve, and slip an inner tube inside (poking the valve out where the original used to be) and then air up the tube which "should" pop the bead back on. The tire will likely continue to do fine traction wise and you can get back off the trail. Shouldn't be too hard to pop the bead with a hi-lift jack, you'd have to remove the wheel and then put it on the ground under your rig or someone else's and then use the hi-lift to press down on the bead to get it off.
 
W

woodwardsh3

Well-Known Member
Messages
519
Location
Oakland Co. Mi.
Most new car's do not have spare tires anymore. And if you want one you will pay a extra 2 4 hundred dollars.
But for me I rather have one then not. And I have only had 1 flat where I needed a spare in the last 20 years, And the m fer Was the wrong spare that was in the car. WOW I was so mad that day on the side of the expressway.
 
alrock

alrock

El Diablo
Staff member
Messages
10,667
Location
Scottsdale
I've used my spare on the trail at least four or five times. A couple time I could have plugged the tire but swapping is faster. I've also had sidewall tears that were too big to repair.

Came across an H3 in Colorado that has three flats as he exited the trail. We plugged one and lent him two spares.
 
Neo

Neo

Badfish
Messages
1,666
Location
Brookings, OR
i have had to use a spare twice on the H1 in the last 7 years but that one just lays down flat in the bed so there's no view obstruction :woot:
 
ReconH3

ReconH3

Guardian Angel
Messages
2,288
Location
Raleigh, NC
Depends on the brand I've never used the spare with any of my vehicles when using Interco tires. That's nearly 20 years of roaming the world in just about any terrain you can think of. With other brands I've had to use the spare even when just driving on regular roads.



"Ex Umbris Venimus"
 
SuperBuickGuy

SuperBuickGuy

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,403
Location
Woodinville, WA
alrock said:
I've used my spare on the trail at least four or five times. A couple time I could have plugged the tire but swapping is faster. I've also had sidewall tears that were too big to repair.

Came across an H3 in Colorado that has three flats as he exited the trail. We plugged one and lent him two spares.
Click to expand...

hmmm, so if I ever wheel with Alrock, carry multiple spares.... good to know
 
alrock

alrock

El Diablo
Staff member
Messages
10,667
Location
Scottsdale
SuperBuickGuy said:
hmmm, so if I ever wheel with Alrock, carry multiple spares.... good to know
Click to expand...
Carry lots of spares of everything! I've figured out how to break a lot of stuff on my H3.
JPaul said:
hmmm, is there a safe distance to stay away from Alrock's H3? I don't want mine to catch anything while in Moab...
Click to expand...
Neo said:
Just stay in front of him man :giggle:
Click to expand...
I thought the rule of thumb was to stay upwind of me!
 
H3nightrod

H3nightrod

Well-Known Member
Messages
413
Location
Illinois
I have not had a spare on my H3 for 4 years except on long trips out of state. Never had a flat, However today I pulled a 2 1/2 inch nail out of my rear Mickey Thompson Claw tire that penetrated on a angle. I pulled it out slowly, and to my surprise no leaks!!! This was picked up on paved roads, check ur tires !!!!
 
KingpenM3

KingpenM3

Active Member
Messages
28
Location
United States
I'll just add one little thing, since I used this to justify ordering 5 new tires. I plan on putting the spare in rotation with the rest of the tires. so that adds 25% more tread life to the "set".
 
Mb30sdl

Mb30sdl

Hamster that pokes Bears
Messages
1,588
Location
Raleigh area NC
Well u know how it is, you get rid of it and will need it next time. I have sidewall cuts on H2 rear tires so I carry 2 spares.
 
Kurt

Kurt

Well-Known Member
Messages
958
Location
Orange County, CA
Yeah spare is handy. I remember that Gold Mountain run where one H1 went through 3 tires, fortunately we had enough H1's with spares to get the guy home [who went out and replaced his tires but also tossed 4 spares on the roof rack :) ]

Unfortunately we didn't have a key for the security lugnut on each wheel, so we had to scramble to find enough 18mm deep sockets that we could sacrifice... good times...
 
Neo

Neo

Badfish
Messages
1,666
Location
Brookings, OR
Kurt said:
Yeah spare is handy. I remember that Gold Mountain run where one H1 went through 3 tires, fortunately we had enough H1's with spares to get the guy home [who went out and replaced his tires but also tossed 4 spares on the roof rack :) ]

Unfortunately we didn't have a key for the security lugnut on each wheel, so we had to scramble to find enough 18mm deep sockets that we could sacrifice... good times...
Click to expand...

I was just telling Sara today that as long as we have 3 or more h1s we usually have enough spare parts to get just about anything fixed and limped home :thumbs: and then there's those nights when i spend 10 plus hours on a tow strap, great memories and even better stories:)
 
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