Jim Devine

What do you do for a spare tire? My car (86.5) has the
original, unused spare + compressor etc. At over 20 years old,
are they of any use at that age? Would I be better off
just carrying cans of fix a flat & using the room in the
tire well to carry tools/ belts / hoses etc. or?
Just trying to get ideas from those who use their cars a
lot.

Griffinroydonald

I carry a full size spare in the hatch for use when the time came. I went to large 18'' rims and would never trust the small spare tire.

Jim M.

Fix a flat won't fix large holes or a real blow out. The space saver spare is in a protected location safe from UV rays and ozone. There is no reason it won't last 20+ years. Most owners have found the spares still work long after the 20 year mark. If you have any doubts, inflate it and check to see if it holds air and if there are any age cracks from the rubber deteriorating.

Lastly I wouldn't want a full size spare in my hatch, in the event of a serious accident it could fly forward taking your head with it.

danglerb

I keep my inflatable spares safe in the garage along with two sets of spare wheels and tires.

OTOH I only buy and use the finest quality used tires.

Leon Speed

Pump it up to see if it works + carry a can of fix a flat.

jon928se

I keep the oem spare in the well (There is some thought that it adds to the crash resistance at the rear) for everydat driving.

On longer trips out of town I take an 8x16" CS front wheel with me as well Did this in Europe and even more important here in OZ as once you get out town you might be 500 miles from somewhere where you can only find tyres for Landrcuises, Hilux , Nissan Patrols and Commodores.

Nothing like insurance.

Edit - an 8x16 with a 225/40/16 tyre is the widest that fits right at the rear of the trunk (strapped down with ratchet straps) without hitting the hatch glass.

Rocketman928

I tried to fix a tire that lost the nail at high speeds and it didn't work. By the time I got off the highway the tire was ruined...didn't know until it was fixed and I pump it up....it just kept getting bigger...belts were ruined.
I tried to fix my space saver (came off the bead) and I had 120psi in the spare trying to get it to move back in the right space...so its quite strong.
Found another one and it worked just fine.
The space saver is now the enclosure for my sub woofer. A plastic sheet sits over the spare area and the sub woofer is mounted in the plastic. A neoprene seal between the plastic sheet and the spare rim seals it. Tape off the spoke holes and leave the center opening (like a mild band-pass style enclosure).
This set up works way better than a sub in a box at the back.

bigmac

Used my spare 2 years ago ,it worked as designed. Hard to deflate, all went well.

linderpat

It is tempting to remove it, especialy for the weight reduction aspects (tire, plus tools, plus compressor). I still carry it tho, "just in case"... I also carry the fix a flat can, which I would try to use first.

Tom in Austin

Last flat tire in my household was on my wife's car in the early 90s ... I carry a AAA card and keep a 996 "temporary" spare in the garage ... someday I may regret it, but so far it beats lugging around all that extra weight in back.

Mike Frye

This is stated in 'Projekt 928'.

For crash worthiness I carry the OEM spare but there's about a zero percent chance if I get a flat that I'm going to use that flimsy emergency jack and swap tires on the side of the road.

1. I have a cell phone
2. Flat bed is usually no more than an hour away where I drive.
3. I have spare wheels with tires in my garage if I need them.
4. I don't have the compressor .

BTW- for re-deflating the spare once used, remove the Schroeder valve and use a cargo strap or two and keep tightening until it comes back down small enough to fit in the spare tire well then replace the valve.

hacker-pschorr

Cell Phone

On any road trip of any distance, there will not be room to carry the flat + 18" rim and I'm not leaving it behind so I'm calling a tow truck anyway.

Most modern sports cars no longer come with spares either, like every Ferrari.

F451

My spare worked fine a couple of years ago. Got me home on side roads, a 15 mile or so drive home. Sure beat waiting around for a flat bed and having to worry whether or not the driver knew what the hell he was doing.

Rick3452

I tested my 82, it was leaking around the stem... I had my guy break the beed and he noticed that there is a nut on the inside of the rim...he tightened it and its perfect.

Scotts87928

I installed Brigestone Potenza run flats on the rear of my '89. 255/40R17. They are a good match for my Potenzas on the front and they seem to ride well and stick well in rain as well as dry. I doubt that I will ever put this car on the track so I have't had a lot of time on the edge to see/feel how they stop, and break loose.

BMW uses these tires on their 3 series. I saw a lot of negatives about ride and noise and wear on the BMW board. But on the other hand BMW doesn't take performance lightly, they aren't going to spec a cheap tire that doesn't fit a lot of driving styles.

I still keep my spare junk in the trunk but never plan on putting it on the ground. Like others, I have a phone, AAA and I also know that this group is all around the country just an e-mail away with an S4 rim sitting in the garage. I have travelled many times between the Bay Area and Denver. The problem I have on both cars is that the rear tires are so big (255 on the '89 and 275s on the '87) I don't know where I would put it if I had to squeeze it in the boot as Roger calls it.

Scott
'87 Red/Black Gemballa 5 sp
'89 Black on Linen S4