Keep as a spare?

You're an old guy. Do whatever your experience and gut tells you to do. Why get into these discussions with people on the internet ?

As to the girls in my life, my wife and daughter, they get taken to Discount Tire and I buy them a full suite of the best rubber available. There is no way one of my girls would roll around with an ancient spare. In the real world what happens is they get a flat from a nail or something so the spare gets put onto the car. Then days become weeks and they just don't get around to going and having the flat tire fixed. Next thing you know, that spare has been on the car a month. You did admit she is spread thin with activities in her life as it is. I wouldn't depend on her to be timely with getting a tire fixed when the spare is getting her down the road. 

frenchyd said:

I fully accept that a 37 year old tire is not safe. 
  The reason I won't take the best of the 31 year old on the car and use it as a spare is because those tires are absolutely junk. Bad. Cracked. Rotted,  and one wouldn't even hold air.  I'd rather leave her without a spare. 
       I just believe there is almost no way 4 brand new tires will fail on her 6 mile trip to college.probably less than 3000 maybe 3500 miles. I believe it's all city streets. Maybe 35 mph.  If I believed that I wouldn't buy that brand of tire.  

  Just in case you are confused. The tires on it Pirelli P7's now are 31 years old.  The spare is an original 1985 Pirelli P5 stored in the trunk since it left the factory. 


 

You keep saying "all four tires" failing. That's bizarre. Only one needs to go flat before she needs to use the E36 M3ty dangerous spare. 

dculberson said:

frenchyd said:

I fully accept that a 37 year old tire is not safe. 
  The reason I won't take the best of the 31 year old on the car and use it as a spare is because those tires are absolutely junk. Bad. Cracked. Rotted,  and one wouldn't even hold air.  I'd rather leave her without a spare. 
       I just believe there is almost no way 4 brand new tires will fail on her 6 mile trip to college.probably less than 3000 maybe 3500 miles. I believe it's all city streets. Maybe 35 mph.  If I believed that I wouldn't buy that brand of tire.  

  Just in case you are confused. The tires on it Pirelli P7's now are 31 years old.  The spare is an original 1985 Pirelli P5 stored in the trunk since it left the factory. 


 

You keep saying "all four tires" failing. That's bizarre. Only one needs to go flat before she needs to use the E36 M3ty dangerous spare. 

Just need to run over 1 nail/screw/etc. to pop a tire. Doesn't matter that it's not a full blow out, still need to slap the spare on, and drive to a shop to get the busted one patched or replaced. You plan to teach her to how to change one and this keeps from being beached on some side street/highway median/etc. If you're are can't afford a 5th of the same style, buy the cheapest option in the same size for the spare. It's still less than the price of a tow/highway assist/you having to come get her unless she's got a triple A membership.

How darest thou threaten to remove a spare tire that sir William Lyons himself came back from the dead and carved out of pristine humpback whale baby fat with a piece of the queen's finest silver?

I bid you good day sir, GOOD. DAY.

Honestly I don't worry much about spares. 

To me, it is really dangerous to attempt a roadside swap just about anywhere I drive anymore, and therefore in the case of a flat I'd be calling a truck to move me off the highway first. And i might just decide to drive slowly on the flat to the nearest tire place. Unlikely to save the tire or the rim at that point anyway. 

I would also recommend that friends and family do the same. Is it a little more money in the case of a flat? Yes, but I'd rather pay the money then get plowed into by a dodge charger driver who's live streaming their morning 80mph makeup routine.

In reply to Cousin_Eddie (Forum Supporter) :

You bring up a valid question.  
 I certainly have opinions and inclinations.  
  But I listened to  the people here and even though I wanted to get her an EV.  When I asked her she didn't want that.  
 She wanted something cheap.  ( I want it to be safe)  

Hence the simple 4 door sedan with a six cylinder automatic.
  My experience  is it's fine to be without a spare.  I never used the one ( yes full sized one) on my truck in 371,000 miles and 20 years.  In spite of nightly parking at the construction site I call home.   Nor  can I remember having a blow out since 1969.  
     In the spring The new Blizzacks have to come off ( or be ruined)  and 4 new wheels and tires will go on. I'm trying to decide if I'm going to give her the wheels  off my XJS 
      But so many people think it's the most dangerous thing they ever heard of I'm considering  altering my position. 
  I like what Robbie said.  If it happens let her call a tow truck.  In all probability  she shouldn't try to change a flat on the side of a freeway ( or even a road)  especially  in weather that can get down to minus 40. 

