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Thread: Lose the Jack and Spare tire?

  1. #1
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    Lose the Jack and Spare tire?

    For many years i wanted to get this out of the car, in case of emergency wanted to see what others are carrying in its place?
    1997 540 / 6 Sport, 2001 540 staggered rims
    Suspension = Bilstein B8 Performance Plus Struts, Xeon headlights & fog lights, LED tail lights, Evo short shifter, Custom air engine intake, 3 inch dual exhaust hollow cats,NGK iridium spark plugs, removed -clutch delay valve

  2. #2
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    AAA card with the increased towing privledges. I wouldn't use that fix-a-flat in a can on any of my wheels considering how hard it is to remove it. And if you don't have a jack or spare you're likely looking at a tow regardless.

  3. #3
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    Yeah +1

    I no longer have my E39, my MCS came with runflats which i ditched right away which means I don't have a spare. I've only had one flat tire that was pretty bad tbh, but my solution was to hit up AAA.

    I also work as a tire mechanic, which makes me surprised i dont get more flats lol. But yes, don't use fix-a-flat or the slime, it makes a mess when we go to clean your wheel and I forget when BMW started using TMPS but itll break your sensor which are around $100. Plus beware, if ran on a flat certain places won't fix it
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  4. #4
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    So my can now has 250k on it, i have changed one tire once on the road in all that time. I think im going to go with tire repair kit and tire inflator. Im sure i'll have a major blow out after
    1997 540 / 6 Sport, 2001 540 staggered rims
    Suspension = Bilstein B8 Performance Plus Struts, Xeon headlights & fog lights, LED tail lights, Evo short shifter, Custom air engine intake, 3 inch dual exhaust hollow cats,NGK iridium spark plugs, removed -clutch delay valve

  5. #5
    JimLev's Avatar
    JimLev is offline Artifically Aspirated Moderator
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    Only one flat in 18 years. I do carry the spare and the jack.
    For my '33 that I'm building it doesn't have a spare. I do have an small 12v compressor and a plug kit, was considering a can of fix a flat until I read your post Justin.
    I do have AAA Plus, good for a 100 mile tow.

  6. #6
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    I figure my full-size spare M-Par + tire + jack can't weigh all that much... maybe like 30-40lbs at most. On a car that weighs nearly 4000lbs, that's not significant. I'd rather have the peace of mind, honestly. I did have to use my spare tire on a road trip last year, so...
    1995 525i 5-speed - Thread

  7. #7
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    I've helped change probably hundreds of flat tires on the side of the road over the years. I couldn't imagine having to sit and wait for a tow truck, possibly an hours long wait, when I could have my tire changed and the spare on in less than 10 minutes. Makes no sense to me.
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  8. #8
    geargrinder's Avatar
    geargrinder is offline Having No Trouble Here BMW CCA Member
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    My M3 has the 'mobility kit' with the pump and integral goo supply. Of course its factory so innerwebz says the goo is probably useless now.

    BITD when I was driving in the city more, I actually got a handful of flats or leaks from metal debris.
    Luckily mostly slow-leaks and "overnights" so no tows required nor roadside changing.

    I have actually been thinking lately about this and think tires must be so much more puncture resistant than BITD, because there's not THAT much less crap on the roads...
    Given that, kinda does seem like the spare tire is an obsolete appendage, unless you live way off in boondox someplace.

    Here's my thoughts on the goo:
    - I've not peeled it out of a car tire but I have multiple times from mtn bike tires (where its now an "everybody always runs goo in the tire at all times" practice - its how you make tubeless tires work on bikes...). And if you're obsessed with anally getting every string out of there its a PITA but if you can live with traces in there, getting the main 'webs, balls and strings' out isn't that bad.
    - I could see it being one of those things thats an annoying bummer mess for a tire tech to have to hassle with (when there's NO benefit for him, only "10x the work of a normal tire"), but if it was your tire and you offered to do it yourself, given that it maybe saved your ass, the hassle might be worth the trade off. Therefore...
    - All due respect to Justo: It can't hurt to roll with a can of the stuff 'just in case' that's your only option. If I was stranded in some dark place far away at night with AAA tellin me they were hours away, I might really want to make the cleaning-hassle-vs-sleeping-in-the-car decision right then and there.
    - At least for the bike products, the different brands vary in terms of their physical properties, how well they plug, and how easily/not-easily they peel out. Some are famous for making gnarly globs inside, or being harder to peel out, or sealing better/worse... I'd like to do some research and know which automotive product was most effective and easy to clean for instance.

    And since its been brought up... I really should prob re-up on my mobility kit. I've (we all have) probably just jinxed myself by saying I never get flats anymore...
    2003 M3CicM6 TiAg
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  9. #9
    JimLev's Avatar
    JimLev is offline Artifically Aspirated Moderator
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    Good point GG about being in the middle of nowhere and getting a flat.
    I just remembered that I do have a can of fix a flat in a box that I haven't (just did it now) unpacked from the move 2 yrs ago.
    Ever though I do have a spare and jack in the 540 I'm throwing it in the trunk cuz today my TVR buddy and I Will be carving up some roads in a few remote areas of the state.

    image.jpeg

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Sal View Post
    I've helped change probably hundreds of flat tires on the side of the road over the years. I couldn't imagine having to sit and wait for a tow truck, possibly an hours long wait, when I could have my tire changed and the spare on in less than 10 minutes. Makes no sense to me.
    +1

    I had an old timer get a flat near my office in a new car, mind you it was hot outside.

