Already have a spare tire kit, is the extra weight worth it?

[Nightmonkey]

Something in this context: https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/th...obility-kit-warning-lite.142178/#post-2916969

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[Roger Blose]

Ok here is the flat tire fiasco. You get a flat on a weekend. AAA shows up to flat bed your car to a tire store. If you had a spare, they could install it for you and away you go. No spare, your car gets damaged being flat bedded to a tire store that may be closed. The store is closed so you have to UBER home. Back to the tire store and oh no, they have to order your special size Z rated tire which may take a day or more. Three days later your tire fiasco is over and it time to see a body shop to fix the front splitter from the tow job damage. Buy the spare and lose 50 pounds if the weight is a big issue.

 

[Sig556]

Never got a flat in 8 years and wondering if the extra weight is worth it.

What do you think?

What do I think? Well, Now you've gone and done it! Should have never said that. In other news My last 3 ordered cars all included the spare tire kit. My 2015, 2018, 2020, and now my 2024. For me it's peace of mind. And if you are going to track the car just remove the spare, problem solved.

 

[65CrownV8]

In the first 200K miles, I've replaced both rear tires twice, the first set at 300 miles (screws In both, near the sidewalls), the second set at 1,400 miles. I switched to Continentals after that. A spare would have been nice in both of these instances. I just replaced the front tires at 20K miles due to the cords showing on the inside (alignment was perfect). Switched to Conti's up front now. Came home on the back of a wrecker twice for a $450 total towing bill.

 

[Mirage]

...As far as AAA - being a Premium member for close to 20 years now and having to use their tow service 3x in that time - doesn't matter if you're in a densely populated area, big city, rural area or a Premium Member, you WILL wait an average of at least 1 hour before that flatbed even gets to you, that's fact. So if waiting over an hour just for a tow, then the time it takes to be driven to XYZ by the tow - you could have changed the flat in 15 mins and been on your way...

I live in Central Florida (Orlando) - not exactly a low population density area. Each of the three times I've had to have a 16 year old Tahoe towed on a flatbed trailer for mechanical issues, the wait times have ranged from three to nearly four and a half hours. I just got my Mach 1 and am ordering the spare.

 

[Rick#7]

My 2 cents;
1) the piece of mind knowing a flat tire won't leave me stuck on the side of road is priceless. Well, maybe priceless is an exaggeration, I think $500 (m.o.l.) for a spare kit is kinda ridiculous, but thankfully, there are relatively inexpensive options that worked my GT with the standard brakes, and the cost I paid to get a spare kit together for my car was worth every penny, even though I have not had a need to use it yet.
2) unless you keep ultra precise, long running mpg records to compare before and after, you'll never notice any change in mpg from the added weight. As far as performance, 50 lbs will not make any perceptible difference in normal street driving. If you take it to the track, just take the spare out of the trunk when you get there.
3) so, no flats in 8 years, consider yourself lucky. I've had 2 flats in 8 years, and in both cases the emergency inflator kit was completely useless, in 1 of those cases it just made a big gooey mess of the tire and wheel. I've carried a spare in my car ever since, and always will.

 

[Snakebyte]

Ok here is the flat tire fiasco. You get a flat on a weekend. AAA shows up to flat bed your car to a tire store. If you had a spare, they could install it for you and away you go. No spare, your car gets damaged being flat bedded to a tire store that may be closed. The store is closed so you have to UBER home. Back to the tire store and oh no, they have to order your special size Z rated tire which may take a day or more. Three days later your tire fiasco is over and it time to see a body shop to fix the front splitter from the tow job damage. Buy the spare and lose 50 pounds if the weight is a big issue.

Been there on a long trip 800 miles from home, shredded tire, with no spare, on an early Sunday morning during Covid restrictions. A lot of pain that I could have avoided, if only I had a spare.

 

[Sig556]

My 2 cents;
1) the piece of mind knowing a flat tire won't leave me stuck on the side of road is priceless. Well, maybe priceless is an exaggeration, I think $500 (m.o.l.) for a spare kit is kinda ridiculous, but thankfully, there are relatively inexpensive options that worked my GT with the standard brakes, and the cost I paid to get a spare kit together for my car was worth every penny, even though I have not had a need to use it yet.
2) unless you keep ultra precise, long running mpg records to compare before and after, you'll never notice any change in mpg from the added weight. As far as performance, 50 lbs will not make any perceptible difference in normal street driving. If you take it to the track, just take the spare out of the trunk when you get there.
3) so, no flats in 8 years, consider yourself lucky. I've had 2 flats in 8 years, and in both cases the emergency inflator kit was completely useless, in 1 of those cases it just made a big gooey mess of the tire and wheel. I've carried a spare in my car ever since, and always will.

I believe this topic comes under the heading of COMMON SENSE something that is lacking in our current world.

 

[Ole Texan]

Confused, if I remove inflator 2018 base model Mustang will I get a warning light?

 

[Jaymar]

Confused, if I remove inflator 2018 base model Mustang will I get a warning light?

No, the reminder is time based and set in the dash menu.

 

[Ole Texan]

Thanks

 

[Mojo9691]

Get the spare.

 

[Sean22]

Never got a flat in 8 years and wondering if the extra weight is worth it.

What do you think?

Don't jinx yourself. Better find some wood and knock on it!

 

[Garfy]

TOTALLY hear you. I felt the exact same way, thinking I'm carrying this stuff around when I also have roadside. I haven't had a flat in like 10+ years.

A year after owning my PP1 out of nowhere on the highway, didn't see a thing, BING the tire pressure monitors went nuts and the rear got a flat. It was great not having to wait for anybody and in a few mins was on my way (lol the car handled REAL odd with that little donut on!).

So when will you need the spare? Exactly the time when you don't want a flat tire.

That is why I still carry it.

OK, I'm going "off topic" a bit but... Lots of people carry firearms and NEVER had to use it in a decade, etc. But it's nice to know you have one IN CASE you ever need it. Same goes with a spare tire if and when it happens and you're in the boonies somewhere.

 

[Strokerswild]

After experiencing this with my '07 GT500 on a remote road late on a hot Sunday afternoon with nothing but a "mobility kit", no vehicle of mine will ever be without a spare again.

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