Spare tire and rim of some sort I had my first flat..
- Thread starter GPM432
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Personally I find recycling an old spare tire from the wrecker scrapyard, and the tools to change it a lot more environmentally responsible than possibly ruining a good (but flat) new tire and its TPMS sensors. Have you read the warning sheet that comes with the mobility kit?
Irritant, harmful or fatal (if swallowed), overexposure may cause central nervous system and kidney affects
apu
Well-Known Member
You really have to put some perspective on your statement. Quoted from tire rack "the weight of the spare tire, wheel, jack and tools reduce fuel economy throughout the vehicle's life. Sure, it may not be detectable on any one tank of fuel, but a 50-pound spare tire, wheel, jack and tools can reduce the vehicle's fuel economy by up to 1%. That means a 16 mpg SUV/light truck driven 150,000 miles during a 10-year lifetime would consume about 94 gallons of fuel just to carry the spare ($235 in fuel costs at $2.50/gallon). And even a more economical car that averages 35 mpg would still require 43 gallons of fuel during its 10-year, 150,000-mile lifetime ($107.50 in fuel costs at $2.50/gallon)." https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=216
So the Kona EV with a EPA rating equivalent of 120mpg (and assuming your electrical grid is 100% fueled by fossil fuel) you would consume the equivalent of an extra 12.5 gallons of fuel over 10years/150,000miles to carry your spare. I happen to live in a province that sources its grid electricity 100% from renewable(mostly hydroelectric), so carrying my spare tires's environmental impact is negligible. I have to add if it was not for my spare tire I would have had to get a large diesel tow truck to drive a couple hours round trip to fix my most recent sidewall flat that no fix a flat tire goop in the world would have helped. Sorry but the environmental argument not to have a spare especially in an EV is rubbish.
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apu
Well-Known Member
I think he was just being facetious, a joke...
I initially thought so as well but then he/she came up with the CAFE reply. So I think Recoil45 is serious. Which seems odd as one really needs to "think of children" ( I'm being facetious)produced from the carbon emission from the spent gunpowder in the recoiling 45
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I initially thought so as well but then he/she came up with the CAFE reply. So I think Recoil45 is serious. Which seems odd as one really needs to "think of children" ( I'm being facetious)produced from the carbon emission from the spent gunpowder in the recoiling 45
I mostly meant to mock the ridiculousness of certain government mandates. Just the confusion caused by my original post sort of proves the point. It's hard to comprehend that CAFE is actually the reason they are being removed. But another poster shared the data.
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John Lumsden
Active Member
In late 2019 we took a 3000 km road trip round the South Island of New Zealand. At one point we followed a trail that was steep, narrow, twisty and rocky (Danseys Pass in the Maniototo region). We made it over all right but afterwards I thought it was a pretty reckless thing to do with the lack of any spare tyre and the risk of sidewall damage. So after joining this forum this year I found the information about the spare wheels and tyres very helpful, and I'm now ready to venture into the "back blocks" with less concern about getting stranded.
Like hobbit I even found a piece of wood under the bench to level the spare. The wood can also serve as a base for the jack if it's on soft ground. The spare is placed on the right side to fit against the rear seat support there. I cut the straps off an old backpack and it holds the tools underneath with its padded back stopping any rattling. So a big thank-you hobbit, whitten, and apu for your descriptions, and to others who contributed to the solution.
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R P
Well-Known Member
Well, I just went through a hellish experience with a flat on my Kona. My wife took the car out to Cultus Lake Water Park with our daughter, about 100 kms from home. Wouldn't you know it, when she got there she discovered a screw in the left front tire. It was making a clicking noise when she was coming to a stop, and when she looked, that it is what it was. She called me, and I didn't want her driving it, so I took our other car out there, with an air pump, and left it for her to drive home.
