Watch out for falling spare tires!

[1999montana]

There was an article in our local Toronto Star last weekend about a fellow with a late model GM 'clone' van that had dumped its spare tire on the road after being serviced at the dealer for a routine LOF. The shop denied taking the spare down, but you have to wonder!

Apparently the spare tire cable had rusted, snapped and dropped the tire.

Last weekend, I took the spare down for the first time in 6 years. The mechanism was covered in rust, but the cable only had a small amount a the end where the cable enters the 'wing nut' that goes through the center of the wheel.

I sprayed the entire mechanism and floor in the area where the spare sits with WD-40 and lubricated the cable with axle grease.

Something to look out for.

Have considered taking the spare out entirely, but as my son pointed out, Murphy's Law would probably prevail and I'd need it!

[big dave]

You could put run flats on your van and get rid of the spare ala Corvette

[1999montana]

Originally Posted by big dave

You could put run flats on your van and get rid of the spare ala Corvette

Sounds like the range of available RFT's tires is a bit scant based on this article in the Toronto Star - Wheels section on March 12th:


" No one yet makes run-flat winter tire...

JOHN MAHLER - TIRETALK

Question: We just received our new 2005 Toyota Sienna LE AWD. It came with Dunlop SP 4000 DSST P225/17R17 run-flat tires.

I understand that as an M+S all-season tire, they are a compromise and I've always added winter tires to my cars. However, I've been told that there are no run-flat winters in this size and that mounting can be more difficult for the DSSTs.

I've always appreciated the security of winter tires but wonder whether technology is narrowing the gap between all-seasons and winters — or maybe widening it, given the new ice capabilities.

Robert Bray, Toronto

Answer: You're caught on the leading edge of technology and none of the tire companies has an answer for you. Run-flat tires are a great safety feature but, alas, no one has thought about winter yet.

Are all-seasons getting good enough to use in winter? Short answer: no. There are just a couple of all-season designs I'd trust and they are not run-flats. Winter tire technology has moved forward and the grip levels available now are very high on snow and ice."

AND

Another article dated April 9th suggests that self-sealing tires are not manufactured any more either...

" Self-sealing tires fading away...

JOHN MAHLER
TIRETALK

Question: I have a 2002 Pontiac Montana with General XP 2000GT self-sealing tires. Now at 56,000 km, it has been recommended by my dealer that the tires need to be replaced. Are there other tire companies with self-sealing tires or am I stuck with replacing them with the General brand again? I like the peace of mind of having this option.

Roy Cameron, Bowmanville

Answer: As far as I can tell, there are no longer any self-sealing tires on the market. The latest General XP2000 GT tire is not listed anymore as having this feature. Uniroyal also had such a tire on the market but it was also delisted, probably due to lack of interest by the public.

If the idea of changing a tire by the roadside is unpleasant, consider the Goodyear TripleTred. It comes with a free roadside assistance program. Or consider carrying tire plug foam, available at most tire stores.

In fact, Canadian Tire carries a brand of air compressor that has a bottle of foam."

FYI.....

['97ventureowner]

I had to use my spare last Fall and noticed how much rust was on my undercarriage tire holder. I was hoping to be able to put a full size spare under the van, which I found out I could do, but I must first locate another used spare tire mechanism,(which is hard to do here in the "rustbelt", so I must look south( southern used parts=rust free.) I lost my full size spare on my C1500 pickup last summer while doing yardwork. Lucky for me, (and anybody who might have been behind me if I was on a public highway,)it happened in my yard. The arm that helped to hold the tire had completely rusted apart. Right now my spare tire for my Venture is in the back of my van taking up storage space.

[townie]

Tried to check out my spare prior to vacation this year (2000 Venture), it was so rusted I could not get it down. I doubt it has ever been taken down and we use a lot of salt on the roads here. So I threw a small compressor and patch kit in with the jack and prayed ;-)