Car makers are dropping the spare tire.

[Perd Hapley]

http://blog.caranddriver.com/disappearing-donuts-one-third-of-new-cars-dont-come-with-a-spare-tire/

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/08/your-next-car-may-not-have-a-spare-tire/index.htm


I wouldn't have known about this, except that someone I work with bought a new Hyundai, and found out later that he didn't get a spare or a jack along with it.

The argument could be made that dropping the spare makes sense, given that tire changing is a skill that has largely gone away, much like operating a manual transmission. Increasingly, people just don’t know how to do it, and they would rather call a roadside assistance service.

Really? People don't know how to jack the thing up, and unscrew a few nuts? [skeptical face] I'm guessing the difference is that people have cell phones, so they don't need to do it. Or, heck, use your phone to watch a how-to video.

[Ben]

Hopefully that doesn't migrate to trucks and SUVs. I kinda doubt it will, since they don't include those stupid little "temporary tires" with trucks and (real) SUVs now.

While not agreeing with it, I can kinda see their point on regular cars. Between AAA and cell phones, there's no reason for anyone to know how to change a tire, other than the fact that everyone should know how to do it (elderly, handicapped, etc. excepted).

[Hawkmoon]

Hopefully that doesn't migrate to trucks and SUVs. I kinda doubt it will, since they don't include those stupid little "temporary tires" with trucks and (real) SUVs now.

Jeep started using donuts decades ago, on the Cherokees and Grand Cherokees. You only got a real tire as a spare if you bought the optional off-road package.

Wranglers used to include something that looked like a full-size tire as a spare, but the construction was super light-duty, like the donuts. One of the first things I did when I bought a used '01 Cherokee for my daughter was to toss the donut and put in a real tire as the spare.

The fact is, a lot of people really don't know how to jack up a vehicle and change a tire.

[K Frame]

Yeah, I have serious doubts that that's the actual reason.

My guess is it's being done more to reduce weight even more, thus helping the manufacturers reach their EPA CAFE requirements.

I won't buy a car without a spare. No way, no flipping how.

I've popped one too many tires in places where it would take forever for roadside service to get to me.

In one or two instances I wasn't even near a roadside.

[K Frame]

Mtnbkr has two daughters.

I suspect that for both, a mandatory requirement before each starts to drive is to know how to change the oil, do basic troubleshooting, and how to safely use the jack to change a spare tire.

The oldest will very likely take to it like a duck to water.

The youngest will probably bitch about how it's destroying the fresh buff and polish on her nails.

[Ben]

Jeep started using donuts decades ago, on the Cherokees and Grand Cherokees. You only got a real tire as a spare if you bought the optional off-road package.

Wranglers used to include something that looked like a full-size tire as a spare, but the construction was super light-duty, like the donuts. One of the first things I did when I bought a used '01 Cherokee for my daughter was to toss the donut and put in a real tire as the spare.

The fact is, a lot of people really don't know how to jack up a vehicle and change a tire.

Interesting. I had no idea Jeep was doing that. I have always had full-sized spares on my trucks and SUVs, even the barebones base 2000 F-150 I used to have. All identical to the tires on the wheels. I guess I have to add this to my list of "need to check" requirements when new car shopping.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

They charge for a spare 300 400
My 90 dodge pu had no spare

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

[Fitz]

new mustangs have it as an "option" for 190 bucks.

I prefer to have it, and it takes me no time to swap it... but I suspect that weight, cost, and the availability of cheap roadside assistance (usually included with insurance plans) make it something that many people don't need.

[MechAg94]

It has been some time since I had to change a tire on the side of the road, but I can't imagine having a vehicle without a spare. 

[wmenorr67]

Even if you don't have the knowledge to change the tire.  Not having a spare I could see causing a few problems.  I mean the cost to tow a vehicle from in the boondocks vs having a spare to put on to get you to the next town could run upwards past $200 depending on the distance you need to travel.

