Where's the jack?

[mvaldes]

I still think the best argument in favor of a spare is the relative unavailability of the wheel and tire. So, if you get a trashed rim and/or an unrepairable puncture, do you really want to have to wait until a new one can get shipped to where ever you were towed? In a few years that may not be an issue, but in many parts of the country it is a problem currently.

[fpage77]

Welcome to the forum! I have no spare and am not too worried.

[JusNameMe]

I have a front rim and tire behind my driver's seat, but nothing else. I wouldn't change a tire even if I did have a jack.

noooooooooooooooo wayyyyyyyyyyyyy

I have roadside service with my insurance and I am NOT afraid to use it.

[kdfcogwheel]

I have had tire trouble before 4 hours from home before. The tire/wheel contract people managed albeit poorly to get me going again, although a day late. On my next trip I plan on carrying two spare tires. One front and one rear. The Brabus has rather odd sizes. A little assistance from a tire shop to swap out and balance and i'm on my way. I'll just store stuff inside each tire to make the most of room available and to stay within the car's load capacity.

[PerryA]

Originally Posted by jetfuel

...the new goop is OK if it's a nail or something small like that...now, a bolt hole like the one our tire experienced could only be fixed with the cell phone..prompt response from our dealer made it almost a non-issue...

jetfuel...not flat

Did you use the goop to hold the cell phone in place over the bolt hole in the tire? What kind of phone works best? Smart phone?

[sato7]

KDF why on earth would you carry two spares??? the only important parameter is that the OEM front+tire are the same circumference as the rest... You can use it as a temp on the rear... EVEN on a Brabus. Why do you think other cars have those bicycle looking spares? as a temp it wont ruin your car..

[freewilly]

Hey All, Thanks for the responses to my concerns. Hope I never have a flat,but being a former boy scout,I've got that "be prepared" mentality. I'll read over your suggestions

& find a solution I'm sure. Thanks

[kdfcogwheel]

Originally Posted by sato7

KDF why on earth would you carry two spares??? the only important parameter is that the OEM front+tire are the same circumference as the rest... You can use it as a temp on the rear... EVEN on a Brabus. Why do you think other cars have those bicycle looking spares? as a temp it wont ruin your car..

Not to burst your bubble, but on the Brabus the front is a 165r55 15 (15 inch) the rear is a 215r35 17 (17 inch). The front wheel/tire assembly measures 21.5 inches (approx.) in diameter, the rear is 22.5 inches (approx.). Albeit not truly significant. Yes, just one front spare wheel/tire assembly may do just fine to get you off of the road and to somewhere to get it fixed, however I look beyond that. I hit a pothole in Chicago and blew out the front sidewall, destroying the tire and bruising the rear. After some time, the tire service contract people managed to find me a front tire. It was 19 miles away at a Smart dealer. Mind you, I am 4 hours from home. The rear tire was no where to be found. The dealer only had a front tire. It is friday afternoon, 2pm - just where am I going to find any rear and expect it to be delivered, mounted balanced and ready before sometime the following week. Remember, the Brabus tires are uncommon tires. Hankook & Falken are the only makers of the rear. Hankook & Continental are the only makers of the front. If this breakdown happens in rural Pennsylvania -- many, many miles from any Smart dealer -- how much luck would I have trying to find these tires. The only option is to bring one of each along. Their total weight is 32 pounds. The Brabus wheels are too heavy and just darn too expensive (front wheel=$699, rear wheel=$878) to keep a couple of spares lying around. At the very least, if I have replacements, any tire shop should be able to help.

As a closing argument, my son took a 769 mile (measured one-way) round trip on a Suzuki VZ800 motorcycle. Fortunately, he did not encounter any tire or wheel mishaps and he did not carry a spare. But, he is only 26 years old. A mere child to me. I, on the other hand, know only too well the utter helplessness and frustration you can endure waiting roadside in the summer heat unable to move the vehicle and depending on the contract folks to help get you out of a jam [note: in this case, a 5 hour wait for not one, but two tow companies to find me]. The ordeal still, even under the best of situations, cost me a lost day stay over in Chicago. I experienced that real recently. So, on my next long trip (over 800 miles), I am traveling with at least the best odds I can bring to bear. The cost of the 2 tires came to a nudge over $200 delivered from tirerack.com. That cost of security = priceless.

[editor's note: I do not carry these two spares around locally. They are only for long trips. If the wife needs help, the cell phone is the fix (see Jetfuel's coments).]

[forestacademy]

Just a note, The smart is not the only new car that does not come with a spare. This is what a quick google search of "no spare tire" turned up

One Corvette salesperson I know used to ask his customers during the course of his presentation where the spare tire was on a Corvette. Some would look in the trunk area or under the rear end of the vehicle, and of course, find nothing. They’d say, “I can’t find it. Where is it?’ He’d say, “At your Chevy dealer

Unfortunately, the hybrid Accord will not include a spare tire. Instead, owners will be given a tiny air compressor and a can of tire sealant

We purchased a 2008 Toyota Sienna AWD van. This van has NO SPARE TIRE. They won't tell you that when looking at it, but the van has no space for it either.

To get around that, they put these "run flat tires" on it. They say the tires can run 50 miles while being flat to get you to the next gas station or tire place to get them fixed.

The downside to the "run flat tires" is that they are expensive to replace and the wear quickerAny more out there?

One of my biggest hangups with the new M models is BMW's bizarre decision to favor increased muffler size (and four cool looking exhaust tips) over fitting even a space saver spare tire

New Camaro, no spare.
New Dodge Challenger no spare

Any more?

[rfernatt]

Originally Posted by forestacademy

Just a note, The smart is not the only new car that does not come with a spare. This is what a quick google search of "no spare tire" turned up

New Camaro, no spare.
New Dodge Challenger no spare

Any more?

- Some 2008 Ford Foci didn't include a spare, but I think all 2009s do.
- Pontiac G8 GT
- Porsche Cayman
- I believe the 2010 Camaro has fix-a-flat standard and an extra cost, optional compact spare, but somebody correct me if I'm wrong. The SS model, however, doesn't appear to have a spare at all since the compact wheel wouldn't fit the larger brakes on the SS.