Remove the spare tyre to reduce weight!?! What if you get a flat?

[JAYS NSX]

I have been noticing that many owners go to gereat lengths (IMO) to lighten their cars, some going as far as removing the spare tyre!?!

For a second car that I do not track, will I be able to see or "feel" the difference from these type of weight reduction measures? And what if you get a flat?

 

[Darkcyd]

Then you call AAA for a flatbed. Not to be facetious but that's really what's done. Especially if you change from the stock rim sizes. No point in having a spare when that happens anyway.

 

[JAYS NSX]

So the stock spare is good for only 15/16 rims then?

 

[hlweyl]

If i get a flat, i just plug it with a kit from the auto parts store, refill tire to correct pressure and off i go.

After fixing many flats over the years, i've never had a plug go bad. If the flat is on the front, i can plug it faster than putting the spare on.

good luck

 

[Akira]

AAA baby! Or have one of those fix-a-flat spray in your car so you can drive until you get home.

 

[NSXDreamer2]

I don't think plugging the tire is legal and the right way to fix a "poked" tire. Actually no matter which way you fixed the tire, the tire would not have the original speed rating any more.

Oh well, back to the original post, if I have to travel long way from home, then I'll have my spare. I lived with my family and girl friend and a cousin all in the same area, so I don't really bother to carry the spare around on my daily driver, I can just called them and get me my spare set of tires... funny thing is that I never thought of removing the spare from the nsx, I don't know why, maybe I will.

 

[Briank]

Call a flatbed, Fix-a-flat or Slime. Since the X has a pump I think Slime would be the best.

http://www.slime.com/

I always had some concern about Fix-a-Flat, it's an aerosol type product and should not be stored at over 120F. The trunk of an X gets real warm.

I have plugged tires But it is not the best or safest way. Air can leak around the plug and get in-between the plies and cause a separation and a catastrophic failure of the tire. So on any car you what to drive fast, run heavily loaded or both I would recommend getting the tire properly patched.

 

[ak]

So the stock spare is good for only 15/16 rims then?

Spare is good for any rim combo as long as you don't have big brake upgrade(in which case the spare wheel won't fit...).

I say keep your spare unless you are tracking or racing your car. Much easier using spare than calling AAA, wait for 2 hrs and still chance dumb tow trucker damaging your car.

 

[Brian2by2]

Plugging tires is fine if you're using a lawnmower, but a big no-no on a ZR rated tire on a sports car!!! <POP>

I had a plug go bad on my mustang once...and trust me, I used to plug tires every other day (landscaping/maintence since i was 13) and i know how to do it, but at speed, it just doesn't hold like they do on them John Deere's

 

[Tobal]

After Really thinking about it.... I find that having the spare tire useless if you have upgraded wheels. I was actually looking and i couldn't figure out where to place the flat if it did occur. Only option is putting it in the passenger side seat. But what if you had a passenger? Then it would be all bad there....So i think that having a bottle of those spray and patch wouldn't be a bad idea and just take out the spare to save some weight.

 

[Ojas]

I don't think plugging the tire is legal and the right way to fix a "poked" tire.

Why would it be illegal? I have not heard that before.

Actually no matter which way you fixed the tire, the tire would not have the original speed rating any more.

Of course, a plugged tire would not be as sound as a non-poked one. However, if properly repaired, it may be no worse than running on the spare tire (which has a 50 mph limit).

Originally posted by Brian2by2
Plugging tires is fine if you're using a lawnmower, but a big no-no on a ZR rated tire on a sports car!!!

I think you need to treat your self-plugged/self-repaired tire like you would a spare: Drive on it to get home or to get to a tire shop and have it replaced... Just don't take it to the track.

Now I have a question: When a tire fails (due to a small puncture), it might not be noticed right away since the sidewalls are very stiff. At this point, a puncture-repair kit might be able to fix the leak, but what about the internal sidewall damage (which would not be visible)? Is the tire even safe to drive on at low (less than 50mph) speeds?

BTW: Honda includes a aerosol-type puncture kit with the 2002 NSX-R.

 

[KGP]

Plugging tires is fine if you're using a lawnmower, but a big no-no on a ZR rated tire on a sports car!!!

I see nothing wrong with this as long as you're only using it to get you home, work, etc. IOW, using a plug instead of the spare untill you can get a new tire mounted. Beats the possibility of some idiot flat-bed jockey doing some damage.

 

[stockae92]

i rather keep my spare

live with the extra pounds

and have a peace of mind

its not like i am living for 0-60 at every traffic light, am i?

