Alternative For Carrying A Spare Tire

I was at a class the other day that dealt with electric and hybrid cars and apparently a lot of manufacturers are considering not using spare tires anymore, whether a full-size spare or the reduced size. A lot of it has to do with sacrificing weight and space.

As an alternative, some manufacturers (such as Chevy with the Volt) have included a small air compressor along with tire sealant. Simply fill the tire with the sealant and then inflate the tire again. Barring a catastropic failure in the first place with your tire, it should be enough for you to make it where you need to go.

So I started rooting around Sears the other day and for $20 they have this kit available:

Attachment 15440

It has everything you need for $20 and I haven't exactly heard anything bad about it (yet). My spare tire on my DeLorean is original and of course the tire itself is over 31 years old, so there's no way it'd be a good idea to use it when the time comes. So away to storage it goes. Less weight and a little more space. I might even tuck in my amplifier in the spare tire storage instead.

Alex
6575

I noted this a couple of weeks ago too

http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?55...highlight=soul

Don't forget your AAA card too. It would seem to be the way of the future. Corvettes don't have spares anymore. I just got a GMC hybred and it doesn't have a spare, just the compressor and the tire sealant. I remember when you got a spacer saver doughnut and a heavy bottle of high pressure air to fill it. The bottom line, if you don't hit anything that can destroy your tire (like a curb or a big piece of metal) and you run on tires less than 7 years old, you should be OK. Check your tire pressure regularly. If you have a slow leak you probably have a nail in it. Getting those tire repair kits where you stick a piece of "rope" into the hole can also be cheap insurance.
David Teitelbaum

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kings1527

Barring a catastropic failure in the first place with your tire, it should be enough for you to make it where you need to go.

---

See, this right here is why eliminating a real spare tire is a horrible idea. A spare will cover you in minor and major tire blowouts, whereas a sealant kit will only cover minor issues. Why would you DOWNGRADE your emergency repair solution? That's retarded.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kings1527

I might even tuck in my amplifier in the spare tire storage instead.

---

You're going to want to insulate/seal the compartment if you do this.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Accipiter

Why would you DOWNGRADE your emergency repair solution? That's retarded.

---

Apparently so are most current car companies then, since many new cars don't have spares and more are being designed like this to save weight and space. Cell phones have more or less made them obsolete, as well as the fact that 95% (made-up statistic based on observations) of drivers nowadays wouldn't know how (or want to) to change a tire if their life depended on it. If you are running the original DMC spare tire as a spare you may as well leave it at home anyway. If it's even holding air, it won't drive on the car for very long.

Disclaimer - I still have one in my car. I have no idea whether or not there is air in it.

Here's an open question (maybe someone should setup a survey - How many years have you been driving? How many times have you actually used a spare to move your car after a flat tire? In my case - about 40 years, and I can think of one time. Way back when I was buying used tires. . .

I've owned well over 10 cars in the last 15 years and only used a spare once (sort of twice).
About 4 1/2 years ago, i was in a hurry (my own dumb fault) cut a corner too sharp and ripped the sidewall of my tire open on a sharp corner of a sewer grate. My truck at the time had a full size spare, so I changed it and was on my way.
I was still driving on the spare a week later when I was in an accident and the truck was totaled.
That accident blew out another tire, so I picked up a bald used garbage tire for a few bucks to thrown on the truck so I could push it around (eventually sold the wreck later)

In both of those cases, sealant would have been worthless. I'd definitely rather have an actual tire, for the same reason I wear a seatbelt- when you need it, nothing else will do.

Ive been driving for over 30 years , Ive used a spare many times. I lived in a new development (at the time y2000) new construction and their was a lot of road debris for number of years. I had a new car too at the time. Changed it at least 4 times.

But progress is progress I guess

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DMCMW Dave

How many years have you been driving? How many times have you actually used a spare to move your car after a flat tire? In my case - about 40 years, and I can think of one time. Way back when I was buying used tires. . .