When I checked the air pressure it only lost a few PSI, so I figured it should be OK to drive home with it. I pumped it up 5 psi over the other 3 tires, and monitored it on the dash. Didn't seem to be losing any pressure at all while I was driving. Then, on the freeway, I heard a loud ping, and saw the air pressure alert come on, and the tire quickly lose its pressure. I pulled over as far as I could on the right lane, and cars and trucks continued to whiz by me at 110+ kph. It was a very, very bad place to have a flat. and to make matters worse, it was 40C (yep, yet another heat wave here) outside, so not a good place to hang out for any length of time.
I had no choice but to press the roadside assistance button and talk to an agent. Took a couple minutes, but finally an agent came on. Had a hard time understanding her, though,... heavy Quebec accent. So obviously the call centre was out east. Then took a while to explain my predicament and where I was. The call showed my coordinates, so would have expected her to see that on a map in front of here. No, instead, took me another 5 min or so to explain where I was. She then went away and said that my call had been dispatched, and someone would contact me. After waiting half an hour, and no call, I called again and had to explain everything all over again to another agent. He then looked up my call and said that the tow truck ETA would be 4 hours. I couldn't believe it!! But he said that there were a lot of calls out my way, and that is how long I had to wait. I said no way, and would call my son to come pick me up. He said that they would not pick up my car if it was unattended. So I finally got him to agree to have the tow truck company call me 15 min before heading to my car, so I could get back out there.
Anyway, just as I started to call my son again, suddenly a tow truck arrived and stopped just in front of me. I thought that was odd, to be so fast, after being told 4 hours. But I was just happy to see him. He came over and asked if I needed help. I said yes, and if he was from roadside assistance. He explained that no, and just pulled over when he saw me stopped with flashers on and me inside. He just happened to be on his way home, actually, driving from Chilliwack to Langley, which as it happens is where I live. He was a God Send, and I happily accepted his offer for the tow home.
On the way home, he explained that Roadside Assistance, BCAA, ICBC, RCMP, and most car companies all use the same service and have contracts with certain tow companies. This particular one operated out of Abbotsford and look after the eastern end of the Fraser Valley. They are also known to be more like 5 and 6 hour waits and sometimes 7, when they say 4. Needless to say, I was most grateful to have this guy come along. He also said his company was too small to get a contract, and only operates on customer calls, not dispatches. So, needless to say, I am keeping his card.
He thought the screw popped out with the extra air pressure and heat outside (40C) on the pavement. The tire heated up, with rubber softening, and the screw blew out.
He said to call Roadside Assistance when I got home, to cancel their call and get reimbursed. I did, and they instructed me on how to get that done. They did apologize and asked if there was anything else they could do. I declined, thanked them, and said I would go the website they gave me to send in my reimbursement info.
Sorry for the long story, but it was an awakening for me, about what can happen if you don't have a spare. Never would have thought it would take 4+ hours to get a tow truck. So to end it, I am now going to look for a spare tire that can fit into that rear wheel well, under the cargo lid.
When I checked the air pressure it only lost a few PSI, so I figured it should be OK to drive home with it. I pumped it up 5 psi over the other 3 tires, and monitored it on the dash. Didn't seem to be losing any pressure at all while I was driving. Then, on the freeway, I heard a loud ping, and saw the air pressure alert come on, and the tire quickly lose its pressure. I pulled over as far as I could on the right lane, and cars and trucks continued to whiz by me at 110+ kph. It was a very, very bad place to have a flat. and to make matters worse, it was 40C (yep, yet another heat wave here) outside, so not a good place to hang out for any length of time.
I had no choice but to press the roadside assistance button and talk to an agent. Took a couple minutes, but finally an agent came on. Had a hard time understanding her, though,... heavy Quebec accent. So obviously the call centre was out east. Then took a while to explain my predicament and where I was. The call showed my coordinates, so would have expected her to see that on a map in front of here. No, instead, took me another 5 min or so to explain where I was. She then went away and said that my call had been dispatched, and someone would contact me. After waiting half an hour, and no call, I called again and had to explain everything all over again to another agent. He then looked up my call and said that the tow truck ETA would be 4 hours. I couldn't believe it!! But he said that there were a lot of calls out my way, and that is how long I had to wait. I said no way, and would call my son to come pick me up. He said that they would not pick up my car if it was unattended. So I finally got him to agree to have the tow truck company call me 15 min before heading to my car, so I could get back out there.
