Flat tire preparedness - rethinking spare tire(s)

@Ganado
The torque rating is set for the fastener and thread pitch and type / size .The reason we do a set torque is to make sure the nut/bolt is set to its torque that will not let it come loose or stretch or worse pull all the threads out [.We do use TTY (torque to yield) stretch bolts are used once ] Not on wheels ...
Any tapered lug nut that will not spin on by hand has been over torqued and the rim and brake rotors have been damaged !!
Pulsing brakes from over torqued ! This is why many real production Euro shops have a set of manufacturer torque sticks on each hoist .Plus many euro cars use the same colour for the same torque value and size of head 19mm & 22mm have the colour but is candy cane with a black strip to let you know it's a 22mm socket. Plus these are used only on install , NEVER on removal .
These are MB,BMW,Volvo,Audi etc type of euros in typing about.BUT this go's for all cars.

EDIT ADD: Torque sticks are to be use with Air or electric impact guns . They are set to make the gun stop over torquing the fastener by taking the twist impact at there rated torque
Thats why they are in different colours and that also is a different shaft size.They are within 5-8% of rated torque ,We do test them also and Im pretty close .One thing that big shops DON'T WANT is come-backs on brake rotor pulsation just after snow on or off!

Using a lube is fine if you use the correct lube .
Steel lugs with steel rims and steel nuts copper never-seize is fine in small amounts , IF you run mags /Aluminum rims ,then Copper is not recommended due to electrolysis. Here is recommend silver aluminum never-seize for the studs / nuts and the mag to the disc center.That way the rim will come off without using a sledge hammer on a tire while the car is on a hoist .
On the road in changing a flat with stuck wheel rim sucks BIG time..
Here to free the rim on the road change ( and yes I have had to do this !! owner only let me because of my credentials & a check
on them with a call.) was to bolt the rim back on and then back off each bolt /nut 3 turns each and drive the car slow on flat while wiggling the car side to side . The weight load will break the corrosion free & you will hear it clunking.Sometimes just leaving the lugs loose & wiggling the car without driving it make it pop free . Both have worked for me.Now jack it back up again .
As for the torquing of the fastener with lube, the amount of excess squish is so small you will not do damage ..
JFI

 

The reason most tire shops hate fix-a-flat, is because drivers don't READ THE DIRECTIONS!! They typically tell you to inflate the tire, drive it for X number of miles (spreads the gunk throughout the inside of the tire), stop, and deflate the tire, filling it back up with air. At least, the last time I used some, it did. The air is what's causing it to harden up, instead of staying a sloppy mess (that's why it seals a hole in your tire...it gets pushed out, by the pressure in the tire, and exposure to air hardens it). Tire shops typically get the yahoo that doesn't read directions, with a tire full of soft gloppy stuff.....and whatever flammable gas was used, as a propellant, in the can of fix-a-flat (usually propane or butane).

If you're worried about taking off lug nuts that are too tight (or perhaps slightly rusted), grab a 12-volt impact wrench, and toss it in the trunk, with the spare. If you have one! (my new car doesn't....it's a weight saving feature! )

I did price out a spare for my car (they're available, just not included....but at least there's a well, to store one). Was going to run ~$250, shipped. So, instead, I spent another $50, and got the 5-year coverage, for flat tires. Not only will they send someone out, to take care of the flat (or tow the car), but they'll replace a tire, if it needs replacing. I consider it a combination of AAA and road hazard warranty, at a fraction of the cost for 5 years of AAA (hey, I can print my own maps! ). Peace of mind, as well as a great back saver, for an old guy with a hinky back! And I can always do the fix-a-flat & air compressor, if I needed to, in a SHTF situation.

 

I grew up on Dad's gas station driveway. Tires are so much better now than in those days. Still, I've had my share of flats, plus I recently had a brand new tire (400 miles on it) shred itself...fortunately at 5mph not highway speeds.

Even when I don't change the tires myself, I watch carefully. If the guy doesn't use a torque wrench mounting new tires, I undo and re-torque them when I get home. I don't carry "never seize" in the car, but I put that on all lugs, and ensure my lug nuts are clean inside and have a bit of grease on them. I carry a small battery operated compressor in every vehicle and a can or two of "fix a flat." Now, understand that many tire shops will not work on tires that have been temporarily repaired, but ultimately, if using it means I can get home or to a repair place because the hole is too big for the compressor...I'll use it. I've also given it to stranded motorists who didn't have spares.