Give me a spare at least.

[Ben]

Even if you don't have the knowledge to change the tire.  Not having a spare I could see causing a few problems.  I mean the cost to tow a vehicle from in the boondocks vs having a spare to put on to get you to the next town could run upwards past $200 depending on the distance you need to travel.

Give me a spare at least.

That's actually a really good point. If you have a non-patchable flat, which, just a guess, at least 50% of highway flats probably are (blowouts, etc.), no spare means mandatory tow. Hopefully your blowout isn't at some distance X+1 greater than the included "free tow" distance in your insurance or AAA package.

[roo_ster]

I generally finagle two full-sized spares for my trucks.  One in the usual spot under bed.  I take the second along if I go out into the woods.  I also paid for a spare for my trailer.

The second spare is usually just a tire I replaced for which I bought a cheap steel wheel and had mounted.  I think the refurb steel wheel cost me less than $50 and I paid $12 to have it mounted and balanced.

I can not recall if my wife's care has a full size spare or a donut.  Will have to look.

[Jamisjockey]

I generally finagle two full-sized spares for my trucks.  One in the usual spot under bed.  I take the second along if I go out into the woods.  I also paid for a spare for my trailer.

The second spare is usually just a tire I replaced for which I bought a cheap steel wheel and had mounted.  I think the refurb steel wheel cost me less than $50 and I paid $12 to have it mounted and balanced.

I can not recall if my wife's care has a full size spare or a donut.  Will have to look.

Always amazes me how many people tow without a spare trailer tire.  From big trailers down to little ones.

[TechMan]

Hopefully that doesn't migrate to trucks and SUVs. I kinda doubt it will, since they don't include those stupid little "temporary tires" with trucks and (real) SUVs now.

While not agreeing with it, I can kinda see their point on regular cars. Between AAA and cell phones, there's no reason for anyone to know how to change a tire, other than the fact that everyone should know how to do it (elderly, handicapped, etc. excepted).

When we went shopping for our last car, a few years ago, one of the sales people told us about the no spare tire (full size or donut.)  We were looking at the Honda CR-C/Ford Escape class of vehicle.   The sales person said that the auto manufacturers were removing the spare to help with making the MPG requirement of the .gov.  Apparently some of the manufacturers were nice and included a can of fix-a-flat where the spare use to be.  Upon learning that we made sure to ask about the spare tire.

[41magsnub]

I kind of got lucky buying a new car a couple of years ago.  Didn't even occur to me to ask about it, it had to have a donut spare and a jack right?  Luckily the model I bought did but a couple of the others I looked at did not after I looked it up later.

[Perd Hapley]

Always amazes me how many people tow without a spare trailer tire.  From big trailers down to little ones.

I guess they figure they'll unhook, and go get it repaired/replaced, and come back for it.

[brimic]

Last time I had to change a flat was a few years ago during deer season. 10 pm sunday night, 10 degrees out, 15 miles from nearest town, and no cell phone reception.
Yes I was glad I had a spare.
The jack and tire change kit were barely functionable junk, but I made it a go anyway.

[Kingcreek]

Mtnbkr has two daughters.

I suspect that for both, a mandatory requirement before each starts to drive is to know how to change the oil, do basic troubleshooting, and how to safely use the jack to change a spare tire.

The oldest will very likely take to it like a duck to water.

The youngest will probably bitch about how it's destroying the fresh buff and polish on her nails.

My 2 stepdaughters were told that they would not be driving until they passed my driveway course. The oldest didn't believe me. When she turned 16 she was give me the keys and get outta my way. Nope. Had to learn how to check fluid levels, tire pressure, use a jack and change A tires, and how to safely use jumper cables.
She hated it then but has thanked me several times since.
The youngest was fine with it and still changes her own oil and has replaced a starter and some other things.
We have 3 vehicles, 1 has no spare but only gets driven 500 miles or less per year.