You asked the question, so either you are trolling or you have doubts about the safety of that spare.  

Which is it? If you truly had doubt, then you are just waiting to have someone post it's ok so you feel better about not replacing the spare. 

Now I wouldn't recommend changing a tire on the side of a busy highway, but we've beat that horse to death in this thread. 

But it probably more likely scenario where she gets out of class (work or practice) and finds the car in the parking lot with a flat tire. If she has to get to hockey practice (or work or home), then a good spare could be the difference between being on the ice that day or waiting for a tow. 

Robbie (Forum Supporter) said:

How darest thou threaten to remove a spare tire that sir William Lyons himself came back from the dead and carved out of pristine humpback whale baby fat with a piece of the queen's finest silver?

I bid you good day sir, GOOD. DAY.

Since Sir William. ( I've been informed that once Knighted it's improper to use their last name).  Died the year this car was built. It's entirely possible he was alive to personally over see the actual installation of said blessed rubber.  Even if done from the comfort of his home.  ( to paraphrase A Good Year. ) 

In reply to No Time :

I don't have doubts about the safety of the spare. I know it's not safe.  But is it safe enough to drive to the nearest tire place should a flat occur?  My gut says yes.  Everyone else thinks it's the most dangerous  thing since the invention of the Guillotine. 
   I'm actually listening to them. ( still not fully convinced, but listening never the less. ) 

 At this point I might put it on and drive it a bit.  If it explodes I doubt it will spread nuclear waste, and all those opponents  can attend my funeral going tisssk Tisk. ;-) 

It sucks getting a flat tire. If you know how to change a tire, and go through the effort, it would really, really suck to get a second flat tire shortly after doing all that work.

In the course of doing my job, I spend a lot of time waiting for tow trucks to arrive. They never get there quickly, especially after dark.

The last time that I personally needed a tow truck, the cops said that the response time for AAA would be far too long, and we would have to use the next towing service on their list. Cash only, but AAA later sent me a refund check for that.

*

Wives, daughters and granddaughters don't always carry cash... but they do always have other negotiable commodities, and occasionally possess unique skill sets.

*

If you can afford to give her a car, you can afford to equip that car with a spare tire that is the same age as the other four on the car. You don't need to spring for a Michelin or a Blizzak. This is a case where you can get away one Chinese or Korean Walmart Special. You would be forgiven for that.

Don't place your granddaughter into a situation where she might need to enter into negotiations.

In reply to frenchyd :

TAKE THAT berkeleyING DANGEROUS PIECE OF E36 M3 OUT OF THE TRUNK BEFORE SOMEBODY ACCIDENTALLY PUTS IT ON A CAR AND DIES. 

And stop arguing with people who give you really good advice. 

Is that clear enough?

...oh, and stop pretending to ask for advice when all you want to do is argue. 

...oh, and learn to properly rotate tires if you are the one responsible for the safety of your family. 
 

(37 years worth of rotation that did not include the spare is wrong)

In reply to classicJackets (FS) :

Stop the Press.  I do know something after all. I drive a school bus nearly 150 miles a day without a spare. 
     The company had at one time more than 130 full sized busses, Short  buses,  vans and minivans. None of which have spare tires. ( we are down to about 90 now)  
In 8 years with the company I've never heard of a flat tire or blowout.  So I asked the service manager. He's never gone out for a flat tire either. He's been here a couple of years more than I have. 
I'm guessing that's around 30 million miles. Mini vans, Vans, buses, etc. we run tires down to 2/32 on the rear and 4/32 on the fronts. Annual DOT inspections won't allow any lower and they are quick to replace worn tires.  
 

Option #1- Your loved ones end up stranded at the side of the road with NO spare tire

Option #2- Your loved ones have a Good Samaritan mount a tire that appears to be perfectly fine but delaminates and explodes 2 miles later at 60 mph and they crash into the concrete barrier wall. 
 

It's safer to have NO spare than a crappy one that looks good.

I'm gonna write a short story.  What its about, I don't know.  However, next time frenchy starts a thread and it gets to the point where he ignores the advice of at least half a dozen members I'll post the story and then we can critique the story instead of his roundly denounced opinion. 

Maybe you should just give her a bus pass.

Woody (Forum Supportum) said:

It sucks getting a flat tire. If you know how to change a tire, and go through the effort, it would really, really suck to get a second flat tire shortly after doing all that work.

