No spare plus paid subscriptions!
Posted by Turtle_Tramp@reddit | Autos | View on Reddit | 29 comments
What the hell happened in the last few years. Most people can't change a tire and companies are selling cars with tire repair kits? When you blow your tire on the freeway there's no patching that, and even if you could how will you fill it up with air? Then all the additional apps and charges to use the rest of the car that we just paid 50+k for! I'm not buying this shit. I'll get a 90s ranger and put 50k in upgrades before I buy shit I can't use.
cactusjakal@reddit
My girlfriend got her donut stolen by a tire shop when she brought the car in to get a flat replaced. They just took it and didn't give it back to her and said it's no good since it's been driven on. If anyone knows where to get a new one please let me know.
TarponTalker@reddit
A junkyard, eBay, a dealership. Depends on what car you’re talking about.
pekingravioli@reddit
Every flat tire I’ve gotten (I’m 49 years old and typically own 3-4 cars at a time) has been repairable with a patch kit or AAA/rosdside assistance has fixed it. I own vehicles with tires ranging from a 37” off-road tire to a 305/35/23. All have been fixed easily with a patch or roadside service. Things evolve, there’s roadside assistance and people can’t be bothered risking their lives changing a tire on a highway. I pay for zero apps though, that’s unnecessary to me.
roosterb4@reddit
How do you put a patch on a tire on the side of the road?
B5_S4@reddit
...with a patch tool? I use the ones that are little bits of sticky rope. Works great. Pretty sure my daily has 2 or 3 of the things in the tires right now.
pessimistoptimist@reddit
And this is easier than changing the tire how? Ypu jabe to take the tire off anyways to do the dubious plug and then how do you add air to the tire?
B5_S4@reddit
You absolutely do not have to take the tire off to plug it. And you fill it with the included 12v air compressor that the car came with, because it doesn't have a spare tire lol. My current daily has staggered wheels and brakes too big for a compact spare. The car is physically too small to fit a full sized spare without completely filling the miniscule cargo space. My other car is all wheel drive, and if the tires are worn enough the transfer case gets very upset over the diameter difference and you're limited to about 12mph on the spare. So plugging is not necessarily easier than putting on a spare, but it's much, much faster than waiting for a tow truck.
pessimistoptimist@reddit
This tells me you have never actually had to repair a tire ever.
B5_S4@reddit
Yeah man whatever you say.
Wumaduce@reddit
That's a plug. They're, supposedly, a temporary fix. A patch is applied by removing the tire and installing it from the inside.
cactusjakal@reddit
I've used plugs many times, they work great for small punctures and honestly last as long as the tire will
Loudergood@reddit
That's technically called a plug to differentiate it from the large flat stickers that go in the inside.
B5_S4@reddit
Well carry a plug tool then? I've never had a plug not last the remaining life of the tire.
Loudergood@reddit
I agree!
FWD_to_twin_turbo@reddit
Caught a bolt in my sidewall going down the highway. I'll zelle you $100 right now if you show me a safe way to patch a hole a sidewall. There are also multiple different types of blowouts, everything from popping a belt, pothole, low pressure, sidewall damage, etc.
Having to subscribe to a service and wait for someone to make it out to you for something that should be an easy 10 minute inconvenience is where i realize a fool and his money are easily parted.
In conclusion my good man, your comment is as well thought out as an underwater 240v socket.
Stair_Car_Hop_On@reddit
Who is paying for roadside nowadays? I think I have one free through my insurance, one free service BMW provides, several of my credit cards have it, my cell phone plan even has free roadside! Honestly, who is paying for a dedicated service, they are everywhere. I will take the patch kit that fixes 99% of stuff that happens on the road and will call someone from one of my free plans in the other 1% of I absolutely needed to.
FWD_to_twin_turbo@reddit
That's such a dumb "i'm a 1 percenter" mentality it's appalling.
No, it's rolled into your plan. Good lord people wonder why they get so much shit for "free" when paying high ass prices and dont realise that they're paying for said free shit 🙄. I have roadside through my insurance, and through my one of my cards, i have no delusions of them being "free" and coverage is limited, especially when you're on the road.
This also doesn't address the fact that you're too lazy to perform a basic task my 11 year old niece can perform lickity split, or maybe i just value my time a little more man idk. Sitting on the side of the road waiting for someone else to feel like popping up like a damsel in distress aint for me.
Funny thing is patch kits are more tedius than spares too, and a donut takes up such little space i'm surprised manufacturers have so successfully brainwashed most people into forgoing it.
Stair_Car_Hop_On@reddit
Do you know how many things mes I have had to change a spare on the side of the road in more than 20 years of driving? Haul a spare tire if you want, the past 20 years have proven to me it is so incredibly not worthwhile or useful. Most people already have roadside service and don't even know it is my point. And they do. But keep a spare around if you want, I couldn't care less. But for me, and a shit ton of other people, it is not worthwhile. You seem to think anyone that doesn't care to carry a spare can't change one. That's just ridiculous.
grundlemon@reddit
You really wanna hang out on the side of the highway and wait for AAA? They sonetimes take hours. Swapping a spare takes 10 minutes, max.
thischildslife@reddit
It depends on where you're at & what plan you have. I have paid for AAA Premium for over a decade & have used their roadside assistance a few times.
I've locked my keys in my car before & they had someone there in 10 minutes, but this was in a major metropolitan area.
Hit a raccoon at 70mph on some backroad outside of Dodge City, Kansas & destroyed the radiator. Took 45 minutes.
Differential disconnected from my Mercedes at 85mph on I40 outside of Weatherford Oklahoma & they picked me up off the side of I40 in probably ~30 min.
That said, you're 100% right. Can swap a spare yourself in WAY less time than waiting for someone else.
cactusjakal@reddit
I got two flats at the same time and it took AAA over four hours to get a truck to me, in the middle of a major city. By hour 3 of sitting in a hot parking lot I called my dad who brought a spare set of wheels and a jack.
The tow truck showed up right as I finished swapping them on.
PINTSIZEKILLA7@reddit
That’s just good luck. I’ve had several flats including a blowout and probably half of them were not fixable for one reason or another.
GristleMcThornbody1@reddit
Lol okay boomer
wankclown@reddit
Gen X. Can't even insult someone correctly, sheesh.
GristleMcThornbody1@reddit
Lol go call triple A grandpa
sweetrobna@reddit
I got a newer, smaller car this year that didn't come with a full size spare. It does have a tire inflator with the repair kit. I haven't needed to use a spare tire in 15+ years
It's a ford, this includes remote start via the app at no charge. There is also remote start from the key that doesn't need an app(but you need to be closeish to the car). I don't subscribe to satellite radio but that is optional. Vote with your wallet.
jokerzwild00@reddit
Yeah my newest vehicle has no spare tire either. It has a cutout for one, but it just has a foam insert in there. I need to order a full size Steelie from eBay or somewhere to throw in it. I don't feel safe riding around with just fix a flat and some plugs, they won't fix every flat tire. And using my roadside service takes hours sometimes.
AskingFooAFriend@reddit
No spare tire is nothing new. It goes all the way to the 70's.
Turtle_Tramp@reddit (OP)
For sure in smaller cars, but in a minivan? Even some subaru outbacks a car they advertise as an off-road/mountain camping car. That's crazy cheap and a terrible inconvenience to the customer. They sell you on the experience of owning the car. Part of that experience is having to replace a tire. For them to know that will eventually be on the side of the road and not rven give you a dounut. You have to purchase it as an addition!