Have you ever actually needed a spare tire?

[Dirtman]

It just dawned on me that in all my years of driving I cannot remember a single time I actually needed to use a spare tire. I've gotten flats but never had a blowout while driving that required me to pull over and put the spare on. It's always been that lovely scenario when you go outside to start your car in the morning and the tire is flat from a slow leak. In those situation I've always just patched the flat tire instead of putting the spare on.

Am I the world's luckiest person or are spare tires over rated?

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

You're lucky. I've had at least 3 blowouts over the years. The last one just a few months ago. But I'm also poor and can't afford new tires. I buy the best used ones I can find, but they are probably all over the 5 year date code.

 

[scotts90ranger]

I've used a spare tire a couple times but the only time I can think of for my own vehicle I was at home, changed the tire at 5am to go hunting, plugged it once I got home and it's been sealed ever since (there was a 1/2" rock in the tire). The other time was on the wife's car, she had a catastrophic tire failure from a bad used tire (I haven't had luck going to used tire places...) and I had to put it on for her... she was traumatized from having to use the wrong jack that was in her Rav4 a few months prior, turns out the sploder had all the right stuff...

 

[97RangerXLT]

yep, you are lucky. hit one of Indiana's famous craters/ er potholes on I 70 at 11pm at night doing about 75 mph... tire immediately went flat and shredded itself. had to change a tire facing traffic that was too stupid to move tf over while I changed it, with my at the time 3 year old son in the back seat.

destroyed a 250 dollar tire and the rim. pissed me off.

I have had to change a few others out in the wild but nothing as butt clenching as that one on I 70...

And if you didn't know, a full size spare from a 1993-1997 Dodge Intrepid bolts up perfectly to a 1997 Ranger... fits over the 4x4 hat even...

AJ

 

[snoranger]

It just dawned on me that in all my years of driving I cannot remember a single time I actually needed to use a spare tire. I've gotten flats but never had a blowout while driving that required me to pull over and put the spare on. It's always been that lovely scenario when you go outside to start your car in the morning and the tire is flat from a slow leak. In those situation I've always just patched the flat tire instead of putting the spare on.

Am I the world's luckiest person or are spare tires over rated?

I’ve had 2 flat tires, one was on my work truck in the driveway in the morning... That one got plugged and then filled with the onboard compressor.
The other was on my ‘90 supercab from a pothole less then a block from my house. I drove home and put my winter wheels on a few weeks early. I replaced all 4 tires the next spring before switching back to the Cobra wheels.
So.... never needed a spare tire.

 

[cbxer55]

I've never used a spare and been driving since 1976. I keep a can of Fix-A-Flat in all my vehicles. And in whatever I'm driving for the day, one of those pumps that plug into the cigarette lighter. Came out of work one night a few years ago to find a flat. Shot the F-A-F into it, then fully inflated it with the pump and drove home. Next day, took it to my friends shop and found a drywall screw in the tread. He patched it and the tire is still on the truck.

Today I was checking pressure on my Mustang tires and found a screw in the tread, yet the pressure was normal. Drove to my friends shop three miles away. Told him it likely didn't penetrate the pressure barrier, just pull it. Pulled it, no leak. YAY!! It went in sideways. LOL!!

Long time ago, early 80's, was driving my 70 Pontiac Firebird Formula 400 in Lancaster CA. Heard a loud POP! Then clank-clank-clank. Pulled to the side of the road, and there is a railroad spike in the front passenger tire. WTF? WTF isn't a new saying, btw! LMAO!!! Needless to say, that tire had to be replaced. BF Goodrich Radial TA in G50-15. Was expensive back in the day.

 

[4.0blue98]

I've needed a spare a half dozen times. Not recently and a few times I actually had a good one too.

First time me and a friend were heading to drive some golf balls years ago. No room for the clubs and the spare in my Granada. Instead of just taking a few clubs I left the spare at the house. One of my old JY Uniroyals gave out. Had to walk a few miles to a phone booth (remember them). Never did that again.

 

[adsm08]

I've never need one for myself.

A few years ago though my wife was driving near her mom's house and took a fist sized chunk out of her sidewall while taking a corner where some rocks poke out from the dirt wall at the edge of the road. She cut it too close to the edge and cut the tire on a sharp rock.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Twice. The first time I had been in a hurry and left the spare at home because I had it out to air it up and clean the rim. My parents were not thrilled at getting a call to come rescue me at 2am back then. Infamous Firestone blowout.

The second was on my way to work one morning. Put the spare on and it only made it a couple miles before shredding. Fun times when the concrete mixer for our job came cruising past... lol

Had a number of nails/screws in tires. I carry a plug kit usually. Want to pick up an inflator from one of these newer cars though

 

[ericbphoto]

My flats have all been at home or parked somewhere convenient. Did have to rescue the wife and MIL one time. But they were at a restaurant.

There have been times when it was easier or quicker to put on the spare or take another vehicle, then plug the leak after work.

 

[Plum Ranger XLT]

I have used my spare tire 3 or 4 times over the years. Last time was about five years ago when I was going to meet someone and ran over something and caused my low tire pressure light to come on and luckily it was a slow leak to where I was able to pull off into a parking lot and put the spare on.

 

[19Walt93]

Once for sure, I think twice since I started driving in 1970.

 

[sgtsandman]

I’ve used a spare a few times. Usually after picking up a screw or a nail on the road.

 

[DRanger024]

I had to use my spare once. Got ran off the road in my '95 Dakota and went over a curb at an angle. Blew the front and rear tire out on the drivers side. I put the spare on the front and drove it about 3 miles home.

 

[sooperxtool]

I've had the flat-tire-in-the-morning scenario that I used the spare for. No other options at the time