Unsafe Spare Tires

[ICKABOD]

I recently purchased a 1990 TC. I checked the spare tire for it's condition.

While it looked OK, I also checked the production date.

The result was that it was made in June, 1988.

Since I also have another collector car, I have had experience with old tires.

There is NO manufacturer that6 recommends using a tire over 10 years old.

Since the newest TC is over 27 years old, we should not be use an original spare tire with our cars.

I have made the decision to keep a can of flat tire repair in the car and NEVER use the old tire.

An old tire whether on the road or a spare (on the car) is a time bomb. 

 

[Reaper1]

To a point, I agree. The thing is, our spare tires are kept in the inside of the cabin. Not only that, but they have a cover over them. The things that degrade rubber over time typically are kept to a minimum in this type of environment.

 

So, I agree that the spares should be inspected and kept inflated to the correct pressure (most are as flat as the tire you're trying to replace!). I also agree that driving on them should be kept to a minimum. I agree that having a back-up plan of some sort is a very good idea. Having said all that...if the tire isn't dry rotted...SEND IT!

 

I've seen cars run figure-8 races on doughnut spares! I recently read an article from a tire company that states that the spare has to be able to provide comparable performance to the full size tire up to its limited speed capacity. In other words, you can beat the ever living snot out of a spare tire!

[ICKABOD]

 Thank you for your reply.I agree that most drivers feel that if a tire is covered, not in the sun or away from the heat, it is not effected.

According to the tire manufactures Association, tires age from the time they are made.

I had a tire on my Studebaker that looked great on the sidewalls & thread and it cracked open at 21 years (newer than most of our TC spare tires).

So from past experience I will use a can of 'Tire Inflator ' as my cdhoise instead of my spare bomb.

 

[Hemi Dude]

In this case I would lean toward Reaper1's reply.

A spare "doughnut" tire is made to be a spare only, and only to take you off the highway to a service shop that will repair or replace the tire that went flat.

I have had a catastrophic blowout on a front tire on a front wheel drive car. I limped ( ha, ha) it off the freeway at freeway speed, stopped on a surface road and installed the doughnut tire on the REAR of the car and installed that tire in front to replace the blown out tire.

You should avoid installing the doughnut tire on the drive wheel position, especially on a FWD vehicle. Especially if you have to drive a long distance for repair.

[Bill Reichert]

Strange this should come up after I had a flat over the weekend.  I never looked at the spare in the trunk.  It is a donut with the same diameter as the tires. The TC has an indentation in the trunk floor where a full size spare "could" be placed.  Of course it would be above the carpet.  It would not rattle since it is on carpet. It cannot fly into the passenger compartment. So....the choice is yours.

And if I ever find the guy that figured out how to snap the jack handle onto the jack so that it takes a 5 lb hammer to remove it on the new car,...he should have full coverage health insurance!  I DID have a 5 lb hammer in the trunk.

Edited May 24, 2018 by Bill Reichert (see edit history)

[Reaper1]

I agree with Hemi as for the placement of the spare when in use...if you can, install it on the non-driven wheels. This is especially true if the car has a limited slip differential (NO stock TC has this, just mentioning it).

 

Bill, I'll have to try to see if a full size will fit in the storage compartment. I think it might.