Spare Tire for fusion hybrid

[jeff_h]

Sorry it happened, but it looks repairable at least. When I was talking to the service man at Ford he agreed that you do not want to use that goo in your tires to limp home.

 

That's what I thought too, was excited since the puncture was near the center of the tire and easy to patch, whereas most of the time it's near the sidewall and they can't do it... however, they called back and said well something also took a chunk out of the sidewall and that has a slow leak, so sorry it needs to be replaced anyway.... ughhh. When I went back to get the new tire she asked if I wanted to see the old tire, I said OK sure... and below is why it had to be replaced - bitten by a honey badger I guess... they just don't give a crap.

 

[GrySql]

Bummer Jeff...

Any warranty left on that tire?

Edited September 3, 2013 by GrySql

[murphy]

Usually with a penetration puncture like that the air leak will be very slow if the item is left in the tire. The pump in the trunk has two modes. The goo insertion mode and a regular air pump mode. The combination of leaving the item in the tire and using the pump in air only mode may be sufficient to get to a tire repair store.

 

There are kits available to repair that kind of puncture. I keep one on hand to repair punctures in my lawn tractor tires.

 

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-T-Handle-Tire-Repair-Kit-HDA60000AV/100059332#.UiU4DT_pyKI

[Fastronaut]

Yeah, that side puncture isn't something the tire is coming back from. Well, now you can make that tire swing you always wanted.

[dalesky]

 

That's what I thought too, was excited since the puncture was near the center of the tire and easy to patch, whereas most of the time it's near the sidewall and they can't do it... however, they called back and said well something also took a chunk out of the sidewall and that has a slow leak, so sorry it needs to be replaced anyway.... ughhh. When I went back to get the new tire she asked if I wanted to see the old tire, I said OK sure... and below is why it had to be replaced - bitten by a honey badger I guess... they just don't give a crap.

 

Honey badger just don't care, it doesn't give a s*%#. Ew, look at him eating that cobra! That tire is nothing to him.

Edited September 3, 2013 by dalesky

[erichFla]

Jeff, sorry to see that tire ruined like that.

 

Did you call Ford and tell them your Air Compresor and goo isn''t working on your flat and you're out here on Hwy. 69 in the middle of Death Valley waiting on a Tow Truck and you don't have any water, cough, cough, I have NO Spare tire, cough, cough, just this Air Compressor, cough, cough, gasp,gasp.. Hurry Please, and then just fade away.

Yes , my mind goes all wacky when I think of how stupid it is for these Car Companies to think these Air Compressors & Goo will work in any situation and that's the Only choice they give you.

 

Anybody out there reading this, get yourself a Real Spare Tire, not the one in a can of Goo.

[jeff_h]

Yes , my mind goes all wacky when I think of how stupid it is for these Car Companies to think these Air Compressors & Goo will work in any situation and that's the Only choice they give you.

 

 

The can of goo is intact in the area that would hold at least a donut tire, if I ran the world... so I agree with you. This occurred on my wife's Energi and all seemed fine when I drove a mile down the road to hit the ATM as we were about to take a day trip -- I got back home and when we left the house again 30 minutes later, clunk clunk clunk it went -- so I guess I picked it up in the parking lot of Wawa or in the 9/10 of a mile back to my house -- glad it didn't happen to her while out on daily normal crosstown trips, or 30 miles away on the day trip we took. So if this fills my punch-card (so to speak) for tire issues for the next year or so, we got off lucky!

[jeff_h]

Hey it's me again, once again glad that I purchased a full size spare that sits in my shed... now 23 days after the above incident, wife comes in from driving around town and says when she got out of the car she hears a hissing and can feel a bump right on the top of the right rear tire (the one from 23 days ago was right front) -- so rather than put all the pics into one, this one deserves separate pics. Lord knows where this one came from, we just drive in regular streets in the 'burbs for Pete's sake.

 

So here is the rim when I got it off the car, yep pretty easy to spot that thing right in the middle:

 

Here's a close-up, looks like a large nail?

 

But it was not a nail, was tough to pull the thing out of the tire... geez I think she ran over a push-rod!

 

Yikes that's quick a pick-up!

 

So now the spare is on, tomorrow afternoon will go see my friends at the tire shop again see if maybe this one can be patched/plugged without needing full replacement!

[corncobs]

Geez your car(s) seem to be a strong magnet for road garbage.

[GrySql]

You must have had a premonition when you bought that full sized spare. Let's hope that bad luck is over with now.

 

I was at my friends Auto Repair and Tire shop the other day and a guy drove in with something about that size stuck in his truck tire.

