Spare Tyre/wheel or Sealant kit?

[MR. FUSION]

The trouble is that an awful lot of drivers don't recognise a puncture when it happens, then they claim they've had a blowout, yes blowouts happen but an ordinary puncture is way more common.
Perhaps the good sound insulation of modern vehicles makes recognising a puncture more difficult?

The way to help that situation of course is to regularly visually inspect the tyres and take the pressures. I do that quite regularly, the tyre I replaced recently with a big nail in it passed the visual (the nail was in the tyre tread on the ground) but failed the pressure check.

 

[The general]

After experiencing problems without a spare it's really a no brainer. If payload was a BIG issue I'd rather leave the wife at home than travel without a spare wheel/tyre again.
If you'd stood in a layby near Tongue (northern Scotland) for 4 days waiting for a tyre then you to would need to carry a spare.

Tongue not a bad place to be stranded !

 

[SpeedyDux]

A spare wheel was on my "must have" list when choosing our PVC.

I still remember a blowout on the A4 direction Reims. 5 holes in a front tyre you could put a hand through. Luckily we were only yards away from a motorway aire de repos. Crawled onto the aire in bottom gear along the hard shoulder, so I could change the wheel in relative safety and didn't need to make an expensive emergency callout.

 

[peterc10]

I used to not carry a spare. Then I got a front side wall tyre failure whilst travelling at 60mph at 8pm on a rainy November night on a left hand bend on a dual carriageway 6 miles from home. No amount of gunge would work on that and nor would having a spare tyre because the alloy rim was ruined by the time I stopped. Very stressful as I could not get completely off the carriageway so first call was to the police, who were out pretty quickly to control traffic.

We were only 6 miles from home but did not rescued to back home for 5 hours. The tyre flailing around bent the brake pipe going to the well so that had to be sorted out, as well as a new tyre and wheel. So bought another wheel and a second tyre and we now always have a spare. Just not worth the hassle again.

 

[ambulancekidd]

The way to help that situation of course is to regularly visually inspect the tyres and take the pressures. I do that quite regularly, the tyre I replaced recently with a big nail in it passed the visual (the nail was in the tyre tread on the ground) but failed the pressure check.

I was a tyre fitter in a previous life & I'm quite fastidious about checking tyres.
Your quite right when you've mentioned tyre pressures, its a simple check & only takes a few seconds.

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[Sandancers]

Please tell me where I can get one if these “blow job kits” to which you refer.
Thanks.

Bound to be several retailers selling them in your town. Not sure of the going price tho.

 

[MR. FUSION]

I carry a spare wheel & the moose stuff could be handy on a motorway & get mobile to safety quickly.
I also carry an airbag jack which can get the vehicle in the air in seconds.

The trouble is that an awful lot of drivers don't recognise a puncture when it happens, then they claim they've had a blowout, yes blowouts happen but an ordinary puncture is way more common.
Perhaps the good sound insulation of modern vehicles makes recognising a puncture more difficult?

Can you recommend an airbag jack for my 3.5 T as I would like to get one. I have never used one, so does it just go under the jacking point ? Thanks.

 

[ambulancekidd]

Can you recommend an airbag jack for my 3.5 T as I would like to get one. I have never used one, so does it just go under the jacking point ? Thanks.

The best inflatable jack is the ARB X Jack but, they're a tad expensive at over £200 + postage.

As with most things, the Chinese copies are really very good & half the price.

They are simply placed under the jacking points but, total accuracy isn't normally required, common sense is important though as you don't want to put the jack under the exhaust or really weak parts of the vehicle.
I have a very arthritic hip & scrabbling about on the ground doesn't appeal the way it used to, so the inflatable jack is a boon.
Have a wee look at eBay item number: 283530318783

 

[Spriddler]

I had to do several miles (at between 10 and 30mph due to traffic density) on the short concrete sections of the M40 yesterday. The thumping shook the steering wheel, dashboard and cutlery something awful making me suspect a flat tyre. There wasn't of course.

 

[AXO66]

Anybody know the difference in weight of a spare tyre only, and a tyre and steel rim.
Currently carry a spare tryre in the shower( lies flat!) so now wondering about putting a rim inside it.

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[HandyAndy]

Unless you are really really stuck for weight then buy a tyre!! Because being a mechanic I can tell you now that more often than not, that bottle of goo is next to sodding useless!

 

[MR. FUSION]

The best inflatable jack is the ARB X Jack but, they're a tad expensive at over £200 + postage.

As with most things, the Chinese copies are really very good & half the price.

They are simply placed under the jacking points but, total accuracy isn't normally required, common sense is important though as you don't want to put the jack under the exhaust or really weak parts of the vehicle.
I have a very arthritic hip & scrabbling about on the ground doesn't appeal the way it used to, so the inflatable jack is a boon.
Have a wee look at eBay item number: 283530318783

Thanks very much for putting that info together

 

[Bognor Saint]

Please tell me where I can get one if these “blow job kits” to which you refer.
Thanks.

You could try Anne Summers?

 

[MR. FUSION]

You could try Anne Summers?

Do you have her phone number ?

 

[G-RMPS]

I am seriously weight-limited. I recently noticed my breakdown cover requires a spare tyre, so that’s another 13kg behind the rear axle, though the passenger footwell would be the “best” place for it. I change my tyres at 5-6 years regardless fo tread and keep an eye on Tyrepal pressures. And then keep fingers crossed!

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[TinTentTourist]

On a course many years ago I was told that many punctures are caused by under inflated tyres.
Tyres do not always hold pressure for months on end and need topping up - some more than others.
Under inflated tyres cause more friction on the road surface and that causes them to heat up. Warm or hot rubber is more susceptible to puncturing and in some cases even worse. Tyres that explode are often found to have been caused by this, as the heat not only makes the tyres soft, but also causes the air inside to expand creating more pressure than the soft rubber can handle.
Personally, I think that not having a spare wheel is a bad thing. Manufacturers are saving a few £ at your expense and the gunk kits (which are a service item often not replaced) are in my humble experience, absolutely useless.
As well as a spare wheel, a small 12v compressor and a digital tyre gauge, are well worth carrying. The latter two can be got from Tesco or the like for a few £ and weigh next to nothing. You don't need super accuracy, as long as you have consistency with pressures, and if one is a little down, a couple of minutes to top it up will save you a lot of trouble in the long run.
When you are near home, a puncture is not such a big issue, but when you are away on holiday in an unfamiliar area, it is a much bigger deal. Plus it will always be dark and raining, and probably dangerous!!
To me, I think it has to be worth finding a way to carry a spare wheel if one is not supplied.

 

[ambulancekidd]

Do you have her phone number ?

Dunno Ann Summers number but, my number was in every phone box in the land 999 I was a hooker! ?

 

[Bognor Saint]

Do you have her phone number ?

I think you'll find the number in Checkatrade.

 

[Reallyretired]

Rather disappointed that my new (to me) car only has gunk and a pump. Very neatly fittid in a polystyrene thing the same size as a spare wheel. So its not saving space just improving the manufacturers margin. A spare is an optional extra.
I don't travel abroad in it so may put up with it.

 

[Lenny HB]

When my daughter bought a new car a few years ago it had the option of a skinny spare of a full size one at £40. She was grumpy with me for talking her into spending the money on a full size spare. Within 24 hours of picking up the car she got a puncture that wrote off the tyre. New tyre £95, so got a budget tyre for £38 & swapped the spare over so she was up on the deal.

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