NEW 2013 FUSION AND NEW ALTERNATIVE FOR SPARE TIRE

[mco30mco]

I hunted down a 2013 hybrid last week and got a great deal but to my surprise there was no spare. I only saw a compressor back there. i researched the forum and read all about the donut info. I actually work at the flat rock plant and am about 100 feet away from where they mount the rims n tires including the donuts for the se. I didnt want to pay the price for the foam, the donut, the jack, etc. Since the car is new i let discount tire give me 200 for the michelins and i had the new Bridgestone drive guard run flats put on. if the pictures work you will also see different lug nuts. i put mcgard locks and nuts on since the ford ones are not great. the ford lug nuts on the fusion are two piece and disfigure after a few tire rotations. the ones i put on are a little longer than the standard also. helps the tire guys not beat the rims up with socket. if anyone is curious the mcgard instalation kit number i used was 84557. if you search the internet it will say not for our cars but it works perfect. the only difference in kit 84537 which is for ours is a shorter shank on 84537 and its 13/16 on 84557 hex instead of 3/4 on 84537. i thought for a second and figured hmmm. they didnt give any of use a crow bar that is 3/4 so whats the difference.

any conical m12x1.5 will fit

unlike other companys mcgard will look new even when the car is retired unlike the gorilla locks the dealer put on. they were showing rust when i took delivery.

 

If any ford staff in position is reading this. Please. If you are not gonna put a spare in a car, at least put run flat tires on as bmw, mercedes, cadillac, mini cooper, and others do. I love michelin tires but the energy savers are prone to have blow outs. ive read a couple strories on this site and my wife also had one with the energy savers on her old fusion. That tire kit in the trunk is not gonna fix a blow out.

 

These bridgestone actually ride much nicer than the stock michelin too. im a tire geek though

[hermans]

What was the difference in price? I spent $175.00 for the donut spare kit, complete with tools and foam. That spare will last me the life of the car. I would expect to go through several sets of tires in the meantime. Will the "run flat" tire survive a sidewall blowout?

[Waldo]

What's the rolling resistance on them? I suspect run flat tires will burn a lot more fuel than the stock Michelins.

 

BTW I've been stranded on the side of the road once because I didn't have a spare in the FFH (now I do) and once in the past because my McGard lug nuts were so bad that I couldn't get them loose. Had to have the car towed to a shop and have them chiseled off. I no longer use any form of locking lug nuts.

[mco30mco]

Full price for the tires around the detroit area were between 775 and 900 and with my trade and rebates they were 490. you got a great deal on the spare kit for 175. i searched ebay and it was quite a bit more and the dealer was outrageos. Dealer is al a carte. wheel tire n foam kit all separately were around 400 hundred. i guess if i was patient i could have kept searching ebay.

Run flats especially this new 3 rd generation of run flats are less prone to sidewall blow outs. the sidewalls are extremely strong to withstand the abuse of 50 mph for 50 miles. i fugure i could just keep inflating it with the compressor if i want too in the event of a flat. they are eco rated and people are saying they are actually gettting better mpg than the tires they replaced. in all seriousness though the michelin is the best mpg tire currently available. there are always compromises with tires. the trade off with low rolling resistance is the tire generally is a lighter tire that isnt as strong, a bit less ultimate traction, slightly longer braking distance. Run flats generally had great traction, weighed too much, and rode rough cause of the over built sidewall. THe new bridgestone put alot of new tech into it and i was shocked at the quietness n smoothness. the tread is from the turanza serenity, so thats prolly where the smoothness is from.

sorry to hear about the mcgard locks. ive never had that happen in twenty years i used them but i have seen newbie tire repair guys mess the locking nut up with an impact. they are not suppose to use an impact on them.

[vangonebuy]

I don't understand why Ford still is not offering a spare tire option package on the hybrid.

People want a spare, Sell them a proper spare.

I would have paid for the stock spare pkg.

 

The run flat Bridgestone is a possible solution to a poor Ford concept.

 

Maybe Ford's original run flat tire wasn't ready for release with the Fusion.

If the run flat works well. We really don't need the inflater kit either. Saving us even more weight.

 

I'd like to hear more on these tires in the future.

On how it handles wet and snow. Or its effects on mileage.

My stock Goodyear Eagle LS2's wont last forever.

[hybridbear]

if the pictures work you will also see different lug nuts. i put mcgard locks and nuts on since the ford ones are not great. the ford lug nuts on the fusion are two piece and disfigure after a few tire rotations. the ones i put on are a little longer than the standard also. helps the tire guys not beat the rims up with socket.

Have you read GrySql's thread about lug nuts? He came to the exact same conclusion based on the advice of an experienced mechanic friend.

 

Working at the plant you might be in a better position than anyone online here to make suggestions that would be heard. At all the manufacturing facilities of the company I work for we have a system for plant employees to make suggestions to help improve our products or processes. We frequently hear reports about the excellent employee-submitted ideas and how they were implemented. Our CEO regularly visits with employees on the plant floor and we have quarterly awards to recognize employees who've made an outstanding contribution to their location.

 

I would expect that a company like Ford would do something similar

[acdii]

Considering these lug nuts have been around and in use for decades, with the same underlying problem of expanding shells, I doubt that Ford would be upgrading them to non shell nuts anytime soon.

[mco30mco]

just an update. i returned the lug nut set. it worked, but the mating serface of a standard acorn nut is much less than a bulge nut. i ordered the vehicle specific mcgard bulge set.

[billford]

just an update. i returned the lug nut set. it worked, but the mating serface of a standard acorn nut is much less than a bulge nut. i ordered the vehicle specific mcgard bulge set.

 

Good call. I tried their spline drive lug nuts, they fit, but they don't have the contact area compared to the factory nuts. I returned them.

 

When you get the new kit, can you please post a close up picture of the new and original lug nuts...interested in the contact area.

[GrySql]

 

Good call. I tried their spline drive lug nuts, they fit, but they don't have the contact area compared to the factory nuts. I returned them.

 

When you get the new kit, can you please post a close up picture of the new and original lug nuts...interested in the contact area.

What is the difference from what you are discussing versus the lug nuts I purchased and installed?

They are 19mm (3/4") bulge nuts and as far as I can tell work perfectly.

They are not McGard but seem to be good quality and the right spec's.

I checked them a couple days ago for torque and they are holding correctly.

[billford]

The difference I was looking at was the tapered contact area where the nut contacts the wheel. Some nuts have a narrow contact area as compared to the factory nuts. I think they are made for aftermarket wheels. The picture in the amazon link look fine.

[mco30mco]

sorry i didnt get to post a pic, but the bulge mcgard have plenty of surface area. A std. acorn does not. all bulge lugs have a large contact area. i actually put a set on both the taurus and fusion. they look very nice too

[mwr]

I spent $175.00 for the donut spare kit, complete with tools and foam.

Where and how?

[Easy Rider]

Yes, please. Me too.

That seems like a reasonable price.

[Hybrider]

Where and how?

 

Here is a link to hermans original post, discussing his find.

 

http://fordfusionhybridforum.com/topic/6163-spare-tire-for-fusion-hybrid/page-12?do=findComment&comment=75795

[Texasota]

Where and how?

I found mine buy calling around to several auto junk yards. One of them was able to do a lookup and tell me exactly which junk yards had what I was looking for. Went and picked it up the next day.