Car makers are dropping the spare tire.

[Perd Hapley]

Fuel efficiency requirements were blamed in one of those articles in the OP. Try to keep up, people.

[makattak]

Said that back on page 1. 

Fuel efficiency requirements were blamed in one of those articles in the OP. Try to keep up, people.

Oh, PLEASE. You can't expect me to read the comments or the articles before I get involved in the discussion!

[TechMan]

Oh, PLEASE. You can't expect me to read the comments or the articles before I get involved in the discussion!

Ah, No...carry on.

[Perd Hapley]

Oh, PLEASE. You can't expect me to read the comments or the articles before I get involved in the discussion!

You must be one of those clueless originalists. Read the book, morans!

[Hawkmoon]

Carrying plugs and a compressor is always a good idea, in my opinion. I bought a plug kit some years ago, and used it twice on my old Outback when I picked up nails in my community (reshingling houses, I think), and once when Castle Key picked up a screw in his one tire.

Castle Key has a car that runs on one tire?

[K Frame]

Castle Key has a car that runs on one tire?

He is quite the unicyclist.

[Ben]

As a single data point, I was at the car dealership today and decided to do a quick survey. I went down a row of ten F-150s and took a peek underneath. They all had a full-sized spare. A mix of mostly XL's, a couple of XLTs, and a couple of Lariats. So cheap to expensive, they all had real spares.

[Firethorn]

As a single data point, I was at the car dealership today and decided to do a quick survey. I went down a row of ten F-150s and took a peek underneath. They all had a full-sized spare. A mix of mostly XL's, a couple of XLTs, and a couple of Lariats. So cheap to expensive, they all had real spares.

The usage mode for trucks is considered different than cars.  Also, the load profile can be quite different.  You can't really ask somebody to toss a doughnut onto a loaded truck that's out in the country towing a boat.

[Ben]

The usage mode for trucks is considered different than cars.  Also, the load profile can be quite different.  You can't really ask somebody to toss a doughnut onto a loaded truck that's out in the country towing a boat.

Well, except above we had several incidents of trucks/SUVs with no spares. :)

[TechMan]

As a single data point, I was at the car dealership today and decided to do a quick survey. I went down a row of ten F-150s and took a peek underneath. They all had a full-sized spare. A mix of mostly XL's, a couple of XLTs, and a couple of Lariats. So cheap to expensive, they all had real spares.

Yes, but remember that Ford is getting their weight savings from the aluminum body.

[erictank]

"Edit:  And..  I'm kind of a dumbass.  I was just mentally WTF'ing over what you would do if a front tire blew.  Obviously you could just put the donut on a back tire and move a back tire to the front.  Duh."

Yep.

And, I suspect that yes, any automatic all-wheel drive car is going to be the same.

My question, though, is what happens if you blow a tire on a manual transmission AWD? You can't easily disable the AWD on a manual. Or at least you couldn't on my two Outbacks, and I don't think either one had a full size spare.

TIL that it was even possible to disable my Forester's AWD.

Apparently there's a fuse that will cut power transmission to the rear wheels.  No physical disengagement of the powertrain, so it all still drags on the engine.


I tried changing a flat on that car once, a few years ago.  Pulled out without checking, ride felt REALLY strange, pulled over within a block or so and found my left-rear tire not quite completely flat.  With the stock lug wrench, I was COMPLETELY unable to loosen the lug nuts - they'd obviously been installed by The Incredible Hulk.  Made it home and was about to call for a tow to the shop when something told me to check the valve - and sure enough, something had wedged in there and induced a leak.  Cleared that, refilled using the compressor, and no problems.

I now have a sturdier lug wrench with a cheater bar, just in case.

[230RN]

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)

Was it a scissor jack?



Those things are a pain in the butt.  You have to cope with the awkwardness of cranking them up to almost the height you need before you slide them under the car.  Then they tip over anyhow.  Curses!

On the Subaru tire size differential, that seems to be true, according to two tire stores I consulted... but they be motivated to say that anyhow.

