Problems with Spare Tire

^ strap it to the roof or front grill. LOL
 
There are now four votes (including mine and two TeslaMotorClub.com forum members) for the difference in size being the cause of the problem.

The idea of possibly damaging our new toy with third-party equipment has me freaked a bit. I'm going to send this tire back, and re-evaluate the spare tire issue.

I have a tire-repair kit in the car, so the only time I'd be SOL would be:

  1. I have a non-repairable flat
  2. I'm somewhere where we don't have cell phone coverage

Also, the free roadside service can sometimes take hours.

I'm hoping that as more people buy Teslas, cheaper spare tire options will arise.
 
TromboneAl said:
Since my Tesla M3 doesn't come with a spare, I bought one that Tesla forum members say would fit (Hyundai Genesis spare (145/80/18)).

I put it on the rear, and everything seemed to fit fine.

I drove slowly out the driveway, but I heard noises that sounded like some marbles rolling around inside something, or like raindrops hitting the car. Not loud. I immediately aborted the test.

I then considered that perhaps the lug nuts weren't tight enough. I loosened them, raised the car, got them somewhat tight while shifting the wheel around, lowered the car and tightened them as much as I could with my cross lug wrench.

I drove out the driveway and had the same noises.
Click to expand...

Jack the car up and rotate the wheel by hand. Do you still hear the noises? Block the wheels and support the car on a jack stand, then climb underneath and look/feel around the back side of the wheel to see if it's dragging or hitting anything as it turns.

Personally, I would want a wheel that is made for my car, or at least an exact match (same bolt type, spacing, wheel offset, etc.). If you can afford a Tesla, $300 for a spare tire/wheel shouldn't be a big deal. Maybe something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/2017-2018-Te...KJJQHT/ref=pd_sbs_293_t_2/132-3701168-6802926
 
+2 open the pocketbook and buy the proper spare for the new toy rather than risk damaging the n toytrying to save some pocket change.
 
Someone needs to make a Continental spare kit for Teslas.
 
^^^ I don't know what a Continental tire kit is, but on the Web, I saw a kit for Tesla that has a wheel+tire, and a jack, along with a wrench. Price: more than $400.
 
I cant think of a better place to ask this question than an early retirement forum, lol.

Buy the oem and be done with it. Why is this even a discussion? smh
 
NW-Bound said:
^^^ I don't know what a Continental tire kit is, but on the Web, I saw a kit for Tesla that has a wheel+tire, and a jack, along with a wrench. Price: more than $400.
Click to expand...

I could buy that from the company for $325 without the accessories, including shipping.

That seems like way too much money for a spare, but maybe I'm not up-to-date on tire prices. I'll probably come around ...

Here's a continental kit, which I know only because of putting together car models with my friend Gary when I was ten years old.

1955-Pontiac.jpg
 
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So let me get this right.... a $36k+ car doesn't come with a spare tire?

That is bad enough, but then the manuacturer doesn't even offer a spare tire at an additional cost?

Doesn't make me interested in buying a Tesla.
 
pb4uski said:
So let me get this right.... a $36k+ car doesn't come with a spare tire?

That is bad enough, but then the manuacturer doesn't even offer a spare tire at an additional cost?

Doesn't make me interested in buying a Tesla.
Click to expand...
Lots of cars don't come with spare tires these days, OK Boomer? :LOL:
 
No! Not OK!

I have yet to buy a car without a spare.... some donuts but most full size spares... current two vehicles are full size spares. A donut is fine.. but no spare is stupid... it isn't unusual to shred a tire beyond repair and of course it will happen when the shops are not open. From the link you provided:

Earlier this year, I was testing a car on a mountain road with no cellphone reception when I got a flat tire. There was a big rupture in the sidewall. No big deal, right? Slap on the spare, drive out nice and slow, then get the tire changed out the next day.

But when I went to the trunk, instead of finding a spare, there was a tire inflator kit. It took about four or five hours of back and forth with roadside assistance to reach a towing company to get the car out, and then it had to be stored overnight somewhere. It was a huge, huge hassle. ...

While those vehicles often come with kits that can temporarily fix small punctures, if you have sidewall damage like I did, a large puncture or a blowout, you’re up a certain creek without a paddle. ...
Click to expand...

Why would anyone voluntarily subject themselves to the risk of this sort of hassle?

Ok, snowflake? :LOL:
 
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My vehicles are old, so they all have spare tires. They are even full-sized tires, not bitty doughnut tires.

Even my motorhome has a spare tire. This is very rare, as motorhomes generally do not come with a spare tire. The vehicle is heavy, and the manufacturers do not want the owners to kill themselves trying to change the tire. The spare tire is there for the road assistance guy to mount, as he may not have the right size handy. Hence, the manufacturer did not provide a jack. I had to buy a big bottle jack myself, in case I needed it.

In Alaska, the spare tire saved me when one of the 6 tires of the motorhome got ruined by a road hazard. At Dawson City, the only tire place in town had no new tires of the size I needed, only a used one which I bought because I felt very vulnerable having no spare.