---

Disclaimer: I always buy new tires, and I don't skimp on brand/quality.

I've been driving for 18 years, and I've needed a spare tire four times over that time period (that I can remember). Out of those four instances, two of them would not have been helped by sealant and air compressor. They were catastrophic enough to be unpatchable and require a full replacement. The most recent instance was one of those massive failures, and I was very happy that Audi includes a full-size spare. (It was a rainy day and the tire blew on the interstate and my girlfriend and I really needed to get home.)

With cars being as fuel efficient as they are these days and as powerful as they are, the whole notion of not including a spare "to save weight" is ridiculous. The weight added to a car by a spare tire is negligible compared to cargo, or even passengers. Automobile manufacturers aren't doing it to save weight, they're doing it to save money. Cellphone coverage isn't available everywhere (I'm currently taking a road trip across the country and I can vouch for this in LOTS of places), and even if there was coverage I could easily change a tire in a fraction of the time it would take to call for a tow, have them show up, tow me to a shop and have THEM change my tire. (And as for the people who don't know how to change a tire? They need to learn. Simple.)

Even if you've gone 50 years without ever needing a spare tire, it's as simple as this: I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. I will never ever buy a car that did not include a spare tire.

In the past 20 years I have had two occurrences where a tire has needed changed, one at the side of an interstate in AL in pre-cellphone days and one here in ATL 3 years ago (that was the bad one as it was my wife who had the car - she had to get a "Manuel" at the gas station to change it for her)

Recently, I had two nails-in-tires that were discovered by the TPMS before they deflated. TPMS may be a large part of why spares are disappearing.

Here's another twist - My 2010 Grand Caravan supposedly has a spare tire. Whether is is full size or donut, I do not know. Whether it has air or not, I do not know. Hell, whether it is even present, I do not know. Why - because to allow the presence of the flip down Stow and Go seating, the spare is located in a cavity under the car, midway between the driver's and front passenger's seats. There is a hex bolt head in the floor and you use a long socket type wrench to lower the wheel to the ground and then a shepherds crook type thing to pull it out from underneath.

You need a lift to check the air in the spare and two men to put the spare back in place.

So honestly, will I (or more importantly, my wife) ever use this damn thing. I think not. 1-800-AAA will be called. But if, as Chris points out, if I am in a dead zone, I guess I'll have to and hope it is still functional.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DMCMW Dave

Apparently so are most current car companies then, since many new cars don't have spares and more are being designed like this to save weight and space. Cell phones have more or less made them obsolete, as well as the fact that 95% (made-up statistic based on observations) of drivers nowadays wouldn't know how (or want to) to change a tire if their life depended on it. If you are running the original DMC spare tire as a spare you may as well leave it at home anyway. If it's even holding air, it won't drive on the car for very long.

Disclaimer - I still have one in my car. I have no idea whether or not there is air in it.

Here's an open question (maybe someone should setup a survey - How many years have you been driving? How many times have you actually used a spare to move your car after a flat tire? In my case - about 40 years, and I can think of one time. Way back when I was buying used tires. . .

---

Agreed, they are doing this more for Fuel Efficient Vehicles. I doubt we'll see Spares being taken off of Trucks and SUVs anytime soon since companies know they are used in rougher conditions and really popular out in the country, so it would be silly not to have a spare. While stuff like the Volt is not designed for Off Roading and reducing any unnesccary weight will improve mileage, so it makes sense to do the fix-a-flat thing instead.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DMCMW Dave

Here's an open question (maybe someone should setup a survey - How many years have you been driving? How many times have you actually used a spare to move your car after a flat tire?