In the course of doing my job, I spend a lot of time waiting for tow trucks to arrive. They never get there quickly, especially after dark.

The last time that I personally needed a tow truck, the cops said that the response time for AAA would be far too long, and we would have to use the next towing service on their list. Cash only, but AAA later sent me a refund check for that.

*

Wives, daughters and granddaughters don't always carry cash... but they do always have other negotiable commodities, and occasionally possess unique skill sets.

*

If you can afford to give her a car, you can afford to equip that car with a spare tire that is the same age as the other four on the car. You don't need to spring for a Michelin or a Blizzak. This is a case where you can get away one Chinese or Korean Walmart Special. You would be forgiven for that.

 

Don't place your granddaughter into a situation where she might need to enter into negotiations.

Really you'd have your wife or daughter change a flat tire in our winter weather?   
    Do you know how cold 40 below is?  Or doing it in a snow storm?
 Me? I'd tell her to  Park the car  and call Uber.  Have her father deal with it.  

SV reX said:

Option #1- Your loved ones end up stranded at the side of the road with NO spare tire

 

Option #2- Your loved ones have a Good Samaritan mount a tire that appears to be perfectly fine but delaminates and explodes 2 miles later at 60 mph and they crash into the concrete barrier wall. 
 

It's safer to have NO spare than a crappy one that looks good.

Option 3 call Uber have her father deal with it. 

frenchyd said:

Woody (Forum Supportum) said:

It sucks getting a flat tire. If you know how to change a tire, and go through the effort, it would really, really suck to get a second flat tire shortly after doing all that work.

In the course of doing my job, I spend a lot of time waiting for tow trucks to arrive. They never get there quickly, especially after dark.

The last time that I personally needed a tow truck, the cops said that the response time for AAA would be far too long, and we would have to use the next towing service on their list. Cash only, but AAA later sent me a refund check for that.

*

Wives, daughters and granddaughters don't always carry cash... but they do always have other negotiable commodities, and occasionally possess unique skill sets.

*

If you can afford to give her a car, you can afford to equip that car with a spare tire that is the same age as the other four on the car. You don't need to spring for a Michelin or a Blizzak. This is a case where you can get away one Chinese or Korean Walmart Special. You would be forgiven for that.

 

Don't place your granddaughter into a situation where she might need to enter into negotiations.

Really you'd have your wife or daughter change a flat tire in our winter weather?   
    Do you know how cold 40 below is?  Or doing it in a snow storm?
 Me? I'd tell her to  Park the car  and call Uber.  Have her father deal with it.  

I like* how you keep going back to 40 below tire changing.

Nobody is gonna do that E36 M3.  Not even the AAA guy.  However, its a good thing that only happens during storms and the average temp is much higher.

Stop using edge cases.  No one gives a E36 M3 about edge cases.  What do you plan to tell this girl when the tire blows out on a nice summer day?

*no, no I do not.

frenchyd said:

Woody (Forum Supportum) said:

It sucks getting a flat tire. If you know how to change a tire, and go through the effort, it would really, really suck to get a second flat tire shortly after doing all that work.

In the course of doing my job, I spend a lot of time waiting for tow trucks to arrive. They never get there quickly, especially after dark.

The last time that I personally needed a tow truck, the cops said that the response time for AAA would be far too long, and we would have to use the next towing service on their list. Cash only, but AAA later sent me a refund check for that.

*

Wives, daughters and granddaughters don't always carry cash... but they do always have other negotiable commodities, and occasionally possess unique skill sets.

*

If you can afford to give her a car, you can afford to equip that car with a spare tire that is the same age as the other four on the car. You don't need to spring for a Michelin or a Blizzak. This is a case where you can get away one Chinese or Korean Walmart Special. You would be forgiven for that.

 

Don't place your granddaughter into a situation where she might need to enter into negotiations.

Really you'd have your wife or daughter change a flat tire in our winter weather?   
    Do you know how cold 40 below is?  Or doing it in a snow storm?
 Me? I'd tell her to  Park the car  and call Uber.  Have her father deal with it.  

So why does this thread even exist then? 

In reply to Slippery :

The original question. 

frenchyd said:

Mr_Asa said:

I'm gonna write a short story.  What its about, I don't know.  However, next time frenchy starts a thread and it gets to the point where he ignores the advice of at least half a dozen members I'll post the story and then we can critique the story instead of his roundly denounced opinion. 

How much actual experience  do you have? 

Enough.