So, do you have a spare, and do you care?
Yes and yes.
At no point do I want a vehicle without a spare wheel.
A can of foam or a puncture repair kit is no use if the tyre has torn and it's much easier to just jack the car up and change the wheel.
Using goo renders the tyre irreparable, so a nearly new all-climate with a nail in, would mean forking out another £250-300 or so, depending on make/size. At its last MoT, my car had two advisory notices, a nail in one front tire that was reparable, and one in a rear tyre, that wasn’t. The rear tyres were original OEM and had perished sidewalls as well. So two new tyres on the front, the nearly new fronts went on the back. The old tyres had just over 33,000 miles on them, the front’s had about 1500-2000 when they got swapped.
I carry a compressor, like most cars do these days, but I don’t think there’s space under the boot-board for even a space-saver, and I have breakdown cover through my bank account.
There’s no way I would try replacing a tyre on a hard shoulder of a motorway or dual carriageway, just the thought scares me shitless!
but I don’t think there’s space under the boot-board
Optional extra on the EcoSport. Goes on the back door.
Probably one of the few optional extras Id spec
There’s no way I would try replacing a tyre on a hard shoulder of a motorway or dual carriageway, just the thought scares me shitless!
I always thought this was illegal.- but it's not. But then I wouldn't fancy the alternative of waiting on the hard shoulder/smart motorway*. or rather on the grass behind the Armco in the pishing rain either.
* Won't need the AA. Just send the scrap collector.....your car will be written off
Which reminds me – I must purchase a battery powered tyre inflator to carry with me.
I recently bought a cycplus A2 which is battery powered, portable and has a hose so checking tyre pressures on cars and motorbikes is easy. I must remember to put it in my car/bike when I'm next out.
As for a 3 door mini not having space. That’s poor design in a vehicle so big.
Indeed. Reverse tardis. PIss poor really, but central exit exhaust is importanter to some folk unfortunately (at the expense of a spare wheel well). A space saver can be strapped vertically to the back of the rear seat but means losing about half the boot space and the parcel shelf.
(otherwise a brilliant car though)
Can still fit a XXL 29er in there - after removing both wheels AND the fork. For comparison, that's a 29" wheel - a spare for my 205/45r17 would be about 24.5".
A few months ago I had my very first flat tyre while on the move - blew a tennis ball sized hole out of the tread while on the M25 at speed. I’ve had tyres go down while parked, but never while moving. I’ve been driving since Callaghan was PM! Glad I had a (space saver) spare and was right at a junction to get off and park up safely.
I’ll stick with a spare.
Once as a kid i had to hold the horns of a particularly fiesty Ram through the dog bars while my dad leaned in to get the spare out the back of the volvo estate.
Those were the days.
