Spare tire info

[Chuck]

I've driven well over a million miles in my lifetime and the number of times I've used spare tire can be counted on less than 2 fingers. I can live without one.

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[BrimstoneNJ]

And I guess you just toss it in the back and carry it around.

The modern spare tires come with a jack, a lug wrench an a bag to carry it all in, plus a plastic bag for your flat. All for about $500 shipped.

They also will sell you just the wheel and mounted tire.

They are designed to fit over the Mach-E calipers front or back

 

[Timelessblur]

I don’t like the trend in theory.

Then again I’m 41 and have never had to use a spare tire.

So if you do get a full size spare, where will you store it?

damn you have been lucky. I have had to use my spare tire on all 3 of my previous cars at least 2-3 times and on my last 2 cars I have had a total failure of a tire that nothing but a spare could get be back on the road due to sidewall damage. That is my biggest fair about not having a spare is having a sidewall damage.

I am with you I hate the trend of dropping the spare tire in favor airpumps and goo to plug the hole. I would in the past use the spare tire to deal with a nail in the tire just to get it patch instead of fix a flat to drive the car there.

 

[ChasingCoral]

The Mach E comes with free road service from Ford.

 

[Mayesc1]

In general I didn't mind not having a spare. However I have had a flat tire for 6 days and the hope is one will come in tomorrow. I would think a dealership could keep at least one in stock just in case.

 

[Mach1E]

I agree with the OP, but even if I didn't it's not my position to attack his ideas or wishes. He wants a spare and as someone who doesn't live in a city (20 minutes @ 55 from a grocery store) I can say I wish I had one too.

My last EV hit a pothole 5 miles from home, blew the tire and I had to wait 3 hours for a tow when it was 110 out. No fix a flat kit can help with a blow out and our roads are dog cr@p. We aren't all City dwellers with a tow waiting around the corner. We can swap a flat faster that your hold time with roadside.

I'm appreciative to those on this forum that help, regardless if you agree with the ideas of the OP. Thanks general for that link.

I think you’re reading into things wrong.

Asking where someone would store it, when they would need it, and how to secure it safely are very far from “attacks.”

Just trying to understand the reasoning. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been convinced through someone else’s line of reasoning.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

The Mach E comes with free road service from Ford.

True. Personally, I haven't had to actually change a tire in over 30 years. I drop the spare on the Tacoma upon occasion to inflate it to specs, but that's it. None of the other cars have gone flat. For the vast majority of anyone's driving the current setup is probably fine. There will be outliers of course.

 

[ChasingCoral]

True. Personally, I haven't had to actually change a tire in over 30 years. I drop the spare on the Tacoma upon occasion to inflate it to specs, but that's it. None of the other cars have gone flat. For the vast majority of anyone's driving the current setup is probably fine. There will be outliers of course.

That reminds me that I should do the same.

 

[Murse-In-Airy]

I have had to use my spare tire on all 3 of my previous cars at least 2-3 times and on my last 2 cars I have had a total failure of a tire that nothing but a spare could get be back on the road due to sidewall damage.

You…. You should get a spare. Most of us don’t need them. You do. I support you.

For most of us it’s like buying flood insurance while living on a hilltop. Sounds like you live at the bottom of that theoretical hill.

That said, we all have our own use cases. When I lived back west and traveled long distances, I didn’t go far without a real spare. I once lost a tire in the middle of South Dakota. 200 miles from Sioux Fallsz. 150 miles after passing Rapid City. There was NOTHING in between. These days I don’t get too far from home or civilization. So I’m good without one. Especially for daily driving.

 

[MargaritavilleNH]

Don’t put it in the back without securing it! It could be deadly in a car accident.

I still don’t quite understand what you are planning on doing. Storing it at home until you need it and having someone bring it to you if you get a flat?

Or are you going to drive around all the time with the spare taking up all that space?

I’m just trying to understand the need where this would actually be convenient.

Pretty much the only time this would save you is if you had major sidewall damage, in town, and someone was around that could drive that spare to you. And what do you save? A little bit of time in that unlikely to happen more than once in a decade situation.

lol...I don't get how you guys don't see the necessity of a spare, but most likely different professions and different urgencies to making it to work. I have a 60 mile commute each way, most of it highway, am's in the dark. Flat tires though rare, (had one this year) are a really bad start to the day and can create problems for multiple people, employees and patients, not just me.

 

[Mach1E]

lol...I don't get how you guys don't see the necessity of a spare, but most likely different professions and different urgencies to making it to work. I have a 60 mile commute each way, most of it highway, am's in the dark. Flat tires though rare, (had one this year) are a really bad start to the day and can create problems for multiple people, employees and patients, not just me.

If I had a 60 mile commute, I would want a spare as well. My commute is a mile.

Doesn’t fix the issue of where to put the dang thing though.

And it’s not the flat tire that’s the issue. It’s a flat tire that’s bad enough that the kit they gave us couldn’t get you back on the road.

Air pump + plug kit will solve the vast majority of flat tires you’d get during a long commute. Good for everything but sidewall damage (super rare).

I just don’t think that the inconvenience of a full size spare taking up half your storage makes up for the convenience of the super rare sidewall damage. But that’s a decision each of us gets to make for ourselves.

If it tells you anything, I actually sold the full size spare on my Chevy SS (it was optional on the car). Made $600 and luckily never regretted it.

 

[TheVirtualTim]

Spares were more important in the days before everyone owned a cellphone. These days you just call roadside assistance.

 

[RMoore]

I wrestle with this one too and that Modern Spare kit looks tempting. Our minivan has run flats and my Audi has a donut. That said, the last (and only) time I had to change a flat was in 1980 when I had a rear tire blow out on the Merritt Parkway in CT. Could not for the life of me get the lug nuts off with the lug wrench, then remembered that I had an extra lacrosse stick shaft (hollow aluminum) in my car, which turned out to be a great lever for the wrench. I have kept it in the trunk of whatever car I drive ever since.

 

[DevSecOps]

Spares were more important in the days before everyone owned a cellphone. These days you just call roadside assistance.

You ever been outside of a city? Those areas do exist. Like I said previously, I would rather not wait 3 hours for a tow truck. Has nothing to do with cell phones or roadside for many of us.

Yesterday the UPS driver got stuck in the mud at my house. Took the tow 4 hours to get here. At least it kept the goats entertained ?

 

[Mach1E]

You ever been outside of a city? Those areas do exist. Like I said previously, I would rather not wait 3 hours for a tow truck. Has nothing to do with cell phones or roadside for many of us.

Yesterday the UPS driver got stuck in the mud at my house. Took the tow 4 hours to get here. At least it kept the goats entertained ?

Well no one WANTS to wait 3 hours for a tow truck.

But I don’t think many want to carry a full size spare around either in the cab.

Would a deflated donut fit in the frunk? Then use an inflator in case of severe tire damage?

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