No Spare Wheel - What to do?
Discussion
Good breakdown cover I'd say!
If you didn't have 2 different sizes to worry about I'd agree with the keeping a spare at home - that way at least after being recovered home (inevitably Saturday/Sunday, with an early start needed on Monday of course) you'd be mobile again straight away.
But in your case you would probably end up with the significant cost of two new wheels and tyres that would probably never get used (or when you do need it, sod's law would dictate it's when you're at the other end of the country...)
I have a "string" type repair kit though I've not used it - I want to try it out on an old tyre first to see what happens. But again it's only useful with a normal puncture rather than anything catastrophic.
If you didn't have 2 different sizes to worry about I'd agree with the keeping a spare at home - that way at least after being recovered home (inevitably Saturday/Sunday, with an early start needed on Monday of course) you'd be mobile again straight away.
But in your case you would probably end up with the significant cost of two new wheels and tyres that would probably never get used (or when you do need it, sod's law would dictate it's when you're at the other end of the country...)
I have a "string" type repair kit though I've not used it - I want to try it out on an old tyre first to see what happens. But again it's only useful with a normal puncture rather than anything catastrophic.
The Mad Monk said:
Newish car. No spare wheel. What should I do?
Buy a large aerosol of tyre gloop?
Make sure I have a good breakdown service?
Leave a spre wheel at home - better make that two, the fronts and rears are different sizes?
Start believing in the power of prayer?
Any other suggestions?
Buy a spare wheel and jack etc.Buy a large aerosol of tyre gloop?
Make sure I have a good breakdown service?
Leave a spre wheel at home - better make that two, the fronts and rears are different sizes?
Start believing in the power of prayer?
Any other suggestions?
There are multiple DIY repair kits available.
Spare wheel at home isn't a lot of use unless you get a puncture at home.
Unlikely prayers will help
Breakdown recovery might be an option.
Presumably the car has runflats ?
When did you last get a puncture ? Do you travel far ?
The Mad Monk said:
Plymo said:
I have a "string" type repair kit though I've not used it - I want to try it out on an old tyre first to see what happens. But again it's only useful with a normal puncture rather than anything catastrophic.
What's a 'string' repair kit?You use a pointed tool to force the folded over rubber string stuff into the hole, and the string then seals the hole and glues itself in.
It's a "temporary" repair now, but I do have an old Morris Minor manual (when tubeless tyres were a new thing) which states they are alright as a permanent repair.
Personally I'd go for a proper mushroom plug type when possible though
Is there room under the boot floor for a skinny get you home spare wheel, also note you'll need a bag of some sort for a suitable folding jack and wheelbrace, handy if these will fit inside the dish of the wheel.
Should be able to find the right skinny spare used on the usual auction site (make sure it fits before you need it in anger, might not go over large front discs and only fit on the rear, that'll be fun with a flat front tyre on a cold wet night), make sure whatever you use as a wheelbrace that its a 6 sided socket with enough leverage.
I know lots of people don't feel the need for a spare, but blowed if i'm waiting around for a breakdown truck at the most awkward time and place, nor having me pants pulled down paying through the nose for an emergency out of hours tyre purchase.
Should be able to find the right skinny spare used on the usual auction site (make sure it fits before you need it in anger, might not go over large front discs and only fit on the rear, that'll be fun with a flat front tyre on a cold wet night), make sure whatever you use as a wheelbrace that its a 6 sided socket with enough leverage.
I know lots of people don't feel the need for a spare, but blowed if i'm waiting around for a breakdown truck at the most awkward time and place, nor having me pants pulled down paying through the nose for an emergency out of hours tyre purchase.
Edited by Smint on Saturday 25th June 11:35
The Mad Monk said:
Newish car. No spare wheel. What should I do?
Buy a large aerosol of tyre gloop?
Make sure I have a good breakdown service?
Leave a spre wheel at home - better make that two, the fronts and rears are different sizes?
Carry a can of tyre foam.Buy a large aerosol of tyre gloop?
Make sure I have a good breakdown service?
Leave a spre wheel at home - better make that two, the fronts and rears are different sizes?
Why wouldn't you have breakdown cover anyway?
If there is actually space for a spare just get the smaller one, it will get you home & remove the stress out of the tyre purchase.
All new cars now have TPMS so you will get advance warning & have the time to hopefully be able to sort it out before it is a full blow out.
My cars came one with nothing, one with a space-saver.
The one with a space saver has got a full size spare now. The one without will only fit a space-saver in it, but with an inch off the height of the floor of the boot & a piece of MDF fitted under it, it now has a full size spare.
I have four cars that do not have spare wheels.
If they do not have it as OEM I use a plug-in inflator and tire goop.
