$70k and you don't get a spare,a jack or a lug wrench

[Kiwi cop]

Some time ago we got new GM patrol cars. They only came standard with a space saver “donut” spare.

Powers that be ruled that not good enough. Ordered a 5th full sized wheel and tyre. Problem was it would not fit in the well. Solution? Hammer (literally) it in with no air and fit a battery powered compressor in each car.

Had several slow leaks in that model of car. Was a common occurrence to turn up at the station and have to change a flat tyre before we could start.

Our current Equinox patrol car has the space saver. Great when you get a puncture on a Friday, have to drive 100 km/60 miles to get a spare car until Monday when you can get it fixed!

All the emergency equipment stops working as soon as the donut is installed too!

 

[johngalt]

After a flat tire on my Tahoe last year, I'm less convinced of the value of a spare. The shops almost always use an impact hammer to tighten the nuts. It wasn't possible to change it without an impact hammer to loosen them - I bent the tire iron trying. Run flats ride terrible and don't last as long. My daily driver and Corvette both have no spare, conventional tires, and I carry an air compressor.

Every flat I've had has been a slow leak where the object stayed in the tire. The air compressor got me to the tire shop.

 

[NYlakesider]

After a flat tire on my Tahoe last year, I'm less convinced of the value of a spare. The shops almost always use an impact hammer to tighten the nuts. It wasn't possible to change it without an impact hammer to loosen them - I bent the tire iron trying. Run flats ride terrible and don't last as long. My daily driver and Corvette both have no spare, conventional tires, and I carry an air compressor.

Every flat I've had has been a slow leak where the object stayed in the tire. The air compressor got me to the tire shop.

Working in a garage and my own use I have plenty of tire and tire changing experience. By the time I bought my first Vette with RFs it was getting physically harder to do a lot of the jobs I could easily do in the past. For that reason I put up with the RFs.

I had one nail that was a easy fix. The one with the 1 inch iron that punctured the tire was bad a air compressor would not of got me back home. I did go a bit over the ideal speed and distance, that is the good part about the RFs.

Well as your aware of RFs do not make the car handle as good as conventional tires. Hey my age and medical problems ruled so I went with the RFs

 

[Rodan]

Some time ago we got new GM patrol cars. They only came standard with a space saver “donut” spare.

Powers that be ruled that not good enough. Ordered a 5th full sized wheel and tyre. Problem was it would not fit in the well. Solution? Hammer (literally) it in with no air and fit a battery powered compressor in each car.

Had several slow leaks in that model of car. Was a common occurrence to turn up at the station and have to change a flat tyre before we could start.

Our current Equinox patrol car has the space saver. Great when you get a puncture on a Friday, have to drive 100 km/60 miles to get a spare car until Monday when you can get it fixed!

I was always amazed by the utter stupidity of the fleet management department in our county. The cars belonged to them, so we were supposed to follow their policies strictly (which didn't always happen).

For years, we would have simple punctures repaired at local service shops in the outlying areas... usually cost $10 or less. Then they decided that the Fleet mechanics were the only people in the entire known universe that were qualified to repair a tire puncture. Note that these were the same geniuses that refused to replace tires on emergency vehicles if they still had more than 3/32nd tread depth. The end result was a deputy had to come off the road for 2-3 hours to drive to one of our two fleet shops, where they would take 45 minutes to an hour to plug a hole that would take Discount Tire 15 minutes, and then the deputy had to drive back to their patrol area.

We also complained that the factory bottle jacks that came with our Tahoes were not up to the task of safely changing a tire on uneven surfaces or dirt roads. In many cases they wouldn't even get the rig high enough to get the flat off. Their response was to email out a video of two fleet department secretaries changing a tire in a level, paved parking lot. The implication was that if a couple of 'girls' could do it, the deputies should be able to figure it out. The end result of that was most of us bought small floor jacks at Harbor Freight and hauled them around with us. At least they worked, and were pretty useful when helping citizens on the side of the road.

We also weren't allowed to use a tow strap on another vehicle, or jump start non-county vehicles.... these policies were mostly ignored for the sake of being able to do our job.

 

[johngalt]

Working in a garage and my own use I have plenty of tire and tire changing experience. By the time I bought my first Vette with RFs it was getting physically harder to do a lot of the jobs I could easily do in the past. For that reason I put up with the RFs.

I had one nail that was a easy fix. The one with the 1 inch iron that punctured the tire was bad a air compressor would not of got me back home. I did go a bit over the ideal speed and distance, that is the good part about the RFs.

Well as your aware of RFs do not make the car handle as good as conventional tires. Hey my age and medical problems ruled so I went with the RFs

RF is a decent compromise if the car is designed to use them. I think both the newer cars and the newer tires are better. My first experience with RF was the Corvette - it had the Eagle GT. They were hard as a rock and really slick in the wet. I put Y rated summer tires on it, wow what a difference.

My GLK came with RF, I went through 2 sets and put conventional tires on last time. I don't notice as much difference. I could probably live with RF without too much bother.

I carry a compressor and a can of fix-a-flat. My strategy is use the compressor first. If the tire won't hold air long enough to get me to the shop, then use the fix-a-flat.