The shop tech grabbed a pair of special pliers and pulled out the bolt, whipped a plug into that tire so fast it hardly lost any air, then added the right psi's and the truck was gone in under 5 minutes, start to finish. Never took the tire off the vehicle, I was amazed. I hope yours is as easy to fix!

[dalesky]

Wow, looks like space debris from a Russian satellite!

Let's hope that's if for a while.

I have a friend who picked up 3 nails in about 3 months, but that was in a new home construction zone.

[dalesky]

Hey it's me again, once again glad that I purchased a full size spare that sits in my shed... now 23 days after the above incident, wife comes in from driving around town and says when she got out of the car she hears a hissing and can feel a bump right on the top of the right rear tire (the one from 23 days ago was right front) -- so rather than put all the pics into one, this one deserves separate pics. Lord knows where this one came from, we just drive in regular streets in the 'burbs for Pete's sake.

 

So here is the rim when I got it off the car, yep pretty easy to spot that thing right in the middle:

 

Here's a close-up, looks like a large nail?

 

But it was not a nail, was tough to pull the thing out of the tire... geez I think she ran over a push-rod!

 

Yikes that's quick a pick-up!

 

So now the spare is on, tomorrow afternoon will go see my friends at the tire shop again see if maybe this one can be patched/plugged without needing full replacement!

Even more reason for anyone on the fence about a real spare to get on it and get one in the trunk asap!

I have that thing Ford put in my trunk (goo and air pump) on my work bench. Thinking about how to take it apart and not get the goo all over. I don't even want it in my car anymore.

Get a spare folks, for the peace of mind.

[Fastronaut]

Jeff, it sure is hard to believe that you are simply having bad karma when it comes to tire mishaps. That last piece of crap in the Energi sure seems suspect as a road pickup. Hope there is no truth to the saying "Bad luck comes in threes". Here's hoping you are done with this trouble. Maybe what you need is a Rottweiler parking aid.

[jeff_h]

Jeff, it sure is hard to believe that you are simply having bad karma when it comes to tire mishaps. That last piece of crap in the Energi sure seems suspect as a road pickup. Hope there is no truth to the saying "Bad luck comes in threes". Here's hoping you are done with this trouble. Maybe what you need is a Rottweiler parking aid.

It is pretty strange, but her trip home was 15 miles and I got a text message on my cell phone from the MyFordMobile site that her car had a low pressure alert, and 5 minutes later she walks in the door to tell me about the tire and that she can feel something in there... and it was halfway flat by the time I got the floor jack and raised it - so it was deflating pretty quickly (understandably) and so my best guess is that she picked it up while going through a median crossover that doesn't get traveled much since the rest of the road is heavily traveled and something like that would very likely be bounced off to a shoulder if if dropped from a vehicle. Maybe it's the Michelin Man or one of his minions.

[MNDutch28]

Took long enough to get this project finished but now it's complete.

The Foam Insert is out, the spare is in.

 

The exact part numbers that I have on my receipt are:

QTY - FP NUMBER DESCRIPTION

1 - CV6Z-1015-B T16" x 4" WHEEL ASSEMBLY

 

1 - 9002-0340377-000 T135/90R16 tire, Continental

 

My Dealer mounted/balanced the bigger than stock Continental T135/90-16 spare tire on a T16x4T standard Fusion spare tire wheel (CV6Z1015B).

1. Does it fit in the trunk wheel well?'

YES, exactly, with no room to spare (pun intended).

 

2. Is this larger spare tire/wheel the same size as the optional 18" wheel/tire on my car?

Almost, this wheel/tire setup is only 1/2" difference in diameter.

Note: The standard Fusion spare tire/wheel combo is over 2-1/2" smaller than my optional 18" tire/wheels.

That is a huge difference in size.

 

3. How does it drive on the car?

Pretty well, with hands off the steering wheel it drove straight.

Again, stopping with hands off the steering wheel showed only a slight tug to the direction of the spare.

The dealer tire tech and I drove around for about 10 minutes with speeds up to 50mph. Handling was acceptable, stops were easy, all was fine for a Temp Spare.

I guess we didn't drive long enough because the TPMS light didn't come on, nor did any other dash alerts.

 

Stowing the spare in the car:

It's a snug fit, does not need the hold down screw. That's good because I stowed it inverted, so the inside of the wheel is up, allowing some storage.

I was able to get the Ford Tire Mobility Kit, some road flares, jumper cables and funnel to nestle in there, all level and flat.

 

Where to stow the Jack/Lug Wrench combo?

I did it this way and it works just fine.

 

Edit: I have since removed the bulky TMK and added some tools and other helpful items.