Anyway, just as I started to call my son again, suddenly a tow truck arrived and stopped just in front of me. I thought that was odd, to be so fast, after being told 4 hours. But I was just happy to see him. He came over and asked if I needed help. I said yes, and if he was from roadside assistance. He explained that no, and just pulled over when he saw me stopped with flashers on and me inside. He just happened to be on his way home, actually, driving from Chilliwack to Langley, which as it happens is where I live. He was a God Send, and I happily accepted his offer for the tow home.
On the way home, he explained that Roadside Assistance, BCAA, ICBC, RCMP, and most car companies all use the same service and have contracts with certain tow companies. This particular one operated out of Abbotsford and look after the eastern end of the Fraser Valley. They are also known to be more like 5 and 6 hour waits and sometimes 7, when they say 4. Needless to say, I was most grateful to have this guy come along. He also said his company was too small to get a contract, and only operates on customer calls, not dispatches. So, needless to say, I am keeping his card.
He thought the screw popped out with the extra air pressure and heat outside (40C) on the pavement. The tire heated up, with rubber softening, and the screw blew out.
He said to call Roadside Assistance when I got home, to cancel their call and get reimbursed. I did, and they instructed me on how to get that done. They did apologize and asked if there was anything else they could do. I declined, thanked them, and said I would go the website they gave me to send in my reimbursement info.
Sorry for the long story, but it was an awakening for me, about what can happen if you don't have a spare. Never would have thought it would take 4+ hours to get a tow truck. So to end it, I am now going to look for a spare tire that can fit into that rear wheel well, under the cargo lid.
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hwitten
Active Member
Hellish experience indeed but not totally unexpected re wait times. I'll gladly pack a little bit of extra weight around to improve my chances to avoid such an experience. Hopefully not jinxing myself
Hopefully wife and daughter had a good time at the waterpark while dad suffered
Hopefully wife and daughter had a good time at the waterpark while dad suffered
R P
Well-Known Member
They did, and were with other friends/family at the water park. Thank goodness I chose to drive the Kona home. My wife would have freaked out if she was in the same situation. I didn't even tell her how bad it was, as I don't want her to be afraid to drive alone. At least she knows to call me.Hellish experience indeed but not totally unexpected re wait times. I'll gladly pack a little bit of extra weight around to improve my chances to avoid such an experience. Hopefully not jinxing myself
Hopefully wife and daughter had a good time at the waterpark while dad suffered
What a useless bunch that roadside assistance was. Like I said, I will keep that tow truck card in my car from now on. At home I phoned the company, and ended up speaking to the owner thanking him for what they did. He said that it happens all the time there on that freeway, and his people have rescued many people waiting for BCAA (another useless paid service using the same long wait tow company). I think most people don't know how bad these services are until they need them.
That's exactly why I bought a compact spare. I had looked all over the Lower Mainland for a used 17" compact spare that would fit but could not find anything. That's why I decided to buy new. Total cost of new including tax, tire mounting on rim and enviro fees was $313.15 Cdn from a Hyundai dealership in Richmond. 17" x 4" compact spare from a Tucson part 52910-C1930 with a T135/90/17 tire. Also picked up the same 2 ton jack that apu bought from Princess Auto as it was good value and an extendable breaker bar/lug wrench from Walmart. Hope this info helps you out. Good luck.
R P
Well-Known Member
I looked at it this morning, pretty big hole. Big nail goes in with no resistance. I do have a spare set of Nexens, so I might just replace this tire with a new one. Or I might just change the whole set. Will have to get my tire tread caliper out to check amount of treads. I can use the remaining 3 good ones as spares, in case I have another one ruined down the road.
But I might just try a temporary plug so I can get it into my garage. Just parked in the driveway right now.
R P
Well-Known Member
Thanks, great info. Does it fit properly on both front and rear hubs? I understand the brake calipers are larger on the rears.