As for checking tire pressure, I check my spares at least 2x a year, and other tires once a month. Rotate my tires every 7500 miles. Can't beat the Walmart tire plan...they will fix flats and rotate them at 7500 miles for free, and there always seems to be one somewhat nearby if you are traveling.

 

After my latest flat tire I just decided to leave the space saver spare on the car. It lasted a month, but is really getting thin in the center. The whole time I was plotting a second spare, because driving around with the spare on the car made me nervous.

I looked at available tires that would fit on the space savers rim, and found a 155-60 15 that matches the height of the original tires closer than the space saver, and will fit in the trunk well if I decide to put it back in there. I'm liking the back seat arrangement.
The other advantage of the new tire is that it's a real tire, with proper tread, and if I'm stuck with it for an extended period I won't be wondering when it will pop.

 

Space saver spares are expensive to buy new.
I lucked out got a used space saver with a bad tire for $3 and found a new tire from ebay put to on the wheel for $80.
To buy just the space saver tire (not the wheel) at retail price I was looking at $120 to $180.

 

This is a handy tool to look at tire sizes. I gave a little thought to the smaller diameter spare and decided it was likely more than just a space consideration. With the smaller tire you have less need to jack the car up quite as high, you're more likely to be close to other worn/low pressure tires in diameter, and you don't have to worry about scary caster changes if you put it on the rear. I got an unforgettable lesson in caster during my land-speed racing years when trying to use bigger rear tires to keep me in the power band without changing rear gears. What I forgot was that it would alter the caster and cause the rear end to get unstable. The car felt like it was trying to switch ends above 125 MPH. Exciting stuff!

125/70-R15 vs 155/60-R15 Tire Comparison - Tire Size Calculator | Tacoma World

 

@hot diggity just to be clear, you did not actually test that spare at 125mph? if you did I'm gonna give you and eye roll and a 'hold my beer' award.

darn I tought for sure we had a beer mug animation

 

If you find one, let an admin know. It WILL be used ---

 

Not hardly. I was running Goodyear slicks.

 

I much prefer real tire spares ,it saves a lot of aggravation on an extended trip. Had a 58 cheve with split rims I didn't mind dealing with my self . did it for years not a problem. Still have them . still have my bead breaker and bubble balancer and a bucket of weights .
When I lived in the mountains I had 2 sets of wheels/tires for my vehicles , One set was for the summer and the other were narrow aggressive tread snow tires in front and mud and snow on back . I didn't mind swapping off tires if I was headed down the mountain to the city and then swapping back when I got home or doing a partial swap depending on anticipated conditions .
Though I did not have 4 wheel drive the narrow aggressive tread was better for biting into the ice on off canter turns .
I didn't mind changing tires on the road but for freeway events I used the flat fix and got ack in traffic ASAP . Seems to me that if you are using fancy wheels you should be using washers, that's what they did in the old days on mag wheels. Keeps the hole from being deformed .
I thought this was common sense.
Oil based lubricants go away with rain and heat but anticize compound is water resistant and heat resistant but it should not be over done. keeps the threads from rusting too .
I have 12 volt impact (not cordless) I put in each vehicle , they are not the same as an air operated tool but work never the less. Patience pays. I got these for my family's sake and they came in handy for other than wheel service.
I hand torque my wheels I know the feel , been doing it enough.
One trick I learned on "old" tubeless tires is using brake fluid for livening the rubber that makes contact with the rim .especially older tires that had not been mounted an a while. when your poor you learn to think ahead a lot . Most stations do not clean up the rim and or ding it in the process . With rust an snow and grit from off road I want this surface clean and free of debris or rust or dings where the tire seals especially .
I am lazy/cheap/poor, and don't like doing things twice .

 

Had to laugh. When I bought the Mrs. her Jeep Cherokee, they sold the trailer option as having a full sized spare tire. So, when I took the spare out the first time, there it was, a full sized "temporary spare" tire. Same limitations as a mini-donut, just made to the same size as my regular tires. Sigh. What genius thought that up? Thought I was buying a full sized tire. If I have a blow out on the road, I'm still going to have to buy a new tire first time I hit civilization and keep speeds down.

 

I know a kid that works at the pick-n-pull here that has space savers all around on his Honda POS. He gets them free from work. Changes out one a week.