ajmarton

I want to have a spare that I can actually feel comfortable about using if necessary. The original is 17 yrs old and I would be concerned about using it (and it is only good on the front). Any suggestions on what you can stick in the luggage wheel well as a practical spare?

Mike Murphy

I would buy a good AAA membership for $40/year. Then you can actually free up that tire space for increased luggage/cargo room.

KC911

Since my spare will not work w/ my 930 rotors/calipers (15" Fuchs), that's what I do. I couldn't imagine attempting to change a front tire on the side of the road with the factory jack, much less having to do the "spare>front>rear shuffle" in the case of problem with a rear tire.

Keith
'88 CE coupe

Mike Murphy

And not to be too ****, but that spare tire/w wheel does weigh something, so removing it will lighten your car just a tad.

KC911

If I recall, I weighed my spare, and it was around 37lbs...add in the jack and tire tools, and I bet it's close to 50lbs total...

Mike Murphy

I actually still have the collapse-able spare in my car. It looks like it's in good shape, but I thought that I should remove it to gain the trunk space. Then I found out that Porsche designed the gas tank in a very odd shape, which takes advantage of the area under the spare wheel! Since I didn't know what ajmarton's car (either a 964 or 911 or 928), I guess it might be the same issue. By the way, I've been told that once you use those spares, it is very difficult to get the tire compressed back into the original size and thus doesn't fit. I wonder if anyone could put some truth to that rumor...

KC911

Since "Murphys Law" does apply here... . Although my spare tire appears to have never been used, I wouldn't want to take a chance on using a 20 year old spare regardless of it's appearance. I've read the caveats about using tires more than 5 years old (dry rot, aging, etc.), and imo, an ORIGINAL spare might just be pushing it (when you're already in a bind)...YMMV.

Mike Murphy

I think I saw a question about the life (age) of a spare tire posted on PCA. I don't think the tech expert had an answer and is going to Porsche on this one. But you're right - rubber degrades over time and a 20 year-old-tire might not even work at all...Better to flat-bad the car to your mechanic, since he's going to have to put a new tire on the wheel anyway. The only caveat is if you drive your car to BFE or want to take it on a trip from IL to CA on good ol' Route 66!

Edgy01

Go buy another collapseable spare for it. You gain little dropping the weight,--and it's at the wrong end anyway. The car was built around that spare. To get all the air out is no big deal. Simply remove the valve from the valve stem. Put it back when it's fully collapsed.

zorro1car

I vote for AAA and save the weight and space. I took mine out and it gave me some extra space. I still have an emergency kit with a small compressor for a slow leak.....

dsmith

Buy from where? Wouldn't mind getting one.

Fyi, I checked some used tire places and found a couple 911 spares. Inflated both and both were cracking badly around the sidewall.
David

ajmarton

AAA is fine and I have the premium membership for a long tow because of the other vintage cars I own but I still would like an actual spare I can use just in case. P.S. I have a 89 911 Cab.

BHMSC

It was about 20 years old at the time and worked just fine (although it seemed like it took forever to inflate it). Luckily, I was less than 10 miles from home. When I was done with it, I took out the valve stem and it deflated back to it's original "storage" size.

A more significant concern with the collapsible spare concept is what do you do when you're on a trip with two people and luggage. The flat won't fit in the spare tire well and, if it's an 8 in wide rear, it may not even fit under the front hood - especially if you have a strut bar like I do. Try the back seat - how do I get it past the harness bar? Maybe I should look into runflat tires (in 15 in. sizes - forget it). Okay, I think I'll just get a couple cans of Fix-a-Flat and a AAA membership.

zorro1car

I have heard that fix-a-flat can actually affect the balance of the tire and when it is repaired, that the fix-a-flat must be cleaned from inside the tire.....

dsmith

And will destroy the wheel and tire, if left in there too long. I used to charge 1/2 labor to service wheels with fix-a-flat in it. Just carry a plug kit for those kinds of punctures on the road. Personally, I have AAA, a 7" spare with 225 tire in trunk (secured to the hood struts) and 2 1/2 ton floor jack and a jack pad. I still would like a reasonable cost spare tire replacement though.
David