what the heck? My miniature spare is toast, so I stop at the local tire store and they say, sorry, we don't sell those, try a junkyard, good luck...
huh?
what the heck? My miniature spare is toast, so I stop at the local tire store and they say, sorry, we don't sell those, try a junkyard, good luck...
huh?
i can't say that i've ever heard of anyone buying a mini spare brand new from a tire store...
yeah … I've never heard of a tire store selling mini-spares … junk yard or dealer
I have installed a new mini-spare tire while at a Goodyear chain, so the ywere at one point available.
They are EXPENSIVE though. Or at least were. I remember it was $180 in 1996 dollars. Plus installation.
Shouldn't your Volvo have an unpronounceable tire with goofy inverted tread, and not some Firestone, anyway? 
Why donut? Room for full-size spare?
The spares in both my Volvos (945/745) are full size.
When I worked at a dealership we always called the junkyard for a replacement donut for the used cars without them.
tirerack sells them
You can get them new, they are expensive and most sizes for older cars are discontinued.
Aren't they a pain to get on and off? I took the one off a z28 mini spare and it had an inner set Of beads that were a lot of fun.
Junkyard.
chandlerGTi wrote: Aren't they a pain to get on and off?
I used to think so.
Last week or so, I installed four Blizzaks on a Brembo-equipped Genesis. Even more "fun" was four Conti snow tires on a ForTwo. You may laugh, but they have the wheel dimensions of a mini-spare, but the tires themselves are low profile. And speed rated. And have TPMS sensors that overlap the tire bead, making it extra fun.
Don't forget, you can't spell "FUN" without F U.
http://tires.tirerack.com/tires/Compact%20Spare
I say to go to craigslist or a junkyard and get a factory wheel. Then, buy a regular tire as your spare. Donuts are not the greatest solution for a flat tire.
Am I being punked? Seriously... I'm in some kind of logic vortex and I find myself spinning round and round... Why would I have to or even want to go to a junkyard, for a used spare tire???? We're talking about a small spare tire here, a little round rubber thing, that goes on a wheel....
Why donut? Room for full-size spare?
This may sound crazy but these days my thinking is more along the lines of "I can fit two space savers in the same room as one full-size spare!".
Why would I have to or even want to go to a junkyard, for a used spare tire????
Well, because they typically get very little or no use and dont see a lot of direct sunlight so most of the ones you'll find in the junkyard are effectively almost-new? Most of the space savers ive ever seen ANYWHERE looked to be in fantastic shape. It's rare to see one worn out or dried out since they mostly sit in the dark with no load on them and do nothing.
Tires last a shockingly long time if stored in a dark place still covered in mold release. Though even then I wouldn't give them more than 10-15 years.
Though I was under the impression you could order them from any tire shop worth a damn.
plance1 wrote: Why would I have to or even want to go to a junkyard, for a used spare tire????
I was talking about replacing a doughnut with a regular spare. You can buy a regular tire from the junkyard or a tire shop, your choice.
Kenny_McCormic wrote: Tires last a shockingly long time if stored in a dark place still covered in mold release. Though even then I wouldn't give them more than 10-15 years. Though I was under the impression you could order them from any tire shop worth a damn.
the trouble with spare tyres, you never know what shape they are really in until you need to use them. The one in my old 91 saab fell apart in less than 2 miles even though it looked near perfect sitting in the trunk. While yes they are not subject to weather or sunlight in the trunk, they do get frozen and baked on a regular basis
The spare is to get you to where you need to go to get the issue solved properly, not intended for long term use. If it holds air and can get you 50 miles it's done it's job.
There are totally viable alternatives to lugging even a 'space-saver' spare all the time. Plenty of new cars don't even come with spares.
we all know this is the proper way to use a minispare
In reply to mad_machine:
Like I said 10-15 years.
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