The spare tire dilemma

[KiwiKid72]

I always carry a spare. The day I leave it behind will be the day I get a puncture in the middle of nowhere. This is guaranteed.

I did swap the factory jack out for a trolly jack.

 

[kiwigtx]

I too have played chance like Ed. I used to carry a 3-ton floor jack around in my Road Runner years ago. But they are way too heavy. I now carry a smaller 2-ton floor jack behind the seat in my A100. The spare is a 275x50x15 - not much chop for the front.

Remember if you have a sure-grip, the both rear tires should be of equal diameter.

Equally so, the front should be the same diameter for tracking and steering precision.

I have toyed with carrying two spares in the A100, with a decent rack to hold both. Probably end up looking like a breakdown vehicle.

So far to date (touch wood) I have only ever had one flat in my Classic vehicles...actually an egg-shaped bulge in my Charger going back about 35 years ago. The tyre shop guy called it "wandering wires".

 

[Ron H]

None of that underneath BS for me

Yep, never was a fan of the spare under the box, one time took me a long-long while to free the wheel from the retractable head as it had rusted. My truck was 10 years old when I bought it and spare had never been out. Sort of thing that should be maintained/lubed and often forgotten. I did until restoring the truck few years later. Hassle though is when I take longer trips, I usually have a bunch of stuff to take so the spare takes up too much valuable box space. Was toying with the idea to have a removable tire mount on the outside of the gate or box. Maybe something like this is made, don’t know offhand.

 

[Detective D]

Yep, never was a fan of the spare under the box, one time took me a long-long while to free the wheel from the retractable head as it had rusted. My truck was 10 years old when I bought it and spare had never been out. Sort of thing that should be maintained/lubed and often forgotten. I did until restoring the truck few years later. Hassle though is when I take longer trips, I usually have a bunch of stuff to take so the spare takes up too much valuable box space. Was toying with the idea to have a removable tire mount on the outside of the gate or box. Maybe something like this is made, don’t know offhand.

On full size, you an usually make a threaded rod attached to the upper box rail in front of the wheel well in the box and stand the spare up in the front corner. If you have a cap or an open box that is. There are ways to make theft deterent part of it. I don;t know about anything newer then 2002 for that though, new box sides might not compare the same plus new wheels are all like what, 22" rims?
I just got this Dakota so I haven;t looked at it that hard yet, but It has a really, really nice($$$) roll up vinyl over aluminum tanneu on it, so I may need to be more creative.

 

[WileERobby]

Road flares. Set of Reflective road warning triangles. A small, inexpensive floor jack. A 4x4 8"L block of wood. A wheel chock. A steel 5" wheel with rear tire diameter. Lug wrench. (lug nuts to match spare if using different style wheel lugs). 2 cans of FlatFix. Mini air-compressor. Tire plug kit with pick and needle-nose pliers. ( I'll look in my trunk to see if my feeble old mind forgot to note an item here... )

 

[Cranky]

Yep, never was a fan of the spare under the box, one time took me a long-long while to free the wheel from the retractable head as it had rusted. My truck was 10 years old when I bought it and spare had never been out. Sort of thing that should be maintained/lubed and often forgotten. I did until restoring the truck few years later. Hassle though is when I take longer trips, I usually have a bunch of stuff to take so the spare takes up too much valuable box space. Was toying with the idea to have a removable tire mount on the outside of the gate or box. Maybe something like this is made, don’t know offhand.

Does your truck have the cable that pulls the spare up? That's what mine have. The last time I had a flat on my 95 Dakota, I threw the ruined old tire into the bed and someone stole it.....probably for the scrap price of the factory aluminum wheel. Just glad it wasn't one of the 15x8's I usually run.

 

[Ron H]

Does your truck have the cable that pulls the spare up

Yep, the long crank wrench you shove into the horned receptor. Lowered the spare and the spring retainer was froze solid. Glad I wasn’t on the road. The wheel was rusted to chit too scrapping it. This was during the resto on the truck replacing the box, fenders, bumper, etc. All the road crap and salt did its due. Much as I maintain my vehicles, didn’t remember to do this for the spare. But it was already a decade old when I got it. Need new rubber anyway and shop is going to get a spare for me. Not sure though if the oversize wheel/tire will fit in the spare space. Still have the original alum wheels and might just go back to those. Being AWD not sure how far one can drive with an inch less dia wheel before it might mess things up..