---

I personally rode in a DeLorean that in 2010 sliced one of its rear sidewalls on a piece of jagged concrete pavement while traveling away from home. Fortunately the owner carried a full size radial spare, not a donut spare, because he had to drive all over an unfamiliar city to find an in stock 235/60-15 tire. Fix-a-Flat would have been useless in this case. AAA would have towed him to the first tire shop and left him there, irrespective of a suitable tire being in stock. Had this incident happened after hours, the owner would have been stuck overnight.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dangermouse

I noted this a couple of weeks ago too

http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?55...highlight=soul

---

Thanks for that link. I must've missed it. There was great conversation there.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Accipiter

See, this right here is why eliminating a real spare tire is a horrible idea. A spare will cover you in minor and major tire blowouts, whereas a sealant kit will only cover minor issues. Why would you DOWNGRADE your emergency repair solution? That's retarded.

I see what you're saying about downgrading, but I actually think there's been some good research and thought behind it. I'd venture a guess and say that car companies findings have been that the majority of people don't suffer catastrophic damage and are relatively a short distance to a qualified repair/replacement center. So all that they would need is something to keep them going and get them there. Also include modern cars with tire sensors that'll throw a light when the pressure is too low. That could help save someone from running on a flat and destroying their tire. Not to mention, run-flat tires which are being discussed right now in this thread. So I think modern technology has also helped tire sealant become a viable option.

You're going to want to insulate/seal the compartment if you do this.

---

Thanks for that! I think I'd also rest it on washers to keep it somewhat elevated in the event of a leak.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DMCMW Dave

Apparently so are most current car companies then, since many new cars don't have spares and more are being designed like this to save weight and space. Cell phones have more or less made them obsolete, as well as the fact that 95% (made-up statistic based on observations) of drivers nowadays wouldn't know how (or want to) to change a tire if their life depended on it. If you are running the original DMC spare tire as a spare you may as well leave it at home anyway. If it's even holding air, it won't drive on the car for very long.

Disclaimer - I still have one in my car. I have no idea whether or not there is air in it.

Here's an open question (maybe someone should setup a survey - How many years have you been driving? How many times have you actually used a spare to move your car after a flat tire? In my case - about 40 years, and I can think of one time. Way back when I was buying used tires. . .

---

I've been driving for nearly 20 years and out of maybe 7-8 times I've had tire problems, only about twice I can think of where I had to put a spare on. And only once it was something catastrophic that I did not cause and tire sealant wouldn't have helped. Everything else was either easily repairable, very slow leak to where I had a matter of days to take care of it, or my negligence from being young and driving too far on a really flat tire. :disapprove: I think preventive maintance and regularly checking your tires for damage and wear problems is huge.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Exolis

Agreed, they are doing this more for Fuel Efficient Vehicles. I doubt we'll see Spares being taken off of Trucks and SUVs anytime soon since companies know they are used in rougher conditions and really popular out in the country, so it would be silly not to have a spare. While stuff like the Volt is not designed for Off Roading and reducing any unnesccary weight will improve mileage, so it makes sense to do the fix-a-flat thing instead.

---

Totally agree with that. People who have SUVs and Trucks could care less about the weight. They need performance and don't want to get stuck without a spare when they're 30 miles deep in the backwoods.

Alex
6575

Here's what I don't get: they're replacing the spare with this fix-a-flat crap to save on costs, right? Yet they are openly inviting a lawsuit against them for someone with major tire damage who uses it and attempts to drive off in it. If a tire's sidewall is slashed, this isn't going to fix it, but you know some idiot will try it anyways. And when he does, guess who's lawyering up? Even a settlement more than offsets the costs savings from omitting the spare. In this corporate America, where anyone can sue for the most idiotic reasons, they're actually making it easier for the suing party. At some point they're going to learn this the hard way, and frankly, considering how long they've been doing this, I'm amazed it hasn't happened yet.

Why am I the one coming up with this crap when it's the idiots who excel at low-level creativity such as this? :confused0:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Accipiter

That's retarded.

---

Please don't use that word in that manner. Nothing against you personally, but it really irks me any time I see that offensive term used lightheartedly like that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dangermouse

Recently, I had two nails-in-tires that were discovered by the TPMS before they deflated. TPMS may be a large part of why spares are disappearing.

