Brother can you spare a dime.... I mean spare tire?

[ConFusioned]

What's the feeling in the Fusion community about not having a spare tire in the trunk. Did you buy your own spare or do you need the space in the trunk? Does the contents in the can that fixes flats causes problems with tire balancing afterwards?

[murphy]

What's the feeling in the Fusion community about not having a spare tire in the trunk. Did you buy your own spare or do you need the space in the trunk? Does the contents in the can that fixes flats causes problems with tire balancing afterwards?

The use of the "can" is an emergency measure. You will need a new tire and probably a new tire pressure sensor if it has been used.

 

I can't recall actually using a spare tire in the last 30 years.

[RedLdr1]

I have not a had a spare tire in several cars over the last few years. To me it is not a big issue at all...but I've been riding a motorcycle for a long time and I'm used to not having a spare and fixing tires. The Tire Mobility Kit (TMK) in your trunk is designed to temporarily fix most punctures and get you going again so you can have the tire repaired correctly and permanently. The big disadvantages of the TMK are is it will "kill" the TPMS sensor if you use the sealant "goo" and it will not fix a tire with a larger hole or sidewall cut. Only a spare tire will address larger puncture problems...

 

To hedge my bets on not having a spare tire in my FFH, or in my C-Max for that matter, I carry a motorcycle style "sticky rope" repair kit with the TMK. See Here for an example, you can get these at any Auto parts store. This kit will allow me to plug a small hole without using the "goo" in the TMK and ruin a TPMS sensor. Plus when you have the repair done permanently the tech does not have to get all the "goo" out of the tire... Most time the "sticky rope" qualifies to be the permanent repair but I have them checked at a tire shop and re-patched and plugged the tire from the inside for safety.

 

The last time I had a flat it was on a vehicle with a full size spare... But the idiot that rotated the tires torqued the lug nuts down so tight I couldn't break them loose even with the X wrench I carried! So I ended up calling Road Side Assistance anyway...

 

Carrying the TMK, sticky rope repair kit and a charged cell phone is good enough for me based on where I drive. Now, if I lived in the middle of nowhere North Dakota I'd probably get a full sized spare...

[mokee]

I've carried and used "sticky rope" with the boat trailers for years. Worked well on tread punctures, but useless on sidewall cuts or failures. Wouldn't have helped on the sidewall cut from road hazard on recent trip with the FFH. Had to replace the tire, and that took a tow to the nearest dealer (35 miles away). I wish there was an option for run flat tires like BMW's offerings.

[acdii]

I've carried and used "sticky rope" with the boat trailers for years. Worked well on tread punctures, but useless on sidewall cuts or failures. Wouldn't have helped on the sidewall cut from road hazard on recent trip with the FFH. Had to replace the tire, and that took a tow to the nearest dealer (35 miles away). I wish there was an option for run flat tires like BMW's offerings.

There is.

 

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Goodyear&tireModel=Eagle+LS-2+RunOnFlat

 

I carry the tire plugs myself, since the F350 I had, did not have a spare tire on it, and have used it a couple times. Since it was a dually, getting any of those rear tires off was a mighty huge PITA, so would just jack it up, and rotate the tire until I found the hole and plug it. I haven't needed to have the tire professionally repaired since I used to repair them myself in the 90's, and if done right with good plug material and rubber cement for the lube, they last the life of the tire. The plugs I use are the kind that cant be cut with the steel cords in the tire, in fact they are so tough you can't cut them easily with the sharpest of knives.

[Toz]

If I didn't own a cell phone it would be a deal killer. I doubt that I will ever be anywhere in a sedan that I can't call for help. I would never own a truck with out a full sized spare though.

[hermans]

[Kaleido]

I'm getting a spare for mine, I just like having it, I don't have a cell phone, besides that I want to get myself back rolling again in 15 minutes and not have to count on road service on Sunday morning bringing me to the dealer that's closed anyway. I'll most likely never use the spare though but I still like having it, I do drive in some pretty remote places and on dirt roads too.

[acdii]

dont forget the jack and wrench.

[ConFusioned]

.

Edited March 18, 2013 by ConFusioned