Nowadays, spare tires are no longer standard equipment on many contemporary models can be surprising for you. Many larger SUVs and new light trucks come with a spare tire. However, many new cars do not come with a standard-sized spare.
It is challenging to know which models have spare parts and which do not. Not all websites state whether they provide spare tires. When you want to buy a new car, be sure to ask the seller directly as they may not be able to tell you in advance.
A full-size spare tire is not standard on about one-third of new vehicles. Instead, many come with a space-saving spare tire (donut) or a tire sealant and inflation kit.
Having trouble with a flat tire is inconvenient and can be costly. This article will help you learn more about spare tires and why more and more vehicles are being manufactured without them. So you decide if you need a spare tire?
Which SUV Models and new cars don’t include a spare?
The answer to that question is quite hard because the number of automobiles which haven’t a spare tire keeps changing. Consumer Reports has compiled a brief list of spare-free vehicle models.
It can be tough to determine which vehicles and models include a spare tire or not. Especially when some trim levels, but not all, carry a spare tire. You are also inquiring directly with the sales representative. If you’ve recently purchased a newer model car, make sure it has a spare tire or flat tire option, ready in the event of a flat tire.
For a variety of reasons why spare tire has been removed or minimized
- To increase fuel economy. It can reduce the vehicle’s weight by up to 50 pounds when the spare tire is removed and the jack and lug wrench are. Reducing air resistance from the spare tire mounted underneath the vehicle can also improve aerodynamics. These two things can affect a vehicle’s MPG.
- To save space and weight. In compact cars, there is less comfort and roominess. Especially in a small or sports car, a spare tire can take up much room.
- To make room for electric vehicles, hybrid, and diesel components. Because the battery and the emission device typically take up the same capacity as a spare tire.
- To save money. Carmakers can save hundreds of dollars for each vehicle by eliminating the spare in new vehicles.
Where Can We Buy or Replace a Spare Tire?
According to most manufacturers, a spare tire should only use to get from where you discovered a flat tire to the nearest tire repair facility. But what should you do if you need to replace that spare tire?
The type and size of spare that came with your car determine the answer. To get the correct spare for your vehicle, go to Les Schwab.
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Where are alternatives to a spare tire? Are they any good?
Some new cars are equipped with inflator kits or run-flat tires, which claim to eliminate the need for a spare tire. These options have advantages and disadvantages.
What is a run-flat tire?
Run-flat tires were developed decades ago to improve the safety and handling of high-end sports automobiles in a tire breakdown. These tires had (and still have) a strengthened sidewall or an internal support ring to carry the vehicle’s weight if the tire loses air pressure unexpectedly. Run-flat tires have become more prevalent in ordinary vehicles since then. It allows drivers to drive without air in their tires for up to 50 miles with speeds less than 50 miles per hour before having the tire repaired or replaced.
What is a donut tire?
Donut tires, sometimes known as donut spare or space-saver tires, were created to conserve space in smaller automobiles. You may have a space-saving spare if you drive a compact or smaller vehicle.
Potential downsides of a donut tire
These tires have less grip than conventional tires, are smaller, and should not be driven faster than 50 miles per hour or more than 50 miles.
What is a self-sealing tire?
A specific sealant is applied to the inner of self-sealing tires. When a road object pierces the tread, the sealant substance surrounds the object and prevents air from escaping from the tire. It can help you to get enough time to find a tire store.
Potential Downsides of a Self-sealing Tire
If a puncture is larger than a quarter-inch in diameter, the self-sealing tire will not work. They also don’t work on holes in the tire’s sidewall. Repairing self-sealing tires might be tricky.
What Are Inflator Kits?
Minor tread punctures can be temporarily repaired with inflator/sealant kits. Remove the lid from your tire’s air-inflation valve, attach the inflator kit, and spray the sealant into the tire with most kits.
Potential Downsides of an Inflator Kit
Tire sealant kits are only effective on minor holes in the tread, not slashes or holes in the sidewall. Sealants can create grit within the tire, interfering with your TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system), which informs you if a tire has lost air. When you use a sealant, the TPMS sensors may likely need to be replaced.
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The Situations to Go Without a Spare Tire? And Not?
Here are five ideas to consider when buying a new automobile, depending on cost, safety, convenience, where you live, and the driving you do.
- If you live in a city with 24-hour towing and drive largely during the day, you might be fine without a spare. Your auto insurance policy or another service has roadside assistance coverage. A regular tow (about 5 miles) might cost over $100 without it.
- Determine whether you’re willing to go spare-free before purchasing the vehicle. If you later come to regret your choice, you’ll need to purchase a tire, jack, and lug wrench. Furthermore, there may not be enough room in your vehicle to properly transport the tire and tools.
- You’ll need a spare tire if you frequently go on road trips, drive-in areas with lengthy miles between service stations, or travel on bad roads. If you are in the suburbs or the countryside, repair shops can be many kilometers away. You’ll be stuck for hours or overnight if there’s an after-hours problem, and you’ll have to pay high towing costs.
- Consider how much you use your car every day. In a flat tire, having a spare tire can save you a lot of time and fatigue.
Conclusion
After reading this article, you will make the right decision about using the spare tire or not. To find out more information about auto tires, visit our website.