 

[ZGrand]

One of my cars, a Toyota Highlander, has a full-sized spare and even a 5th alloy wheel. But it's so difficult to extricate it from the underside of the vehicle, I hope I never have to do it on the side of the road. I'm not sure which is worse - this or no spare at all.

 

[LVSteve]

I think we’ve had maybe 3 or 4 punctured tires or less in my wife and my combined 50+ years of driving. I guess we’re lucky.

The last one was on her new Palisade. Took it to an independent tire shop. They said it was between the tread and sidewall area so a plug may not last. It’s lasted just fine so far.

I'm surprised they plugged it at all at that location.

 

[LVSteve]

RF is a decent compromise if the car is designed to use them. I think both the newer cars and the newer tires are better. My first experience with RF was the Corvette - it had the Eagle GT. They were hard as a rock and really slick in the wet. I put Y rated summer tires on it, wow what a difference.

My GLK came with RF, I went through 2 sets and put conventional tires on last time. I don't notice as much difference. I could probably live with RF without too much bother.

I carry a compressor and a can of fix-a-flat. My strategy is use the compressor first. If the tire won't hold air long enough to get me to the shop, then use the fix-a-flat.

The first generation of RF tires were horrible. Not only did the stiff sidewalls foul up the ride, they transmitted biblical amounts of road noise. They have got a lot better in recent years, along with the cars having suspension systems better set up to use them.

When switching to go-flat tires it can be quite a game to find the right tire pressure to get the handling back. A common theme is that by the time you get enough pressure to get the steering right, the ride is getting gnarly again because of the way the bushings are set up. Some vehicles suffer in this way, and others don't from what I read on forums.

 

[johngalt]

The first generation of RF tires were horrible. Not only did the stiff sidewalls foul up the ride, they transmitted biblical amounts of road noise. They have got a lot better in recent years, along with the cars having suspension systems better set up to use them.

When switching to go-flat tires it can be quite a game to find the right tire pressure to get the handling back. A common theme is that by the time you get enough pressure to get the steering right, the ride is getting gnarly again because of the way the bushings are set up. Some vehicles suffer in this way, and others don't from what I read on forums.

Thanks for the reminder - I think one of the reasons I don't notice as much difference is I think my tires are way over inflated. The RF were usually around 34 psi. The shop has them at over 40 psi now.

 

[oink]

Unlike some of you lucky souls I have no idea how many flats I've had in the last 50 years. But I know it's been a bunch! Between my wife and I we've had 4 in the last 12 months.

Her Rav 4 out in BFE. I guess we hit a chunk of metal as there was a nice chunk of tire missing. Put the donut on. The tire was toast and fairly new.

Next was my new used Camry. I'd just left the body shop and didn't notice soon enough. A roofing tack and I'd cleaned the trunk out and didn't have my tire fixit stuff. Put the donut on and as I had a road hazard warranty I had them put on a new tire.

The next was my junkmobile 2005 Hyundai Tuscon with over 200K. I was again out in BFE. A nice fat phillips pan head. I had plugs but I'd taken my pump out and forgot to put it back. So on goes the donut. It was rush hour in town with road construction so I drove home and plugged the tire and put it back on. We live a few miles out of town.

The last was the Rav 4 again. Wife comes home with a nice fresh sheetmetal screw. Plugs and pump in the car so I just plugged it on the car. Refilled it and off she goes.

We do have AAA. But in many cases, if you have the fixit stuff, you can fix it and be back on the road long before AAA shows up. Probably before they even dispatch it.

It does pay to check the air in your donut from time to time.

 

[llowry61]

Oddly enough my Tacoma has a full-sized spare which I felt I needed. Had a flat a while back and AAA responded quickly. They got the lug nuts off with their air gun but could not get the tire off. Must have been rusted to the breaks or something. They kicked and hit it with a min sledge to no avail. They finally plugged it right on the truck.

AAA is worth the $$ just for the convenience. I can't see me buying a vehicle without a spare, but I won't own anything other than a truck so probably not really a concern.

 

[Autonomous]

The lug wrench in our Promaster tool kit is only about a foot long. The torque specification is 145 ft-lb!
Good job, Stellantis.

 

[LVSteve]

Thanks for the reminder - I think one of the reasons I don't notice as much difference is I think my tires are way over inflated. The RF were usually around 34 psi. The shop has them at over 40 psi now.

Sorry to read that. I thought the 40 PSI fixation was just a Vegas thing.

 

[BC38]

We've added AAA as a contingency plan for vehicle problems. Did this mostly to provide an extra measure of safety for my better half until I can get to her if she's somewhere alone with a flat or other vehicle issue.

We've had AAA for 30+ years. We even got our boys on it when they started driving. Wouldn't be without it. Best "insurance" value out there.

 

[arjay]

I haven’t changed a tire in 20 yrs,but I’ve always had a compressed in the garage,pump em up and head to discount tire

 

[Autonomous]

Sorry to read that. I thought the 40 PSI fixation was just a Vegas thing.

I see what you did there.

 

[G-Mac]

I bought a brand new 2021 RAM 3500 Heavy Duty Chassis/Cab. It did not come with a spare tire. Salesman told me that they must not have "checked that box" when it was ordered.