 

[Cranky]

Yep, the long crank wrench you shove into the horned receptor. Lowered the spare and the spring retainer was froze solid. Glad I wasn’t on the road. The wheel was rusted to chit too scrapping it. This was during the resto on the truck replacing the box, fenders, bumper, etc. All the road crap and salt did its due. Much as I maintain my vehicles, didn’t remember to do this for the spare. But it was already a decade old when I got it. Need new rubber anyway and shop is going to get a spare for me. Not sure though if the oversize wheel/tire will fit in the spare space. Still have the original alum wheels and might just go back to those. Being AWD not sure how far one can drive with an inch less dia wheel before it might mess things up..

Yeah, was thinking road salft after reading the 1st few sentences. I have a limited slip unit in my 2500 diesel and a smaller spare than what's on the ground so just have to go easy on take offs so it doesn't try to lock it up. If I have a flat on the rear, I will for sure be calling road side service and especially so if I'm carrying a load. My newest vehicle is a 97...the 2500 and then a 96 and a 95 Dakota and all the spare tire cables and mechanisms still work fine but we don't use road salt where I'm at thank goodness.

 

[Ron H]

we don't use road salt where I'm

Ahh yes RUST by CC/Salt! In the 80’s, my dad and I restored my mother’s vert, a family ride loaned around the family for extra wheels for years. Many WI winters. Only thing left original was the hood, even the cowling cut out and replaced. Seems about every screw/bolt was either torched or drilled out. Swore I’d never do a rust bucket again. Next car, one I still have, was from CA. What a dream (not entirely) doing the body. Even the original brake lines came off and were able to just re-install those. Shocking surprise after the 1st car.

 

[GTXDAN]

I carry one of these stubby jacks. It's the jack for my fifth wheel. If you've ever had a flat on a camper you know you need something short to get under the axle to jack it up. Now days they make these with double rams that will extend to 15-16". Amazon has lots of them.

 

[1STMP]

Starting some where around 2011, a
spare tire was an option. Fix-a-flat, cel
phones for towing services in case
your flat is non repairable (with Towing
and/or flat repair included in most
auto insurance policies), have
made carrying that spare around
obsolete for those patient enough
to wait for their services. But out here
in the deserts of the southwest, there's
no substitute for a bonified spare.
If your tires are different size front to
rear, and you need to carry a spare,
use your rear tire size. Most Mopar
nuts I know have a sure grip rear.
Placing different size tires there will
destroy that sure grip in short order.
Placing an oversized tire on the front
(same size as your rears) may require
a football size area to do a 180, but
most times, driving straight, or with
minimal turning it will get you to a
service facility.
Being almost 70, I can't remember the
number of times I've limped home
with a rear tire on a front spindle.
Small floor jacks are also available
that don't eat up a ton of trunk space.
Of course, once in this mode, driving
80 mph is out of the question

 

[Dave6T4]

I carry a spare, just for looks. I would never use a factory bumper jack, because they tend to bend/twist the bumper. On a '66-'67 B-body, the car body has to come up so far to get the tire out of the narrow wheel well. Faced with a flat tire, this 76-year-old will use my CAA card and let a professional change it.

 

[WileERobby]

Aint no donut tire ever messed up my rear end lol

Had a donut on a Monte Carlo in the early 80's for a few weeks, maybe couple of months... no problemo.

 

[chargervert]

Harbor Freight sells a small lightweight aluminum floor Jack for $89.00 I have been putting them in all my cars and trucks.

 

[Cranky]

Harbor Freight sells a small lightweight aluminum floor Jack for $89.00 I have been putting them in all my cars and trucks.

I bought a 'trolly' jack to put in my 96 Dakota and it works pretty well and was 39 bucks.