 

 

 

 

I finished my spare tire project today. The wheel fits in the wheel well without any fuss. I put some plastic sheet in the inverted tire and placed the Mobility Kit in the center. The plastic sheeting is for wet muddy roads if needed and keeps the MK centered and protected. The box I've been moving from house to house for 25 years, wondering what to do with it. It came to me one night to try and see if the jack will fit in the box. It fits with 1/2 inch to spare with the jack fully closed. It also is a good size for some small hand tools. I put some Velcro hooks on the bottom in the corners, I've driven around for several days and the box hasn't moved...it's easy to remove the box to access the jack. I used the part numbers that GrySql posted, including the jack, thanks GrySql for working out the details and making that part easy. I got the tire on eBay for $49.95 delivered, the jack for $45.00 also on eBay delivered. The tire is several years old, it was never mounted and was stored indoors in a warm storeroom. I scrubbed the tire with 409 and coated it with Aerospace 303, I hope to never need it...it's there for comfort. This will be used in the event of a catastrophic tire failure. The reason for keeping the MK it is for slow leaks which will allow me to get to a repair shop, I'll never use the goop sealer.

 

 

 

As seen above, both GrySql and gkinla have removed the foam insert holding the tire mobility kit. My question is how hard is this to do? Does the foam insert come out in one piece? Is there a recommended method for removing it?

 

[GrySql]

As seen above, both GrySql and gkinla have removed the foam insert holding the tire mobility kit. My question is how hard is this to do? Does the foam insert come out in one piece? Is there a recommended method for removing it?

Just remove the carpet cover and any tools in the foam inset, then reach in and pull it out. Mine was not glued in, it just lifted out in one piece.

[MNDutch28]

Just remove the carpet cover and any tools in the foam inset, then reach in and pull it out. Mine was not glued in, it just lifted out in one piece.

Ah, Thank you! My spare is now in the trunk!

Originally when I tried, I did remove the center hold down bolt, but it still seemed hard to move like it was glued, but it turns out it was just held down by the overlap on the edges.

[MNDutch28]

Haven't seen it posted elsewhere in this topic, so I'll post the added weight. Some have mentioned that in addition to cost that weight may be the biggest factor causing Ford to drop the spare tire.

I remove the TMK and the foam carrier and found it weighted 8.2 pounds.

I weighted the spare (the Grysql spec'd T135/90R16 Continental tire and the Ford CV62-1015B wheel) plus the jack with handle and found the total to be 35.6 pounds.

So, the added weight is 35.6 - 8.2 or 27.4 pounds. (I wonder how much this really drops the mpg?)

[GrySql]

So, the added weight is 35.6 - 8.2 or 27.4 pounds. (I wonder how much this really drops the mpg?)

Good effort getting all that weighed, thanks.

That is the equivalent of approximately 4-5 gallons of gas, depending on the blend.

I doubt it causes a noticeable difference in mpg's.

[KLH]

Just a minor update to probably one of the most important threads on FFHF.

 

The Continental CST 17s just can't be found. As I have the 17" FFH-SE, I'll likely just get the Fusion/Focus spare tire off eBay for ~$100. As Kaleido is confident with it, the factory spare tire should be fine for emergency purposes.

 

Thanks to everyone who posted in this thread.

[erichFla]

Just a minor update to probably one of the most important threads on FFHF.

 

The Continental CST 17s just can't be found. As I have the 17" FFH-SE, I'll likely just get the Fusion/Focus spare tire off eBay for ~$100. As Kaleido is confident with it, the factory spare tire should be fine for emergency purposes.

 

Thanks to everyone who posted in this thread.

 

 

This will work BUT I would take the Extra time and use the spare on the Back tires ONLY. If flat is on the front, move rear stock tire to the Front and use spare on rear.

[KLH]

Great point.

 

There's been discussion on the jack. Does anyone have a preference? There's the jack from the non-hybrid Fusion and Focus. The jack from the 2003 Windstar? Any others?

[Fastronaut]

I know there have been various inputs from dealers on spares for the hybrids, but has anyone ever gotten any formal response from Ford Motor Company about the topic?

[Fos01]

Got to thank everyone for the help and information on finding a spare tire solution... Nice job!

[GrySql]

I know there have been various inputs from dealers on spares for the hybrids, but has anyone ever gotten any formal response from Ford Motor Company about the topic?

Asking for a formal opinion and requiring Ford's lawyers to get involved sounds like Russian Roulette.

I had all mine accomplished by my Dealer for that exact reason, they did it all, research, purchase, mounting - thereby giving me tacit, or implied approval to use it.

 

Frankly, if my spare tire is used that is my business.

The Tire Warranty is basically useless for a flat.

If you use Ford's TMK and destroy the TPMS in the tire and foul the inside of the tire, then you'll have quite an argument trying to get all that replaced/repaired by Ford under Warranty - good luck.