Really Mazda? this is an acceptable donut to you?

Yesterday I left work early, and karma decided to fight back. A 4x4 fell off of a truck leaving our plant. I swerved to avoid it and caught it with my sidewall. 4000 miles on the damn thing. After discovering the previous owner threw away the tire wrench, I had to go home and grab a 4 way. this is why I should have just stayed at work until it was time to get off.

I think mazda likes to save money, and use the same donut all across the board. if it fits right? the entire drive home the traction control light would turn on with any touch of the steering wheel.

forgive the horrible pic. apparently my camera was set to "take terrible picture" mode

luckiy the rental car isnt half bad. 97 M edition, w/ 60k on the clock

I was under the impression that donuts should never go on the front. As in : swap the good rear to the front to replace the flat and put the donut on the rear.

In reply to EastCoastMojo:

I was thinking along similar lines, I wouldn't put the donut a the drive wheel, especially on an FWD car.

i drove 3 miles. Call me lazy, but I'd rather risk 3 miles at 35mph than swap out 2 tires in a parking lot. especially with a spare tire jack. Makes sense though. never had a flat tire in my 13 years of driving.

EastCoastMojo wrote: I was under the impression that donuts should never go on the front. As in : swap the good rear to the front to replace the flat and put the donut on the rear.

Yeah, I always do this, especially on FWD cars.

At least the removed flat could fit in the trunk. Had a flat in the Miata once and found out that there is no way to get the removed wheel/tire into the trunk, so if you are going to have a flat in a Miata, you may have top choose between taking your passenger or your wheel with you when you pull out with the donut in place.

At least you get a donut. A lot of cars now come with nothing but a can of Fix-A-Flat goo.

Always put the spare on the back in a FWD car.

For my AWD car, putting the full size spare on the front is my method, because the wear on the tires won't be identical, there is an LSD in the rear and the front tires are often spinning at different rates anyhow.

Donuts are never acceptable, unless filled with pudding and covered in chocolate.

For a rwd car: put two donuts on the back, find a parking lot, go party

For an awd car: put donuts on all 4 wheels, find a parking lot, make Ken Blocks

For a RWD car with a limited slip, the donut should always go on the front, even if the flat is at the rear, otherwise the diff will be unhappy

Gearheadotaku wrote: Donuts are never acceptable, unless filled with pudding and covered in chocolate.

Unless you're Chris Harris. AMG Donut Experiment ;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPh90yNX-mY

well that will teach me never to post on here, without thinking "what would GRM find wrong with this picture".

I thought the ticket to a successful post was to post Miata. Back to the drawing board...

We're all just looking out for you man. It's all good.

mr2peak wrote:

Gearheadotaku wrote: Donuts are never acceptable, unless filled with pudding and covered in chocolate.

Unless you're Chris Harris. AMG Donut Experiment ;) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPh90yNX-mY

Someone erase that video immediately before the flat hatters get wind of it.

I'd like to see an "all donut" autocross. Slow, but silly to do and watch.

KyAllroad wrote: I'd like to see an "all donut" autocross. Slow, but silly to do and watch.

That's called a "Dexterity" event, they're fairly common in the UK and Caribbean. I've done a few of them. FWD cars are boring to watch but very competitive.

There's a message in this pic:

If it makes you feel better, in the old Maxima I drilled a 6x6 fencepost that fell on the highway, and couldn't avoid it. Hit it at 70mpg. Bent both of my front struts from the impact (but somehow didn't damage the tires/wheels)...the instant camber/toe change almost sent me into the jersey wall if I didn't have both hands on the wheel....

Gearheadotaku wrote: Donuts are never acceptable, unless filled with pudding and covered in chocolate.

I loathe filled donuts.

carbon wrote:

Now that's a great Mazda donut! They smell great when they are fresh too.

KyAllroad wrote: I'd like to see an "all donut" autocross. Slow, but silly to do and watch.

Something similar to that is a drifting event, especially if it's a local, non-professional event.