---

This! TPMS is required on all new cars now and will give you warning to a tire running low on pressure (the most frequent cause of a random total blowout). I accomplish the same thing with a D by simply checking the pressure on a regular basis. Between that and run-flats becoming more common, the spare tire is as obsolete as ignition points. Sure, some like to point out that a compressor, fix-a-flat and cell phone aren't 100% reliable, but neither is a spare. How many people that rely on spares can't use them because they are too old (like the ones in most DeLoreans), out of air (very common from not getting frequent checking/maintenance), or somehow had multiple blowouts?

A compressor is fast and way quicker then putting on a spare, so I'll keep doing that and has been all I've needed in about 8-10 flats I've had in the last 12 years.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EMDF

Please don't use that word in that manner. Nothing against you personally, but it really irks me any time I see that offensive term used lightheartedly like that.

---

It's not an offensive term. It's English, and wholly appropriate:

Quote:

---

retard [ ri-tahrd, for 1–3, 5; ree-tahrd for 4 ]

verb (used with object)
1. to make slow; delay the development or progress of (an action, process, etc.); hinder or impede.

verb (used without object)
1. to be delayed.

noun
1. a slowing down, diminution, or hindrance, as in a machine.

---

It's only offensive if you want it to be, and there is a world of difference between "you're retarded" and "that's retarded". One is a derogatory insult. The other is not. Just because a word means something in one context doesn't mean that's always what it means in all contexts.

A downgraded emergency repair solution is a hindrance. Retarded.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by hmm252000

This! TPMS is required on all new cars now and will give you warning to a tire running low on pressure (the most frequent cause of a random total blowout). I accomplish the same thing with a D by simply checking the pressure on a regular basis. Between that and run-flats becoming more common, the spare tire is as obsolete as ignition points. Sure, some like to point out that a compressor, fix-a-flat and cell phone aren't 100% reliable, but neither is a spare. How many people that rely on spares can't use them because they are too old (like the ones in most DeLoreans), out of air (very common from not getting frequent checking/maintenance), or somehow had multiple blowouts?

A compressor is fast and way quicker then putting on a spare, so I'll keep doing that and has been all I've needed in about 8-10 flats I've had in the last 12 years.

---

Again, it's still a matter of needing and not having versus not needing and having. Nothing is 100% reliable, but a spare tire is still more reliable than the fix-a-flat solution. Me, I carry both - a spare tire, as well as a can of fix-a-flat as part of my emergency kit.

And spare tires ARE supposed to be maintained, just like the rest of them. Forgetting to maintain it isn't the spare tire's fault or a flaw in having it. You're pointing out the unreliability aspects of having a spare as being a lack of maintenance. So it stands to reason that maintaining a spare (again, as should be done anyway) makes it a perfectly reliable solution. Exactly my point.

Though now I'm pondering what would be involved in designing a pressure warning system for my D. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Accipiter, earlier

See, this right here is why eliminating a real spare tire is a horrible idea. A spare will cover you in minor and major tire blowouts, whereas a sealant kit will only cover minor issues. Why would you DOWNGRADE your emergency repair solution? That's retarded.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Accipiter

It's not an offensive term. It's English, and wholly appropriate:

[definition]

It's only offensive if you want it to be, and there is a world of difference between "you're retarded" and "that's retarded". One is a derogatory insult. The other is not. Just because a word means something in one context doesn't mean that's always what it means in all contexts.

A downgraded emergency repair solution is a hindrance. Retarded.

---

That doesn't even remotely begin to fit in with the context that you used it in, and neither does your explanation. Here is how Google defines "retarded":

Quote:

---

Less advanced, esp. mentally, than is usual for one's age

---

Princeton:

Quote:

---

mentally retarded: people collectively who are mentally retarded; "he started a school for the retarded"

relatively slow in mental or emotional or physical development; "providing a secure and sometimes happy life for the retarded"

---

Dictoinary.com:

Quote:

---

characterized by retardation: a retarded child.