 

[davek]

Dam Ed I havent had a spare tire in the Bee since I bought it. I roll the dice every time I take it out because I dont think about it. . I stay local but I plan on getting a spare for it. And why do you keep changing your icon?

 

[Budnicks]

That's what AAA is for

I have an old 15" spare tire for my RR, 225/70R/15 (27.4") & 6 open lugnuts
& it has RH lugs on all 4 corners now
same diameter as my p295/50/15 TA Radials appr. 27.5" tall
who knows from what or where, about 10 years old now
sits in the shade in the shed, keep checking them often
hold air really well
it's stays in the shed unless I'm going far away from my house
then I over do it plan too much & I take all kinds of stuff & tools

I have the OE jack for it still, it stays in the trunk
I don't use it

I have a lil' bottle jack a block & a rubber chock, I use when I go somewhere

My 99 Dakota SLT 4x4 has all the stocks stuff, screw jack works just fine
I have tools in it under the rear seat, a tire plug package, can of fill a flat
Except for the tires, they are 32x11.5 Toyos vs the org. 31x10.5
that spare has been under there since new, 31x10.5 crap Goodyear Wranglers
I checked it for air every so often,
and amazingly it holds air well, after 24+ years now (Nov. 1999)

the Org. tires Goodyears didn't last 19k, not even 20k miles,
the Toyos 32x11.5 Open Country have lasted 42k miles now
& still a shitload of tread left like a 1/3rd
unfortunately, they are 20 years old casing now too
that scares me some
It's parked in the garage always no signs of cracking/checking rot etc.
I rotate & swap them side to front to back regularly too

I'm buying 5 new tires & some 5 new rims/wheels too,
put the OE's in the shed for emergency...
Probably buy around the 1st of the year,
I'm going to go to 33x10/15"
& new lighter 5 spoke alum wheels, that'll be $2,300-ish later

I'm tired of the org. alum sliver metallic painted wheels it has
& I'm going to the optional 3.92:1 gears front & rear...
I like wheeling & driving in snow...

so the taller narrower
33x10/15" General Grabber AT/X3 $282 ea. X 5 = $1,410
Machined surface 6 on 4.5"/114.3mm
w/15x8" 5.18"bs Ultra Wheels 051-5886K $162.99 ea. X 5 = $818
will be perfect...
it's a Co. out of LA, I'll buy them thru Summit Racing,
get drop shipped from the Mfgr - free
24+ Gorilla lugs are like another $79-$89 pack of 32

if I had to use one smaller I'd do the tire swap if needed front to rear
my next set of tires will have 5 tires,
for now if it's too big (won't fit under) I'll mount it in the bed
locked so it can't grow legs,
That's not a huge issue here where I live to begin with

 

[DeltaV]

Fred (my '68 GTX) has never had a spare tire since I've owned him; for that matter, I don't even have a conventional factory
bumper jack for him, nor the hardware for mounting same in the trunk.
Yep, I've been rolling the dice on a flat tire for sure...seems like everything else took precedent over the years of Fred
resurrection.

Here's the thing (and I'm sure a lot of others are in the same boat here):
I don't have the same size tires on front vs. rear: 27.4" diameter front (225/70/15), 28.0" (275/60/15) rear.
So....what is everyone in similar situations using for a spare - or do you carry one of each size even?
Do you use the factory jack or something else?

Just buy some larger wheels and use run flat tires. This is the 21st century you know?

Do you use the factory jack or something else?

I used the bumper jack on my '71 Satellite once. Never ever again. Subsequently, I kept a bottle jack, a scissors jack, two 3-legged death jack stands in the trunk along with various full fluid containers. I never needed any of it of course. That's how Murphy's Law works.

I never used the bumper jacks in my other cars that came with bumper jacks. I kept my Craftsman floor jack in the trunk along with two 3-legged death jack stands (now replaced). The bottle jack tagged along too.

 

[moparedtn]

Just buy some larger wheels and use run flat tires. This is the 21st century you know?

 

[RemCharger]

I solved my spare tire dilemma with sit- ups.

I carry a spare, just for looks.

Ok ok, ya it's true.