The story is that the different rotation rate on the two tires messes up the fluid coupling on the AWD.

Same thing if you have a low tire pressure in one set of wheels.  Discount Tires gives a free tire pressure check which I get every month or so.  I'm not married to them, and I hate that commercial where the old broad throws a tire through their front window, but they sure have excellent customer service.

Terry, 230RN

[K Frame]

I generally like scissor jacks. Yeah, they're a bit of a pain to get started, but they're pretty effortless and the construction is very strong. I've never had problems with one tipping over.

The best use I ever found for a Subaru scissors jack, though, was helping rebuild the side porch at my Mom's house...



It was perfect for sitting on the step and holding up the corner post when I rebuilt the structure and deck.

I also used that jack to jack the bathroom sink back into position. It's a big cast iron wall hung sink with front legs, and over the years the back slipped in the clips and it was leaning backwards. Loosen the bolts, jack the back up (2x4 across to even the pressure) and rebolt it.

[KD5NRH]

Those things are a pain in the butt.  You have to cope with the awkwardness of cranking them up to almost the height you need before you slide them under the car. 

Had one that had been modified with a lug nut welded on where the little slot for the handle had been.  Combined with a 12V impact wrench, it was like doing a NASCAR tire change.

[K Frame]

Had one that had been modified with a lug nut welded on where the little slot for the handle had been.  Combined with a 12V impact wrench, it was like doing a NASCAR tire change.

I've seen scissors jacks that come with that sort of arrangement from the factory. The jack handle doubles as the lug nut wrench (which is NOT a great arrangement, really, because it means that the wrench head is pivot mounted on the handle, which makes getting good torque a bit challenging).

[Perd Hapley]

The scissors jacks often have a fairly wide base, compared to a bottle jack. So there's that. I've never had much trouble with them. You can flip over a bottle jack, too, if you're tightening the valve.

[41magsnub]

Pro-tip - if you put bigger tires on your rig..  make sure you have enough jack to still be able to change the tire.   The OEM bottle jack in the land cruiser is just short of being tall enough to work

Luckily I had a hi-lift jack for recovery purposes.  Now I have some more safety gear to go with said hi-lift to help prevent tipping.  Hate those things...

I also now have a compressor so if worse came to worse I could have partially deflated the spare to get it on, then reinflate.

[HeroHog]

I have a mini hydraulic floor jack in a plastic case so I don't have to deal with crappy factory jacks.

[MechAg94]

I have a mini hydraulic floor jack in a plastic case so I don't have to deal with crappy factory jacks.

I highly recommend a full size hydraulic jack for garage work.  I finally got one last year and it is much easier to use. 

[Firethorn]

I have a mini hydraulic floor jack in a plastic case so I don't have to deal with crappy factory jacks.

Not enough lift for my truck, sadly.

[BlueStarLizzard]

Was it a scissor jack?



Those things are a pain in the butt.  You have to cope with the awkwardness of cranking them up to almost the height you need before you slide them under the car.  Then they tip over anyhow.  Curses!

On the Subaru tire size differential, that seems to be true, according to two tire stores I consulted... but they be motivated to say that anyhow.

The story is that the different rotation rate on the two tires messes up the fluid coupling on the AWD.

Same thing if you have a low tire pressure in one set of wheels.  Discount Tires gives a free tire pressure check which I get every month or so.  I'm not married to them, and I hate that commercial where the old broad throws a tire through their front window, but they sure have excellent customer service.

Terry, 230RN

but flimsier and with the stupid notches that you have to line up with the notch on the frame of the car.

[Perd Hapley]

but flimsier and with the stupid notches that you have to line up with the notch on the frame of the car.

I'd count those as an upside. They help you line it up.

One thing I really like about the bottle jack I just bought is that the top of the ram screws out, and gives me another ~3" of adjustment.

[MechAg94]

Yes, but remember that Ford is getting their weight savings from the aluminum body.

Hey, that is a MILITARY GRADE aluminum body!  


Note the picture of the tank is supposed to make you forget that it is still aluminum.