---

The context you used it in referred to these definitions. You don't see people using the "N" word to describe the color of a tire, and in case you haven't noticed, the word "retarded" has pretty much dropped out of everyone's vocabulary. There's a reason for that. I would greatly appreciate it if you could stop being such a dick about it and just stop using its slang definition.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DMCMW Dave

Disclaimer - I still have one in my car. I have no idea whether or not there is air in it.

---

I'm sure your spare has AIR in it. I'm also sure it's Low on AIR PRESSURE. :biggrin:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DMCMW Dave

an open question (maybe someone should setup a survey - How many years have you been driving? How many times have you actually used a spare to move your car after a flat tire? In my case - about 40 years, and I can think of one time. Way back when I was buying used tires. . .

---

30 yrs driving.

5 actual driving flat tire events. 5 different vehicles 2 were "Courtesy cars" no charge but use at "own risk". 4 events relied on using the Full Size Spare. All Spares were low on pressure but had enough to allow me to drive SLOWLY to a nearby service station or farmers air compressor)

One was a Hidden Road Hazard DOUBLE Blowout during a Snow Storm in Eau Claire WI. Winter of 07 or 08. Both Driver side tires got slashed by Steel angle legs/feet protruding from a construction Zone Barricade turned side ways on the road shoulder. 8 inches of unplowed snow covered them. Needles to say that was an adventure. The good thing was that it happened near an exit in front of the Eau Claire Mall Sears tire center (After hours). I was able to hobble the car into their Unplowed parking lot. A nice fellow stopped to offer assistance ( I accepted) and took me to local motel a a half mile away. The Next day I got 2 new tires and was on my way home.

"Mentally retarded" is not the same thing as "retarded" so stop trying to imply that I said something I didn't. I'm sorry you're offended, but you're getting bent out of shape for absolutely no reason. That's like getting mad at someone for using the term "niggardly".

P.S.: if you've ever used the terms "dumb" or "stupid" (you have) you should hate yourself for the same reason you hate me because while "retard" is a generic word to mean "impede progress", "dumb" and "stupid" are SPECIFIC terms that directly reference mental disabilities.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DMC5180

Needles to say that was an adventure.

---

http://i.imgur.com/HCtD6l.jpg

:D

DOH! You got me on that one. :hysterical:

Oh Oh...The Off Topic Gauge:
Attachment 15462

I would never go anywhere far w/o a spare... When I can, I always upgrade to full size spares as well. It's just getting harder to carry every time I go a size bigger on my Grand Cherokee :histerical1:....

To me NOT having the peace of mind of a full-size spare is just... in a word... retarded.:wink:

Things change. Cars no longer come with cranks or tool kits or extra parts. Tire technology has come a long way. You used to have at least one spare, some old cars had two. They all came not only with the spares but a hand pump and a tool kit with tire irons so you could fix the flat on the side of the road. Most owners also carried an extra inner tube or 2. Nowadays even though many cars still have a spare, very few owners know how or will try, to change the tire. Not only do the car companies save weight, more importantly they also save $$$$$ not supplying a spare tire. If having a spare is that important then consider run-flats. All new cars now have tire pressure monitoring technology because no one was checking tire pressure and causing too many roll-overs.
David Teitelbaum

Run flats are extremely low profile -- not an option on a DeLorean unless the owner also changes the rims.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by davidbrooks

Run flats are extremely low profile -- not an option on a DeLorean unless the owner also changes the rims.

---

Bill,
There are plenty of RF tires out there that are not considered "extremely low profile". At least I don't consider a normal size passenger car tire on a 16 inch wheel "low profile" (RF are available starting at 16 inches). However you are right that one would need to change out the wheels on a D to run them. DMCH did this with their concept D years ago with the custom interior. They enlarged the trunk space by removing the spare and putting RFs on.