    I went outside to see if he needed assistance, he was waiting for AAA to fix his flat. I asked if he had a spare, which he did, I slapped that bad boy on there, had him on the road in 10 min. He even offered to pay me, which I refused, I just did not want the old timer to get some heatstroke it was like 105 out. AAA showed up about 2hrs later, I think he would have roasted by then.

    So you may want to have a contingency plan, like ol’ Dan the Man said. A 2 ton small jack and a full size spare add about 30# at the most.

  11. #11
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    10/10 rant. Would read again, lol.

    I've had to use my spares three times, IIRC. Always nice to have.

    Don't forget to check your spare, too. It can slowly lose air pressure and the tire will degrade naturally as it ages.
    Nate J.

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  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by JimLev View Post
    Good point GG about being in the middle of nowhere and getting a flat.
    I just remembered that I do have a can of fix a flat in a box that I haven't (just did it now) unpacked from the move 2 yrs ago.
    Ever though I do have a spare and jack in the 540 I'm throwing it in the trunk cuz today my TVR buddy and I Will be carving up some roads in a few remote areas of the state.

    image.jpeg
    So the 5farty is going on a escaped today?!
    I hope you let the juice flow Jim!

  13. #13
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    IMHO: A tow is a big hassle when I can change a flat in less than 10 minutes and resume my journey. Especially with a full size spare
    [IMG][/IMG]

  14. #14
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    I've only had one flat while driving in however long, but that one flat was in an area that AAA wouldn't service. 3 AM on an uneven surface and I was happy to wait for Caltrans. Unfortunately the Caltrans truck had an even smaller jack than I keep at home and there was all sorts of idiocy on his part. Now, in whatever car I'm driving, I keep: reflective vest, set of triangles, battery powered tire inflator and cordless impact. A proper floor jack is too bulky and heavy to bother with so I'll still keep the AAA card. Maybe I should grab a cheapie bottle jack or something, but there's no way I would trust the factory jack for anything except perfect circumstances.

    Edit: And the fix-a-flat goop is useless when you blow out a tire because the road out here are so freaking ghetto.
    Last edited by blarf; 07-21-2018 at 01:19 AM.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mannyf540 View Post
    So the 5farty is going on a escaped today?!
    I hope you let the juice flow Jim!
    Methinks you mean "an escapade."


    Ed in San Jose '97 540i 6 speed aspensilber over aubergine leather. Build date 3/97. Golden Gate Chapter BMW CCA Nr 62319.

  16. #16
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    Yeah I mean by all means keep a can in the trunk. There definitely are cases where it’s worth it. I’d hate to wait hours for a tow
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  17. #17
    geargrinder's Avatar
    geargrinder is offline Having No Trouble Here BMW CCA Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by justinca540i View Post
    I’d hate to wait hours for a tow
    I had such a hassle nightmare w/ AAA waiting 4-5 hrs for a tow a few years back I cancelled my membership. That was a 'second strike' after another case where we waited a long time too.

    In this case the idiot a-holes on the phone line kept parroting "he'll be there in 30-40 minutes" and then after an hour I'd call back and they'd call it in again and say the same thing, lather, rinse repeat, always being told "no you can't leave the car he''ll be there in 30-40mins" .... 3 hours later... 4 hours later...

    They can go suck a dead goat AFAIC. Their value is overstated, esp with the modern membership policies. Back when you could join as a 'basic' and get 100mi towing or whatever it was, that was great. Now you can't get that unless you have been a fully paid member for 50yrs etc. etc. etc.

    In our experience, at least in this area...
    - They will jump through hoops to use their own trucks even when they are completely overloaded and should be calling in 3rd party towers (which they have the capacity to do but will avoid doing so if at all possible).
    - The current membership policy means - when you breakdown probably you're paying additional fees on top anyway, meaning (unless you get towed all the time and always a short distance) the tow-cost + annual membership is between marginal and zero savings. OK so if you're a longtime member and qualify for the better deal maybe this is OK but at least for us, the times we had to use them we had to pay too and the economics were poor.
    - Even if they do call a 3rd party, its probably just delaying what you'd get if you just called the same towing operation yourself.

    The only real benefit to me is that when out on the road far from home you have no idea who to call for towing in an unfamiliar area.

    But crap, with web capable cell phones and whatnot thats not really much of a problem anymore, and even if you don't have data service, you could call the local cops and ask them who the local towing operators are.
    2003 M3CicM6 TiAg
    2002 540iT Sport Vortech S/C 6MT LSD TiAg
    2008 Audi A3 2.0T DSG (the daily beater)
    2014 BMW X1 xDrive28i (wifemobile)

    Former:

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    1995.5 Audi S6 Avant (utility/winter billetturbobattlewagen)


  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by edjack View Post
    Methinks you mean "an escapade."
    Yes sir, escapade! That could mpletes escaped my mind. I must be getting old.

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