It's becoming really common to have NO spare tire at all in smaller cars. My 2017 Golf R came without a spare OR jack - not even a dealer option. No run flats - those are usually crap for handling anyways. It comes with a fancy can of fix-a-flat and air compressor. The Euro models came with a spare so I was able to piece together a the foam tool holders, a spare from an audi, a jack and a couple of trim pieces for about $200. All OEM parts, just not from a US model. And the factory subwoofer was designed to fit into the spare which didn't even exist...
No spare tire?
- Thread starter Chris
- Start date
It's becoming really common to have NO spare tire at all in smaller cars. My 2017 Golf R came without a spare OR jack - not even a dealer option. No run flats - those are usually crap for handling anyways. It comes with a fancy can of fix-a-flat and air compressor. The Euro models came with a spare so I was able to piece together a the foam tool holders, a spare from an audi, a jack and a couple of trim pieces for about $200. All OEM parts, just not from a US model. And the factory subwoofer was designed to fit into the spare which didn't even exist...
I guess for 98% of cases the fix a flat and compressor will work. But what was wrong with a spare tire? I don't understand auto makers or new cars sometimes.
It's probably the bean counters weighing the statistics of flat frequency and accessibility. That or weight to meet EPA goals...
It seems like fewer and fewer people even know how to change a tire...
Then the only time you will need to open the door is when you have a flat, won't be much room for anything else.
Trade up for an LJ. Remove the back seat, strap down a 35, and there is still room from a big tool/gear box.
The last couple rental cars I've had came without a spare. Just the fix a flat junk you put in with a compressor. I had to use that stuff once and it didn't give me a comfy feeling. I pulled out a nail, put the stuff in, waited until it came of the hole, then parked on the hole. Waited 20 minutes, filled it up to pressure and it stayed up.
The Mini-cooper is too small to carry a spare in the car, but I have one in the garage. However, my lug nuts are stuck on the front from corrosion, so I need to fix that after getting a new locking lug nut socket. Since it broke the one I was using. There isn't even a spot for a spare in that car. The battery is under the floor in the rear compartment since there's no space for it up front.
My daughter's car must have been an old rental car and didn't have a spare so I bought the entire spare tool kit and a full sized tire off a similar one at the Upull-it yard. I'm not a fan of the donut tires at all so I left that and took one of the regular tires off the car instead.
I have a spare on the Jeep but need to find a better off road jack and lug nut wrench setup. I'd probably call my wife to bring the floor jack and better tools rather than mess with the little OEM stuff if I needed the tire off. Otherwise the little compressor and tire patch kit in the emergency road kit I carry might work better.
The Mini-cooper is too small to carry a spare in the car, but I have one in the garage. However, my lug nuts are stuck on the front from corrosion, so I need to fix that after getting a new locking lug nut socket. Since it broke the one I was using. There isn't even a spot for a spare in that car. The battery is under the floor in the rear compartment since there's no space for it up front.
My daughter's car must have been an old rental car and didn't have a spare so I bought the entire spare tool kit and a full sized tire off a similar one at the Upull-it yard. I'm not a fan of the donut tires at all so I left that and took one of the regular tires off the car instead.
I have a spare on the Jeep but need to find a better off road jack and lug nut wrench setup. I'd probably call my wife to bring the floor jack and better tools rather than mess with the little OEM stuff if I needed the tire off. Otherwise the little compressor and tire patch kit in the emergency road kit I carry might work better.
The spare was an option when we bought our '14 Fiat "Pop", it comes with the afore mentioned can of fix-a-flat and a compressor. We got the spare. This reminds me of a brand specific motorhome forum I'm on occasionally. This brand had suddenly stopped putting spare tires on their motorhomes! This is when I found out just how effete the motorhome crowd is. I was rather snottily informed that they would just call for help. Yea, that really works in Death Valley and many of the other places I'd take a motorhome!
The ONE TIME I got a flat in the R the screw I hit tore a big enough hole that the fix-a-flat did not even have a chance of working. I ran over the screw as I was parallel parking so turning the wheel back and forth just caused the screw to demolish the tire. Of course this was while out of town on a weekend trip with my wife. Had to take an extra day off work. No one for hours around Santa Rosa had the tire size I needed. Factory size of 235/35/R19 is not super common I guess. Thanks for the memories!
Yea, the last time I had a flat, I ran over a screwdriver on my way home from the shooting range! Fix a flat wasn't gonna fix that! I just happened to stop next to a highway maintenance crew, who were utterly flabberghasted that I promptly jacked the car up and changed the tire! 10 minutes later, I was on my way - to the tire store, but on my way nonetheless.
jesseshoots
TJ Enthusiast
I'm building a platform to raise the spare about 6" off the floor. That gives me enough room to slide the windows/soft uppers underneath. There is enough room behind the driver seat for my backpack/clothes and behind the passenger seat for a tool bag. Then I'm going to do a basket that attaches to the tub rails for a cooler. I'll make sure to post it all in my build thread when I get to it.
There's advantages and disadvantages.
Advantage: You have a spare. Always helpful. Gives that classic Jeep look. The added weight can make the Jeep ride nicer on the street.
Disadvantage: They're heavy. Departure angles can suffer. Often larger tires require beefy mounts unless you enjoy bending your tailgate.
I've run my Jeep both ways. For what I do departure angle isn't gonna be effected by the spare. I like the look so I run it.
I will say, lifting a 35 up on the mount is not all that fun.
Advantage: You have a spare. Always helpful. Gives that classic Jeep look. The added weight can make the Jeep ride nicer on the street.
Disadvantage: They're heavy. Departure angles can suffer. Often larger tires require beefy mounts unless you enjoy bending your tailgate.
I've run my Jeep both ways. For what I do departure angle isn't gonna be effected by the spare. I like the look so I run it.
I will say, lifting a 35 up on the mount is not all that fun.
A good number of cars today are coming with plug kits and sometimes a cheap compressor.
If you're watching sponsored jeeps, then yes they probably do have some sort of crew. Unfortunately; the trend now is 40s and tons, so it's hard for them to carry a spare.
Compressor and plugs will fix most trail flats pretty quick. However, it can be a little annoying waiting for a guy with no spare to reseat a bead, holding everyone else up on the trail. Or it's a trip back to the trailer for the spare.
Greenmachine
TJ Enthusiast
Can you tell us what the on road difference is without the spare? Does the rear bounce worse on bumbs and stuff?
I can tell you the vehicle feels much more peppy off the line, and it would seem that it’s not as harsh on road imperfections.
That's what I did. There's still plenty of room in an LJ for a tool box, cooler or any other gear that can be stacked on top of the tire.Trade up for an LJ. Remove the back seat, strap down a 35, and there is still room from a big tool/gear box.
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