What if you have a blow out? I see blown out tires all the time on the side of the interstate. Anyone who says tires never blow out is wrong.

Apparently most tire shops don't mount run flat tires on non TPMS vehicles. To fake out a shop a DeLorean owner would not only have to acquire two different TPMS rims of suitable size (with our particular 4x100 bolt pattern), but would also have take those rims to the shop loose because our cars don't have TPMS electronics in the dash.

Making a full size spare from a junkyard rim (1980's Chryslers used the same bolt pattern) and a standard radial tire is certainly cheaper and arguably easier.

There are plenty of aftermarket TPMS systems out there. You can even put them on our stock wheels if you wanted to. The reason shops may require them for RFs is because you can have a giant hole in your tire and not even know it as it doesn't effect handling.

For me, carrying around a compressor and fix-a-flat is easier then a spare, but to each is their own. As long as I make sure I don't have low pressure in the tires, the chance of a total blowout is very minimal. My last 5 flats, I didn't even need a compressor (never used the can of fix-a-flat yet). Just noticed by chance a nail in the tire, so I drove to the shop and had it fixed. No need to take time out to put on a spare.

I'm not saying carrying around a spare is stupid, it's just fine. However, not carrying around isn't stupid either. Just multiple ways to address situations. It just happens to be more people are moving away from the spare method and using other means.

If the Internet is to be believed: compared to traditional tires, run flats ride harsher, wear out faster (in the real world my mother's Scion does burn through tires about every 25,000 miles), and cost significantly more -- some things for owners to keep in mind as they evaluate options.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by David T

Things change. Cars no longer come with cranks or tool kits or extra parts. Tire technology has come a long way. You used to have at least one spare, some old cars had two. They all came not only with the spares but a hand pump and a tool kit with tire irons so you could fix the flat on the side of the road. Most owners also carried an extra inner tube or 2. Nowadays even though many cars still have a spare, very few owners know how or will try, to change the tire. Not only do the car companies save weight, more importantly they also save $$$$$ not supplying a spare tire. If having a spare is that important then consider run-flats. All new cars now have tire pressure monitoring technology because no one was checking tire pressure and causing too many roll-overs.
David Teitelbaum

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by hmm252000

There are plenty of aftermarket TPMS systems out there. You can even put them on our stock wheels if you wanted to. The reason shops may require them for RFs is because you can have a giant hole in your tire and not even know it as it doesn't effect handling.

For me, carrying around a compressor and fix-a-flat is easier then a spare, but to each is their own. As long as I make sure I don't have low pressure in the tires, the chance of a total blowout is very minimal. My last 5 flats, I didn't even need a compressor (never used the can of fix-a-flat yet). Just noticed by chance a nail in the tire, so I drove to the shop and had it fixed. No need to take time out to put on a spare.

I'm not saying carrying around a spare is stupid, it's just fine. However, not carrying around isn't stupid either. Just multiple ways to address situations. It just happens to be more people are moving away from the spare method and using other means.

---

Both are great points. I think times and technology do change and it's a very rare scenario for a tire to have a blowout when proper maintenance and upkeep has been performed.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by davidbrooks

If the Internet is to be believed: compared to traditional tires, run flats ride harsher, wear out faster (in the real world my mother's Scion does burn through tires about every 25,000 miles), and cost significantly more -- some things for owners to keep in mind as they evaluate options.

---

I had run flats on my Mini Cooper... they rode more harshly, wore out quickly, and would have cost more to replace. I switched them for regular tires (and a can of fix-a-flat) and am much happier now. Ride quality improved significantly.

BTW: In the 28 years I've been driving, I only used a spare once.

[QUOTE=Accipiter;84323]Disclaimer: I always buy new tires, and I don't skimp on brand/quality.

The most recent instance was one of those massive failures, and I was very happy that Audi includes a full-size spare. (It was a rainy day and the tire blew on the interstate and my girlfriend and I really needed to get home.)