PS. I would feel safer having multiple spares like this guy.

Some RV'ers with a trailer arrange so that the trailer shares the same wheels as their tow vehicle, so that the tires are interchangeable. Then, the 2 spare tires can be shared.

7e0bc0248fc902a388ea2ebd8adc56c3.jpg
 
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I've owned 3 SUV's since 1995. All three had full size spare tires underneath the rear. I never needed to use them. I always assumed after a few years that the spares probably didn't have any air pressure any longer. But it was too much trouble to get underneath the vehicle and check the air pressure, if it was even possible to do that.

I've had a few tires pick up nails and screws in that time. Worst case, I'd find a tire flat some morning. I'd grab an air compressor and put enough air in it to drive to a service station to find the leak and plug it. Never had a fast enough leak that it left me stranded away from home.
 
TromboneAl said:
There are now four votes (including mine and two TeslaMotorClub.com forum members) for the difference in size being the cause of the problem.

The idea of possibly damaging our new toy with third-party equipment has me freaked a bit. I'm going to send this tire back, and re-evaluate the spare tire issue.

I have a tire-repair kit in the car, so the only time I'd be SOL would be:

  1. I have a non-repairable flat
  2. I'm somewhere where we don't have cell phone coverage

Also, the free roadside service can sometimes take hours.
Click to expand...

Worst case scenario, you get a non-repairable flat and it's in a remote location, and it's cold out and you're afraid to use the heater since you don't have a lot of battery left. I guess roadside assistance could tow you to a charging station whenever they show up.
 
erd50 said:
why aren't you buying an actual tesla oem wheel/tire? This hardly seems like an area to play around with, especially considering the problems you and others have seen trying to make something else fit.



People are drilling out their wheels and "hoping" they are doing it right? That is, ummm, disturbing?



-erd50
Click to expand...
^^ This ^^
 
UPDATE: New Spare Works

I got a spare from ModernSpare that is the same diameter as the OEM wheels, and it works fine with no scary noises.

markedspare-jpg.504532


$374 total with improved jack and other equipment. #blowthedough. There's plenty of room in the trunk.

My latest rationalization:

I figure the chances of my having a non-repairable flat in an area with no cell coverage is very low.

The chance of me having a flat of any type within the next ten years is very high.

But even if I have cell coverage and the tire could be fixed with my repair kit, I'd much rather pop out, put on the spare, and go than call and wait for service or play around with the rubber cement.

If I can find a nail or screw in the front tire, I'll fix it without removing the wheel. Otherwise, I'll put on the spare.

Now I'm trying to figure out a way to keep the spare from sliding around in the trunk.
 
TromboneAl said:
.... Now I'm trying to figure out a way to keep the spare from sliding around in the trunk.
Click to expand...

Slow down? :D

How about velcro? I'm thinking the self-adhesive type... one on trunk floor and the other side on the tire.

Or a strap fastened to the trunk floor.
 
NW-Bound said:
Even my motorhome has a spare tire.
Click to expand...

My class B has a full size spare tire too, mounted on one of the back doors. When I purchased it, all the tires were about 9 years old. I immediately replaced the 4 that were on the vehicle, but left the existing spare on the back. Now I'm wondering at what point I should purchase a new replacement for the spare. Sometime this year, that 9 year old spare will turn into a 10 year old spare. I'm thinking that even for a spare tire, 10 years is too old. I should be able to get a replacement for ~$150. If ever caught by a flat in a remote area with no cell reception, I'll be happy for a good spare. That $150 will, at that point, feel like money well spent.
 
Many tire shops keep around used but serviceable tires when car owners want to replace all tires to keep them matching when fewer than 4 are bad. The shop will sell one to you as a spare for a few bucks plus the mounting fee. It is more cost effective than buying a new tire for a spare, which will just sit there getting dry rot.

When one of my motorhome rear dually tires got punctured and ruined in Dawson City, Yukon Territory, one such used tire was all that was available in that town. I had to get it, because it was in better shape than my spare tire, which was even older and I neglected to take care of that before the trip.
 
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NW-Bound said:
Many tire shops keep around used but serviceable tires when car owners want to replace all tires to keep them matching when fewer than 4 are bad. The shop will sell one to you as a spare for a few bucks plus the mounting fee. It is more cost effective than buying a new tire for a spare, which will just sit there getting dry rot.
...............
Click to expand...
In my younger days, I frequently bought used tires. I suspect many came off little ole ladies' cars that came in for a "check up" and left with 4 new tires whether they needed them or not.
 
pb4uski said:
Slow down? :D

How about velcro? I'm thinking the self-adhesive type... one on trunk floor and the other side on the tire.

Or a strap fastened to the trunk floor.
Click to expand...

That should work perfectly. I'll try it when DW gets home.

I've found that the hook side of the Velcro will stick pretty well to carpeting. There's no way it will slide. Thanks.
 
Yeah, try it with just the velcro on the tires and if it adheres well to the carpet then declare victory.
 
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