 

[Nimbus]

its not like i am living for 0-60 at every traffic light, am i?

you mean you don't live your life a quarter mile at a time?

 

[Jin1976]

And what if you get a flat?

Call my girlfriend to pick me up

 

[stockae92]

you mean you don't live your life a quarter mile at a time?

so a win is a win, it doesn't matter if you win by a nose hair or by a mall ?

 

[Osiris_x11]

regulations in some states...

hmm, plugs on the SIDE-WALL in some states are not permissable.

(I had 'friend' who would plug anything for me... then again- I was never driving anything that could be tracked or go near 160-170mph at the time)

 

[NSXDreamer2]

Re: regulations in some states...

hmm, plugs on the SIDE-WALL in some states are not permissable.

(I had 'friend' who would plug anything for me... then again- I was never driving anything that could be tracked or go near 160-170mph at the time)

whenever the side wall got damaged, the tire is considered un-repairable.

The problem of those "improper" fixed tires are that the driver might not know what will happen with the tire (ie. air leaking, or just failure) and they will drive "ok" to the driver in the first couple days, after that, they might forget or even think it's ok to keep driving with them. (it's just human nature.)

Until one day, It just blows or even coming off from the wheel.

 

[hlweyl]

On the television show Motorweek, I remember the mechanic saying a plug is an acceptable repair as long as it is the type with the cord in it (which I use.) A better repair is a plug/patch, that has to be done from the inside. He said patches alone are not acceptable. If there is damage to your sidewall, the tire must be replaced.

So the all the plug "nazis" , do you just buy a new tire every time you get a small puncture? Maybe an expert in the tire industry can chime in and set us straight for what is an acceptable repair for a puncture.

I've had my tires plugged since I first started driving and NEVER had a problem. BTW, never heard of a plug being illegal either.

 

[matteni]

Call a flatbed, Fix-a-flat or Slime. Since the X has a pump I think Slime would be the best.

http://www.slime.com/

I always had some concern about Fix-a-Flat, it's an aerosol type product and should not be stored at over 120F. The trunk of an X gets real warm.

I have plugged tires But it is not the best or safest way. Air can leak around the plug and get in-between the plies and cause a separation and a catastrophic failure of the tire. So on any car you what to drive fast, run heavily loaded or both I would recommend getting the tire properly patched.

I have stored fix a flat in the trunk tools area for over 2 years with no adverse effect. I don't take it out even at the track.

Also be carefull with slime - by their own admission you may void your Yoko warranty and it may eat away Aluminum:

If you do get fix a flat - make sure you get the kind that is non-flamible. I am not sure they even make/sell the flamible kind any more. You don't want it exploding when they change your tires - do you? Well maybe that one guy where they took his NSX on a 200 mile clutch dumping joy ride - but the rest of us don't.

 

[NSX/MR2]

I live in San Diego and also considering keeping the next NSX forever, save for a real life neccessity. I have went to far as considered removing the entire AC system for weight-saving purposes.

 

[Lazarus]

Man, this topic is eerily reminiscent of what happened to me over the Chinese New Year holidays. Flat tire (punctured by a nail, if you can believe it), sidewall shredded, nearest tire shop doesn't have any tires in stock in my size (265/35ZR-17), not even used ones to just get me home or to a better-stocked tire shop, leave the car at tire shop, cab it over to another tire shop (recommended by NSXHK - Big Thanks To Henry!!) that was miraculously open and extremely well-stocked, pick up a used tire, return to previous tire shop, have used tire installed, then drive over to second tire shop to buy new tires and have them installed. What an adventure.

 

[matteni]

I took out the spare and the tools for weight savings too.

When I am in town I always have a full set of track tires at home that I can put on.

When I am out of town with the NSX I always have a full set of track tires in the car that I can use!

 

[NSX-Racer]

AFAIK the JDM NSX-R comes without spare tire but with an instant repair kit someone mentioned above. In Germany these kits are legal and in some cars also stock.

 

[kystu]

I took out my spare tire after the brake upgrade, since it won't fit anymore. And at first I was kind of concerned, but after looking around you see that alot of cars these days don't caome with spare tires anymore. If you look at the BMW M5, it no longer comes with a spare since it has different size wheels, front and back, and they are so big they won't fit in the trunk, so they just tell you to call customer assistance. Also Ferraris don't come with spares (and haven't for a while) but in their tool kits they give you a can of fix a flat. A spare tire is a customer option now on the RX-8, etc. It seems that more and more manufacturers are moving away from the space savers, and it seems like as run-flat tires become more prolific in the coming years, you may not even see spare tires as options anymore....but that is just a thought.

-Stuart