Car makers are dropping the spare tire.

[BlueStarLizzard]

No spare at all?

*expletive deleted*it, I always thought the stupid donuts were bad enough.

I always keep a can of fix a flat and a cheap air compressor (it works, it just takes a bit of time) along with my stupid donut, jack and lug wrench.

I've had too many tire escapades to not appreciate the spare. Especially on days when getting something fixed is secondary to getting to work.


Although... Road Side Assistance? Why do I have a feeling that is some service that is included in my insurance and I would never think to call for it? I should look that up... Might be nice if I didn't have somewhere I needed to be and I was dressed in nice clothes.

[Perd Hapley]

AAA is, like, $60/year, isn't it?

[BlueStarLizzard]

AAA is, like, $60/year, isn't it?

I don't know. I know how to change a flat tire.

[K Frame]

AAA is, like, $60/year, isn't it?

Yeah. And anywhere from a 10 minute to 10 hour wait.

[Kingcreek]

I've probably only had to change a tire 1-2 times in the past 20 years but I like having a spare anyway, especially some of the places I get the truck into.
I have a roadside assist/towing option on my auto insurance on the other 2 vehicles that only adds $14 per year.

[Firethorn]

AAA is, like, $60/year, isn't it?

$76 for the cheapest policy advertised on their main page to me, which only offers 7 miles of free towing.

$162 for me to get 200 miles of free tow if necessary, in Alaska.  I'd probably go for the $127 policy - 7 miles just isn't enough.  50 would be, but isn't listed.

[Perd Hapley]

When I go to their web page, the cheapest package is $58, but w/ only 3 miles of towing. Maybe I live in a more urbanized area.

I'm just sayin', if your insurance doesn't offer it, it's not terribly expensive. A lot more expensive than just changing a flat yourself, of course. If you have a spare.

[BlueStarLizzard]

$14 a month?

I don't know if I'm signed up for it (I don't pay that bill) I'll have to ask.

Didn't say how far they'd tow it and they don't do it for an accident.

gas delivery, flat tire changes, locksmith (up to $100) and jumps it seems to be.

of course, I never let my tank go below a quarter tank, I can change a flat and I have jumper cables in the trunk.

I've only ever locked my keys in the car twice (and once was Pearl's fault) and I have a feeling I would require a longer tow distance than they do... So... It would be great for my mother though! I'm tired of being her roadside assistance.

[Perd Hapley]

$14 a month?

I think Firethorn might be looking at Alaska rates. The highest level I see on their page is $9.17/month. $4.83 for the "Classic" service.

[KD5NRH]

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

I-20 near US67 comes to mind as one of those horribly remote places where AAA took 2.5 hours to find me.  You know, like fifteen minutes from downtown Dallas in light traffic.  That was for a tow after road debris removed my oil pan, but if it had been a tire, that would have been 2.3 hours longer than it takes me to change one...not counting the time to call them or the time to do the actual change.

Almost needed them for the Pontiac, though, because I forgot step one of acquiring such a car; grab the impact and remove the lug nuts, apply high-temp anti-seize and reinstall with a torque wrench.  Fortunately, the tire shop was only ~6 blocks away...though they were starting to give their impact wrench dirty looks for the length of time it took for the nuts to start moving.

[dm1333]

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).

Too late.  I just saw a new Dodge flat bed, crew cab diesel that came from GSA.  No spare, no jack. 

[230RN]

Another dumb Terry-type question, but maybe I missed it in the above:

Do they at least leave the space for a spare tire?

My former insurance policy had a tow rider "to the nearest point of repair."  Don't know what the new one has in terms of distance limitations.  Should check, I suppose.

I carry a lot of junk (fix-a-flat, starting fluid, cables, brake and power steering fluid, a compressor, some tools, a dry pair of socks and shoes, tarp, a disreputable down jacket, etc. etc., etc.) in the back of my car over the spare compartment.  Thanks for the reminder, I should check the air in that spare.  Should be "only" a two or three hour project with all that stuff back there.  Haven't seen the spare for three years or more.

Terry, 230RN

[BlueStarLizzard]

I think Firethorn might be looking at Alaska rates. The highest level I see on their page is $9.17/month. $4.83 for the "Classic" service.

The $14 was Gieco, since that's what I have.

[bedlamite]

A plug kit and portable compressor isn't a bad idea either, and they are mandatory on a bike.

[Perd Hapley]

Another dumb Terry-type question, but maybe I missed it in the above:

Do they at least leave the space for a spare tire?

The Hyundai in the OP has the space. It's just empty. No jack, either. I've read that some makes give you some kind of inflation kit.

[BlueStarLizzard]

The Hyundai in the OP has the space. It's just empty. No jack, either. I've read that some makes give you some kind of inflation kit.

Well, that could possibly be a good thing. That way you could pick what your spare is from the get go.

And get a jack you like instead of stuck with some stupid jack (I can't remember which car it was, but I do know I've come across the worlds dumbest jack a few times)

I know those kinds of things are things I wouldn't think of replacing until I had to use it and then would forget about it until I had to use it again.

[Perd Hapley]

Well, that could possibly be a good thing. That way you could pick what your spare is from the get go.

I think some of those, uh, donut holes don't really give you enough room for a full-sized tire.

[seeker_two]

I hate the move to no spare tire. I insisted on one with my last vehicle purchase, and I replaced the junk jack with a small floor jack. The jack has seen more use than the spare, fortunately....

[BlueStarLizzard]

I think some of those, uh, donut holes don't really give you enough room for a full-sized tire.

That's why I've never replaced my donut with a real tire, because it wouldn't fit. I would hope that if they made the space, they would make it big enough for a standard tire and let you put whatever you wanted in it.

... Then again, what I would hope probably makes too much sense for them to actually do it.

[KD5NRH]

That's why I've never replaced my donut with a real tire, because it wouldn't fit.

Had a couple cars where it required some grease and a mallet, but never had one where I couldn't get a full size in the space.

Wouldn't buy one that couldn't fit a full size in there; after all, even if you keep the donut, you need somewhere to put the flat tire.

[mtnbkr]

Mtnbkr has two daughters.

Last I checked at least.  I'm mostly concerned about the count going up rather than the reverse.

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.

In an ideal world, all that and drive a manual, but I'll settle for knowing how to check fluids, change a tire, and drive a manual (because 2 of our 3 vehicles are 5spd).

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

Most likely no.  She'll talk a good game, but probably won't be interested unless it's a requirement for getting the license (as much of it will be).

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

That much you got right.

Chris

[LadySmith]

I always thought the stupid donuts were bad enough.

I really do not like donuts.
Last sedan I had, I chucked the donut & put a full-sized tire in its place.
Vehicle I have now came with a full-sized tire.

I gave up AAA long ago when they started going up in price and low on towing miles.

[K Frame]

"I'm mostly concerned about the count going up rather than the reverse."

I'll bring my hedge clippers next time I'm over.

As for the rest of it, wow, you are one disengaged, disinterested, and thoroughly bad Dad...

[K Frame]

Oh, and I misspoke...

I should have noted that Mtnbkr's mailman has two daughters...

 

[Kingcreek]

My $14 roadside is per vehicle with American family and I think is up to 75 miles. I turned in a receipt for Towing $95 and they wrote me a check and handed it to me right there.