Worked fine last week.was on a 2000km run and got a screw in the tire-not repairable and tire was an unusual size so had to go to dealer and run the car on goop for the period , much longer than recommended.
It did leak slowly but a few boosts kept it to normal pressure and I rallied the car anyway.
It is a rare enough event for me-in last year years I have had one blowout and three tires with nails/sharp objects. (Compared to five windshields!!(
If they do not have it as OEM I use a plug-in inflator and tire goop.
Worked fine last week.was on a 2000km run and got a screw in the tire-not repairable and tire was an unusual size so had to go to dealer and run the car on goop for the period , much longer than recommended.
It did leak slowly but a few boosts kept it to normal pressure and I rallied the car anyway.
It is a rare enough event for me-in last year years I have had one blowout and three tires with nails/sharp objects. (Compared to five windshields!!(
The Mad Monk said:
Newish car. No spare wheel. What should I do?
Buy a large aerosol of tyre gloop?
Make sure I have a good breakdown service?
Leave a spre wheel at home - better make that two, the fronts and rears are different sizes?
Start believing in the power of prayer?
Any other suggestions?
I've had three, yes there punctures were they gloop crap would never have fixed not those pump up aerosols either. Big rips in the middle of nowhere and in the middle of winter, just buy a proper tyre, space saver on ebay. Buy a large aerosol of tyre gloop?
Make sure I have a good breakdown service?
Leave a spre wheel at home - better make that two, the fronts and rears are different sizes?
Start believing in the power of prayer?
Any other suggestions?
IAmTheWalrus said:
The Mad Monk said:
Newish car. No spare wheel. What should I do?
Buy a large aerosol of tyre gloop?
Make sure I have a good breakdown service?
Leave a spre wheel at home - better make that two, the fronts and rears are different sizes?
Start believing in the power of prayer?
Any other suggestions?
I've had three, yes there punctures were they gloop crap would never have fixed not those pump up aerosols either. Big rips in the middle of nowhere and in the middle of winter, just buy a proper tyre, space saver on ebay. Buy a large aerosol of tyre gloop?
Make sure I have a good breakdown service?
Leave a spre wheel at home - better make that two, the fronts and rears are different sizes?
Start believing in the power of prayer?
Any other suggestions?
No spare provided - just cans of gloop with the Renault log on. In a big foam thing in the rear wheel well which was plenty big enough for a full size wheel.
And it was Friday early evening.
RAC man managed to find a tyre place open & a standard valve fitted.
When he went into Renault in Birmingham on the Monday the new valves (TPMS type) weren't that expensive but the nearest stock was in Germany......
brillomaster said:
I just have a 12v pump in the boot. If a puncture is so severe it can't be managed by pumping it up every half hour, its unlikely any tyre goop would help, in which case its breakdown service time.
In 15yrs driving ive had a slow puncture twice. Never needed recovery for a flat tyre.
People don't intend to drive over a nail.. In 15yrs driving ive had a slow puncture twice. Never needed recovery for a flat tyre.
paintman said:
Eldest checked the tyre pressures on his Meganesport & the valve stem on one snapped off.
No spare provided - just cans of gloop with the Renault log on. In a big foam thing in the rear wheel well which was plenty big enough for a full size wheel.
And it was Friday early evening.
RAC man managed to find a tyre place open & a standard valve fitted.
When he went into Renault in Birmingham on the Monday the new valves (TPMS type) weren't that expensive but the nearest stock was in Germany......
If the tyre valve snapped off......it must have been in a dangerous state already, so that was probably lucky.No spare provided - just cans of gloop with the Renault log on. In a big foam thing in the rear wheel well which was plenty big enough for a full size wheel.
And it was Friday early evening.
RAC man managed to find a tyre place open & a standard valve fitted.
When he went into Renault in Birmingham on the Monday the new valves (TPMS type) weren't that expensive but the nearest stock was in Germany......
Tyre valves do not just randomly break off though
get all of them checked
The Mad Monk said:
What about run flats?
Do they work?
What is your expectation of "work" ?Do they work?
Would they enable you to drive slowly to a safe place ? probably.
Would they enable you to continue as normal ? No.
And of course with runflats TPMS must be working to alert you of the loss of air.
stevieturbo said:
The Mad Monk said:
What about run flats?
Do they work?
What is your expectation of "work" ?Do they work?
Would they enable you to drive slowly to a safe place ? probably.
Would they enable you to continue as normal ? No.
And of course with runflats TPMS must be working to alert you of the loss of air.
I have TPMs (or summat) So presumably a message comes up on the screen warning of pressure loss. I then have 50? miles at a maximum of 50 mph, to get me home, or to my favourite tyre suppliers?
Is that how it works? My apologies for the naive questions.
Gassing Station | Suspension, Brakes & Tyres | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff