I bet you guys are more on the ball than me.
But it dawned on me I was not checking the air in my doughnut spare. My 1989 and 2 1991s have this type of tire.
Well, they were down to under 10 lbs so I put the pressure to 60psi and am good to go. No big deal unless I need it but I have been running really without a spare most of the time. I bet they had not been filled in many many years. They still look like they have never been out of the car.
So check the spare air pressure too.
Now on my 1978 CDV I have that inflatable tire deal. Is that still good after 41 years?
Good Point and a Reminder.....Twice a year I check the spare in every car, new or old. They are always a bit low. Takes a few minutes rather than a few hours to be stuck on the road or afraid to drive on a spare that is way low on air. Preventive Maintenance......
Bobby
The donut spare in my 91 Brougham has never been out of the trunk. I have not checked the air in it either, but would it be safe to inflate to the 60 psi? If I had to use it how safe would it be to drive on?
Just hope either of you never has to find out.
At least you have a tire to check! My 2013 XTS has an air compressor and a can of stop leak. Hope I never have to use it!!
Problem is, and I checked with my tire supplier, no one seems to have a tire for the donut. I was told I had to purchase a new assembly with the rim and they didn't think it was available.
We will pray for no problems, driving to the Fall Festival then to Ft. Wayne then back to Wichita, KS. I do have a brand new set of Hancooks P225/75R15 on the car now. About 200 miles on them.
I would consider purchasing a new donut assembly. Until then, I will hope it holds 50 psi with no problems.
Didn't they ever consider that a total blowout might occur?
At least my Ford daily drivers have real tires and rims for spares. Even the Cadillac has a real tire in the trunk.
I see no reason why the tire is bad enough not to hold the air. It's under the trunk mat and no sun hits it.
Looks like new and I imagine if I needed it,it would be good enough to go 5 miles or so to the nearest garage. At 25-30 MPH.
These Donuts are not supposed to be inflated over 40 psi, and they were designed to not be used until required.
The placard on one of mine says to use the canister to inflate, then once inflated, adjust the pressure to what is shown on the vehicles' placard for normal tyres. And not to drive faster than 50 MPH.
One question for those of you with factory-installed donuts. Is there a tyre pressure gauge supplied with the tool kit to allow for the checking of the tyre pressure once it has been inflated with the can?
Bruce. >:D
PS. I have been tempted to inflate a couple of mine (Spares) and put them on the car and go for a drive to see how they feel on the road. But, never got around to it.
Quote from: The Tassie Devil(le) on August 24, 2019, 07:11:20 PM
I have been tempted to inflate a couple of mine (Spares) and put them on the car and go for a drive to see how they feel on the road.
Bruce,
If the front tire goes flat, I've always put the "Donut" on the rear, and put the full size tire on the front. It doesn't feel as awkward in the rear as it does in the front, for obvious reasons. They're not as bad as you think.
Bobby
G'day Bobby,
Yes, I was aware that I would place the Donut on the rear, as in the Eldorado, there is so much weight on the front.
If I had more than enough of these donuts, I would put them on my car and do as many miles/laps as I could on my local race circuit, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baskerville_Raceway) and just see how long it took to wear them out. Checking every so often in order to not end up with a blowout.
Then I could report on my findings, but, sadly I only have 3.
Bruce. >:D
Wrong on the inflation.
The tire states 60 PSI on the 1991 tires, so you are incorrect on these tires. Not sure about other years.
If you would like to argue about it I can post a photo of the tire sidewall.
I believe you.
I can only go by what I have here. And these donuts are on fullsize rims, and inflate to full size.
Are yours the mini tyres like the ones I see here, with something like 4" wide rims?
Bruce. >:D
Actually found this online.
Someone said you cannot buy these. This one looks close.
https://www.google.com/shopping/product/12249460944575532996?q=spare+tires+and+rims&biw=1708&bih=750&prds=epd:13904042756690696685,paur:ClkAsKraX-DUtODFZqXbAhfb3G6FU-6VvkObMI61r02Drx_z9QsS8iYUjTg7ZHHLtzvJjpohABXMQ1jwI-PSNvzkkP8zl57s4o-tPiYEKTgWuGdFtNXmKEwI5hIZAFPVH72EqCS5nQg5sA6dltTvFvI9Cu5AWQ,prmr:1&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjRnNKb8JzkAhVNiqwKHSNHCdMQ8wIIwgM
This is a used GM one note the 60 PSI on tire.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/CADILLAC-BUICK-OLDSMOBILE-PONTIAC-CHEVY-SPARE-WHEEL-TIRE-DONUT-T125-70R15-TCX-/262815276739?_trksid=p2349526.m4383.l4275.c10#viTabs_0
A new one here looks like the size a 1991 Cadillac would use.
https://simpletire.com/kumho-125-70r15-5003283-tires?stmodel=-121original-equipment&stcategory=other&sttype=temp-spare&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=G_Shopping_NB_HighPriority&utm_content=Commercial_AllProducts&utm_term=&utm_creative=378204115149&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIj-S_tPOc5AIVTf7jBx3GxwvyEAYYASABEgJzofD_BwE
So these can be bought still.
Gee, that is a narrow tyre and rim.
I can see why they have to be inflated so high.
I removed my tyre and put it on my Aluminium rim
Bruce. >:D
As I remember those Space Saver Spare tires (as opposed to the later donuts) could also be run flat at slower speeds. I have one that has never been put in service but it is a 205-75-15.
Quote from: 35-709 on August 24, 2019, 10:04:19 PM
As I remember those Space Saver Spare tires (as opposed to the later donuts) could also be run flat at slower speeds. I have one that has never been put in service but it is a 205-75-15.
My bad. I thought Space-savers and Donuts were the same as far as spare tyres went.
Bruce. >:D
Bruce's collapsing space saver is obviously a different animal than a typical tire of the era. The mini ones maybe are less different? I could see the minis being made of pretty much the same materials as other tires of the era. With both styles you wonder what did they think the lifespan would be? How many 70's cars made it much past 10 years? So they designed the tire to be good for 15 years? 20 tops? Even today how many cars actually make it past 20 years? I would guess its such a small number that there is almost zero consideration in the design for anything to last longer.
I was checking the tire pressure on all my cars one day, and the 02 Buick’s spare was completely deflated. I tried to inflate it but the air just rushed out. I found it had blown out. There was a hole on the tread. I went to the local tire guy and he did not have any replacements. The only source was the dealer and he had to have it shipped in. Once I had the tire the tire guy mounted it on the rim.
I do have AAA and Hagerty but for a simple flat in my area I would put the spare on for a 5-10 mile drive to the nearest garage to get a plug in the tire if that's all it needs.
So I wonder if I should buy a new spare for $60? But like I said mine all hold air and look new.
The reason I posted this thread was because I had never given it much thought. Shame on me, I usually think of this sort of thing.
No one has commented on the 41 year old 1978 CDV with the tire inflation scheme in my trunk. Do you think that would still work?
I have no time for crawling to a service station for a repair, try that in
Montana in the middle of the night (where I have been). Then the station
in MN says they will not have time, for a day. I have driven across several
states (at max speed) on the spare.
6 cars here ALL have full blown spares (previously driven and rotated in
to keep fresh/safe). The bumper jacks are gone too, a frame jack is
so much better/safer. I sold some of it to an owner for authenticity.
If the station does not have 10 minutes to plug a tire, that's not a place to ask them for anything and they deserve to go out of business.
Never in my life have I ever had someone refuse to plug a tire if that's all I needed.
You must live in quite an area of the country. Plus who ever said to drive 6 states on a doughnut spare????
Plus most people are not six states away in a classic car. If that's what you use as a driver OK put in a spare.
Quote from: gkhashem
Plus most people are not six states away in a classic car. If that's what you use as a driver OK put in a spare.
I put a real spare in my 80 the day after it was delivered, currently at 325,000 miles.
My 1982 in this century has been to Canada, Florida, California, and New Hampshire
with no problems thanks to a dead reliable drive train. They have all been to the coast
over the years. Bruce Roe
Quote from: bcroe on August 27, 2019, 03:16:54 PM
I put a real spare in my 80 the day after it was delivered, currently at 325,000 miles.
My 1982 in this century has been to Canada, Florida, California, and New Hampshire
with no problems thanks to a dead reliable drive train. They have all been to the coast
over the years. Bruce Roe
Fantastic, congratulations! :)
The point of the thread was if you do not have a full spare, check the doughnut spare since it most likely is flat after 30+ years. The thing is out of sight and out of mind. Even if it's never been out of the trunk. I was never intending to debate full spare v doughnut. Of course I would rather have a full spare, but smaller cars have kind of made it very inconvenient. That's for another thread I guess.
Quite gald you brought up this issue. I had forgotten to check mine. I took it to my tire dealor yesterday to check it out. Looks like it was just installed. They pressured up the tire and said I was good to go.
Now, it is a 1991 vintage tiere so if I have to use it it would be at a much reduced speed and short distance.
Thanks again.
Those tiny spares are another example of mfrs cutting corners to the detriment
of the consumer. Paying for a car with 5 useful wheel/tire units, suddenly only
delivering 4. The savings to the mfr is pretty small, but the consumer will
eventually have to spend an extra $100 or so for a tire, and perhaps a similar
amount for a rim. Inconvenience to the consumer on the road , or the dangers
of driving on one of those not even considered. Just slap a 50 mph label on it
and assume the owner will not get rear ended, lose control, or drive faster.
Ultimately the public is at fault for not screaming bloody murder. They only see
FIRST COST, and never WHAT IF (something goes wrong). If they were all like
me, there would have been a class action suit over value, convenience, and
safety. Bruce Roe
Quote from: cadman56 on August 28, 2019, 11:04:54 AM
Quite gald you brought up this issue. I had forgotten to check mine. I took it to my tire dealor yesterday to check it out. Looks like it was just installed. They pressured up the tire and said I was good to go.
Now, it is a 1991 vintage tiere so if I have to use it it would be at a much reduced speed and short distance.
Thanks again.
Your welcome. That was my point to maybe save someone a bit of grief. I do not intend to drive cross country on a doughnut.
Now as to whether car makers are being cheap. They sure are. But also with smaller cars, smaller trunks too. So at least the spare does not take up the whole trunk.
So there is some benefit I guess.
Quote from: gkhashem on August 28, 2019, 05:15:41 PM
........Now as to whether car makers are being cheap. They sure are. But also with smaller cars, smaller trunks too. So at least the spare does not take up the whole trunk. So there is some benefit I guess.
The biggest benefit is size and weight.
Anything the car makers can do to reduce weight, improves fuel consumption figures. Multiply the savings over the number of vehicles being made, and the figures are astounding.
Don't forget that some car makers don't even bother to include a spare at all. Just an inflation kit. And one day, weight will get less when they don't even supply a jack. Remember when a tool kit meant that, tools in a kit, that the operator could actually do things to their car.
As for consumer complaints, these days the consumer hardly ever complains.
Bruce. >:D
Bruce, I believe that one reason why "the customer hardly ever complains" is because the manufacturers and/or suppliers provide only an "800" telephone number, answered by someone with poor English, a half-a-world away.
If I ever get to take my dream trip of 3250 miles, I'll be carrying a full-size spare AND a 'donut' spare..... as well as other valuable / useful stuff that takes up little room in the trunk or wherever. And, yes, a better-than-OEM jack, too.
Before I set out on my drive to KY from VA to GN2109 I checked my 1970 DVC thoroughly. The only adjustment was to add air to the spare tire (which probably had not been done since last long trip in it to NY in 2014 or so. Was at 25 psig, and with a full size Diamondback radial, like to run at 32 psig, so inflated it up. In traveling, I bring a floor jack in the trunk along with jack stand, blocks of wood and etc. as may be needed.
I think the original point of the post was to keep your 100% authentic classic that is in good mechanical repair and roadworthy with a space saver spare fully inflated.
On this issue of a shop not willing to perform a $5 tire plug repair, well that is all to common and a trend. Frankly with my own business, low revenue, low profit jobs are only undertaken if necessary by a great client that rewards me with high revenue high profit jobs. Consequently I try and do all the very important low cost, low revenue car work myself (plus of course the high dollar stuff too), such as oil changes, tire balancing, tire rotation tire plugs, and the like myself. You cannot run a business performing $5 services that take quarter of an hour when you consider the greeting, accounting, risk goodbye, and all. Then later the $1,000 repair is not given to the $5 service shop, but to the low bidder who was not lowering profit by doing small jobs.
Just read the self starter article on page 4 of the SS this month about the 1965 SDV - mechanic forgot to tighten distributor clamp nut in timing adjustment, forgot to change alternator, and etc. - a subject for another post. Modern mechanics are not in business to work on older cars.
Check your spares everybody, space saver of full size and abide by the published operating instructions issued by the manufacturer.