jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Do any of you prefer the compact spare tire. I suppose it saves weight and money for the manufacturer, but it's almost worthless

According to a video I watched last night, only three electric cars come with spare tires. Apparently, weight and storage spare are the concerns. Audi has an unusual spare that comes with the tread collapsed onto the rim. In order to use it, you must first inflate it and wait for it to pop into shape.

The video below isn't great, but it shows you the spare and how it works.

Two things I thought were interesting. In both the videos, the guys made a big deal about the valve cap with the tool on the end to remove the Schraeder valve - like it was a new invention. I've been using those caps since I was a kid riding a bike. I also thought it was odd that the Audi requires a quirky little tool to remove the caps on the lug nuts. At the 14:30 in the video, he has the video reversed, so he's turning clockwise to loosen the lug nuts. While saying, "Lefty-loosey," he's turning to the right.

Ironically, the car still needs enough room in the trunk to store a regular-size tire. Otherwise, you'd have to put the flat tire inside the car with you. So, it's all that extra work to save a few pounds.

I'm surprised that Audi doesn't have a 12v outlet in the trunk with the spare. Having to run the wire from inside the car through an open door isn't the best arrangement. I added a 12v outlet to the trunk of my Fit. It comes in handy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEdVYcXZ6sA

BebuLamar

I think the compact spare tire is OK. Even if I have a full size spare tire I wouldn't keep it on the car after I got the flat tire fixed so the the spare only used for short time. Unless you have a Subaru and have the compact spare and when you have a front tire goes flat you have to change 2 tires instead of 1.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

Lincoln Continental had a solution spare on the outside of the trunk.

It has been many years since I had a flat tire... self-sealing works wonders. Explained:
https://www.michelinman.com/auto/why-michelin/technological-innovations/michelin-selfseal-technology

agillot

You can buy a used spare wheel [ junk yard ] with a usable tire , and keep it in the trunk .

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

The old Land Rovers had them on the roof - or the hood. That made it tough to check the oil.

Julian Loc: Sarasota, FL

The tires on my car are asymmetrical (left/right) and different size (front/back), so there is no room for 4 spare tires… fortunately never had a flat. Oh, well.

Grump's Photos Loc: Dunedin FL

Keep a flat tire repair kit and a compressor (powered thru the lighter socket) in the back of the Vette, and have never had to use it. Good insurance though……..
Andy

jinx

Two ladies with two young kids get a flat tire 500 miles from home. The expressway speed limit was 80 miles an hour. We were so happy to find the compact spare hidden below the lining in the truck. Even happier when a professor from the local university stopped and took over changing the tire. The bad dangerous part was not being able to drive over 50 miles an hour with that spare. Traffic was moving at least 85-90 miles an hour and an out of state woman driving 50 is a real traffic hazard.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Right! I have a tire plugging kit and an inflator in the car. The plugger works great, and I've used it on mowers, and other non-cars. I got it about twenty years ago when I was riding a motorcycle.

https://www.amazon.com/Stop-Go-1075-Standard-Plugger/dp/B0018EUDHW/ref=asc_df_B0018EUDHW/?tag=&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312177448019&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15122729951456526396&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9004811&hvtargid=pla-493356440818&ref=&adgrpid=61495038909&th=1

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

My 99' Honda CRV has an encased full spare on the outside of the rear door.
Mark

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

Here is my take on spares: I like the idea of the "donut" because if there was a full-size tire as a spare, the car owner would most likely put the spare on and leave it, fixing the flat and using it as the spare. This is a problem in two ways. If there was much wear on the tire that went flat, you are putting a tire on that has little or no wear. The difference in the height of the new tire to the tire still on the other side of where the flat occurred will cause additional wear on both tires. That is why it is often recommended that if you replace a tire, you replace the one on the opposite side of the car so there is no difference in the diameter of the tires. The other problem is that you now have a repaired tire as the spare and it would be unknown how reliable it is. Often repaired tires seem to be fixed but will have a small undetectable leak that a year after being put in the trunk as a spare, could be flat when you needed it.

JoeBiker Loc: homebase: Houston, TX

Audi USED TO HAVE a collapsing spare (in 2014, at least). It was cool, I used it once. I have no idea mechanically how it worked.

They no longer do (in 2021, at least). Now, it is just a compressor and a can of Fix-a-flat. I would prefer some kind of a spare.

The little caps that you mention were cheap plastic. They were hard to get back on if you didn't take them off carefully.

Sendai5355 Loc: On the banks of the Pedernales River, Texas

My Pacifica van didn't come with a spare. Instead it has an air pump and a can of stop leak. If I have an unfixable leak I'm SOL.

jiminnee

You mentioned a video showing that the car lug nuts were using left hand threads. Reminds that I've seen this on a lot of videos lately that should be showing right hand threads. Curious.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Agree on the donut spare.
My old Prius had a donut spare. My 2017 Prius has no spare. It had a can of sealant and an inflator. Didn't work worth a damn. Had to call AAA for a tow. I'd prefer the donut.