QUOTE]

What was so urgent that you and your girlfriend "really had to get home for" ?

...and do you have pictures??

..just saying.....

:-)

I drove on my DeLorean donut once to see if it would work (on a rear tire even!). It actually holds air pretty well. I just drove it around the neighborhood. Probably didn't break 35mph. I wouldn't drive without the spare, even if it only gets me onto the back of a truck or trailer. I dont need that round little space for anything and the weight is pretty negligible. I also carry a plug kit and a battery powered compressor but to me, the spare is worth having.

I don't think an inflation/sealant kit would have worked on this blowout suffered by a fellow owner earlier today. And relying upon AAA probably would have meant a 3+ hour wait on the side of the road in an unfamiliar place.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.n...87153553_n.jpg
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...48425965_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.n...08213467_n.jpg
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...75831271_n.jpg

Luckily, Mr. Rice always carries a full size spare :thumbup2:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NightFlyer

I don't think an inflation/sealant kit would have worked on this blowout suffered by a fellow owner earlier today. And relying upon AAA probably would have meant a 3+ hour wait on the side of the road in an unfamiliar place.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.n...87153553_n.jpg
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...48425965_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.n...08213467_n.jpg
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...75831271_n.jpg

Luckily, Mr. Rice always carries a full size spare :thumbup2:

---

What was the date code on the tire and the last known tire pressure and when was it measured? What speed did this occur at and how quickly were you able to stop. Not only would you have required a LOT of tire sealant, it would have taken several rolls of duct tape too! Look how nicely the full size tire fits into the tire well now! Also looks like someone carries a floor jack so you didn't have to rely on the scissor jack to get the car up.
David Teitelbaum

Wow, that is a great example of why TPMS are now required on new cars. If he had kept it properly inflated, it would not have failed like that. That's why I check the pressures before each long trip on my non-TPMS equipped cars.

Why is everyone assuming that owner neglect / low tire pressure caused this, as opposed to the simple fact that it was a poorly made Chinese tire?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NightFlyer

Why is everyone assuming that owner neglect / low tire pressure caused this, as opposed to the simple fact that it was a poorly made Chinese tire?

---

How old was the tire? I'd guess age, and shotty manufacture.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by thirdmanj

How old was the tire? I'd guess age, and shotty manufacture.

---

The tire, a Primewell PS850, was actually fairly new. And the pressure was checked and set to 32 psi just before the trip.

What's really ironic is that Primewell claims a 97 load rating for this tire - a point higher than most comparables!

Boils down to a cheap Asian (Chinese) made tire.

Moral to this story is two fold:

1) Don't buy Asian made tires!

2) ALWAYS carry a spare - even if it's just the doughnut!

Oooooor, use AAA. They've always come through for me when I've needed them.

This is the question I asked myself when I decided to dump the spare in favor a tool kit a few years ago. At that time BMW was out on the leading the pack by only offering fix-a-flat instead of a spare. So my answer was more than 10 years AND if fix-a-flat is good enough for BMW why not a Delorean! In my book flat tires are a whole lot less of a problem than they once were. In fact I am glad I read this thread, I've had my current can of the stuff in my car so long its most likely time to replace it!

To me a much more relevant spare to carry in a Delorean would be an alternator! I've been on more than one trip with a caravan of Deloreans where someone ended up needing one! On the way to Gettysburg we had to change on in the parking lot at the Hotel in Indianapolis! And as luck would have it, earlier this month, I had my alternator light come on and found the alternator positive lead had burned complete off! I was headed to an Corporate event where a commitment was made and money was involved. Besides it is not every day you can get paid to hang out by the pool at one of the premier Hotels in the Country (Broadmoor Hotel Colorado Springs, Co). Happily all ended well, since I was able to leave my car at another Delorean owners home for the day and he gave me a ride back to Denver to pick up another Rocky Mountain Delorean Club owners car and was able to fulfill the commitment!

Dan
Vin-03254