[Mannlicher]

I have been driving my 88 4Runner since 2006.  I had one tire failure.  It happened right around the corner from my tire dealer.    I can't think of the last time with any of my vehicles, that I had a flat or a blow out.
That said, I keep a 'real' spare tire, and jack, and compressor in all my vehicles.    Check 'em often too.

[41magsnub]

My last flat was in the land cruiser in town (last week).  Most convenient flat tire ever.  Driving down the main drag and start hearing a series of whacks, then one really loud whack that rattled the floor, then nothing.  Pulled into a parking lot, loud air lead but tire is not visibly down yet.  I'm maybe 2 miles from home so I risk it and haul butt and get to my driveway.  Tire is down a little.  Throw a jack stand under the axle and change cars to keep going to dinner with the family.  Got home and used the hydraulic floor jack to change the tire.

Next morning (Saturday), dropped the rig off at the tire shop, told them to fix it and do a 5 tire rotation.  Walked next door to my favorite breakfast joint.  They were done before I was done eating.

[MechAg94]

My memory must not be working....

I had a tire basically shred and start coming apart from my first set at about 30,000 miles.  I was able to get off the highway and over to a parking lot.  It was only a mile from home, but changing to the spare saved me having to tow. 

A few years back I was riding with someone on I-10 headed to San Antonio.  The jeep had a blowout miles from anywhere.  We were thankful a police officer pulled over a ways behind us with his lights on.  We were around a corner off to the left and cars were not leaving us much room. 

[RoadKingLarry]

Two weeks ago I had a blow out on the right rear on my company car ('07 Ford Fucus). 0230, middle of nowhere on a narrow 2 lane state highway. By the time I found a place to safely pull over the tire was pretty well shredded but I suspect I'd run over something that ruined the tire in the first place. I changed it out for the under inflated donut and drove the 4 miles into the nearest open convenience store to add air to the donut. I've only had the car for a few weeks now but my own fault for not checking the air pressure in the donut spare. From passed experience I would have expected at least a 2 hour wait for roadside assist.
Part of learning to drive for my kids was successfully being able to change a tire on any of our vehicles they would drive, at the time it was the '01 Mustang or the '97 Dodge pickup(manual transmission). They had to do it by them self  before I would let them drive alone after they got their license.
 
 

[Ben]

Last time I had to change a flat was a few years ago during deer season. 10 pm sunday night, 10 degrees out, 15 miles from nearest town, and no cell phone reception.
Yes I was glad I had a spare.
The jack and tire change kit were barely functionable junk, but I made it a go anyway.

I keep those compact hydraulic bottle jacks in my vehicles. While a little heavy, they're pretty small for storage, and much faster and easier to use than the contraptions that come with the vehicles. In my 4Runner, I throw in a couple of ~1' long 2x8s, in case I'm offroad without a good base surface.

As far as flats, if memory serves, I've never had a blowout. I think I had one slow leak from a nail on my old Jeep Comanche, same with the old Trooper, and the same on my F-250. All slow enough that I could simply fill them with my compressor and head straight for the tire place.

[Perd Hapley]

I found out a few years ago that the spare on my Tacoma wasn't holding any air. I drove around with it for another year or two, before I finally bought two new tires, and replaced the spare with one of the cast-offs.

About a month ago, I walked out of the house to find my left front tire completely flat. I put the spare on, plugged the flat tire, aired it up, and threw it in the bed of the truck. About two weeks later, I went outside and found the spare (still on the left front) had just enough air in it I could drive it to a gas station, and air up. Both front tires were bald, anyway, and I'd been putting off new tires since last fall. I figured it was time, so I replaced both tires that night. I like to dream about what it would be like to have a spare with some tread left on it. 

[charby]

Always amazes me how many people tow without a spare trailer tire.  From big trailers down to little ones.

It is usually the trailer where I get flat tires. Plenty of blow outs at highway speeds, small diameter and high pressure doesn't lead for a fixable tire.