[Xcommuter]

Thought a new thread would be useful. I am considering permanently removing the spare tire and jack from the trunk.

The spare and jack weigh almost 50 lbs. (seems I read 47 lbs.) and removal of that kind of weight is a plus. The spare donut would be useful to get me home with a flat on the front tires , but may cause a concern on the backs with the IRS. Of course, if I get a flat on a back tire , then I could move a front to back and mount donut on front...

But do I really want to change a flat on my GTO and ride on the spare donut ? NO , I'll call 1-800-roadside or as a current member I'll call for a FlatBed from AAA. When my wounded Goat arrives home , do I then put the spare on and ride with it till a replacement tire is available. NO WAY - I'll keep it down till the Replacement Tire is available...

I get to the Tire Shop and/or installer by using a can of Fix-A-Flat . Or maybe I keep a Fifth Wheel/Tire at home for Replacement...

The '06 Grand Prix GXP has no spare (plus different size tires f/r) , just a can of Flat Repair - So their owners are dealing with the issue of no spare. Also seems like alot of GTO owners are replacing wheels to the 18-19 range which makes the donut spare even more of a difference , if usable at all...

So I'll throw this idea out and see what other Owners are thinking and/or doing ...

 

[bemeyer]

Is the circumference of the spare that much different to that of the stock tires? I don't think GM would put a spare in a car that would damage the car so long as the recommended max speeds aren't exceeded.

Personally to me 50 lbs just isn't worth saving for daily commuting. Sure, if I were racing no doubt it would come out. That spare would be your best friend if you had a flat in the middle of Kansas.

In the winter months the spare would actually put more weight on your rear wheels for traction.

Now, if I could put that trunk volume to use then I may consider driving without a spare :lol:

 

[ftlfirefighter]

Don't forget your front to rear weight distribution guys. the Goats already nose heavy!! That 50lbs goes along way towards traction too since it's hanging out behind the axle. If anything you want to move the battery back there too to help better balance it out.

 

[JMVorbeck]

Thought a new thread would be useful. I am considering permanently removing the spare tire and jack from the trunk.

The spare and jack weigh almost 50 lbs. (seems I read 47 lbs.) and removal of that kind of weight is a plus. The spare donut would be useful to get me home with a flat on the front tires , but may cause a concern on the backs with the IRS. Of course, if I get a flat on a back tire , then I could move a front to back and mount donut on front...

But do I really want to change a flat on my GTO and ride on the spare donut ? NO , I'll call 1-800-roadside or as a current member I'll call for a FlatBed from AAA. When my wounded Goat arrives home , do I then put the spare on and ride with it till a replacement tire is available. NO WAY - I'll keep it down till the Replacement Tire is available...

I get to the Tire Shop and/or installer by using a can of Fix-A-Flat . Or maybe I keep a Fifth Wheel/Tire at home for Replacement...

The '06 Grand Prix GXP has no spare (plus different size tires f/r) , just a can of Flat Repair - So their owners are dealing with the issue of no spare. Also seems like alot of GTO owners are replacing wheels to the 18-19 range which makes the donut spare even more of a difference , if usable at all...

So I'll throw this idea out and see what other Owners are thinking and/or doing ...

X, I have had a flat already. If I didnt have that spare and had to wait around for a towtruck to show up 45 mins to an hour I would have been really unhappy. Also, I do not know what you are referring to regarding the spare and the IRS. That is not a doughnut spare, I believe it is a full 17" spare. It is a temp spare so the width isnt there but the circumference is the same as far as I remember. I went to go look at it but it is raining like a monsoon outside sooooo, that aint gonna happen. Pull it out at the track, but for every day driving I dont know why you would want to screw yourself when you do get a flat.

 

[JMVorbeck]

OK, rain stopped. T145, 70 - 17. So it is actually a little larger than the stock tires 45 vs 70. There would be no problem with the differential. Not a doughnut just a temp.

 

[Phantom05]

I would rather keep the spare with me. That rim looks freakin sweet for being a backup! At the track, I just take it out and leave it at home or in my buddies Tahoe.
I second bemeyer on the traction deal, Missouri winters suck and if I was driving my goat and it started to snow, I don't want to start getting squirley on the highway.

 

[westell]

I would rather keep the spare with me. That rim looks freakin sweet for being a backup! At the track, I just take it out and leave it at home or in my buddies Tahoe.
I second bemeyer on the traction deal, Missouri winters suck and if I was driving my goat and it started to snow, I don't want to start getting squirley on the highway.

Take the rubba off, and with a beveled glass top, it would make a nice table :cool

 

[Phantom05]

Take the rubba off, and with a beveled glass top, it would make a nice table :cool

:lol: Not a bad idea!

 

[Xcommuter]

Not withstanding that I would wait an hour for a FlatBed vs. Change a flat - this
is what I get so far :

Keep the Spare :
1) weight distribution :cheers
2) not a donut , real 17" :cheers
3) Snow Concerns

Take the Spare out :
1) Temp for Track :cheers
2) Fashionable table top :lol:

Thanks for the input...
Has Anyone used these "flats-in-Can" repair kits ? Do they work or just more hype ?

 

[Groucho]

Where I drive, I keep it. Too far off in the sticks.

 

[b_a_betterperson]

I threw a can of Fix-A-Flat in my wife's car just so she can get out of a bad area before calling assistance.

Never have had to use it on a car before -- but have this green stuff called Slime in my mountain bike tires. It's pretty interesting. You hit a thorn or something to cause a leak -- and you'll hear this hissing sound for a couple seconds -- then it gets plugged up. So if I were to carry anything, I'd try that new Slime Tire Repair Kit.

The downside is the tire repair guys don't like cleaning up the mess. Also, if you use it for any other reason than to get yourself to a tire repair shop as quickly as possible -- I've heard the stuff can ball up and cause balancing issues. That won't be the case with you, of course, just folks who think this stuff is a replacement for a proper repair.

 

[RiceEater]

The Fix-a-Flats? They work.

Of course that all depends on the type of tire you have and why the tire is flat. Anything major, like an enormous gash in the tire and well you're screwed. Otherwise if you have something like a tiny little hole that the air is leaking out of, it can completely repair the tire to where you don't really even have to have it repaired professionally or anything.

Problem is though, the goat uses highly rated tires, and most Fix-a-Flat things are made for lower rated tires. I know that you have to get a special type of the stuff, but I'm not sure what.

Anyway yeah, they can work well enough to help you get to the garage, or even completely fix that problem.

 

[Groucho]

I have never seen Fix-a-Flat work. Every time I've had a flat on the road, the hole was beyond the reach of that splooge.

All it has ever done for me is make an already messy job worse. :willy:

 

[westell]

the problem with fix a flat is the rest of the product dries in a ball in your tire, so your balance is shot and once when i did it, the vibration so bad i couldn't drive over 60 mph. It all has to be removed. The gas formed in the tire is flammable so let your tireman know, as a spark from a tire tool or machine, well.... there's been people killed. fix a flat now includes a sticker to put on the wheel to alert tire shops.

Slime is making a can now a days. Better product imo :cheers

 

[RiceEater]

I've had that gay off-balance thing happen a few times. That's definately the main problem with it... it's supposed to dry evenly throughout the tire, but the thing with that is you need to drive about 100 miles for it to completely dry. So if you were to go some hundred miles every time you used one you'd be completely fine