runflat tires

[lovemysan]

I would never use any type of canned tire repair. Some of it corrodes aluminum rims. It can cause bead sealing issues, ballancing problems, and it always annoys the person replacing your tires. The best thing you can do is carry a plug kit, needle nose pliers, and 12v compressor. Just learn how ot find the nail and fix it. My wife and I have used the spare tire one time in 6 years with 300,000 miles put on our cars together. A sidewall cut will take you out of business. But on the other hand I used a 30 pack of plugs and then some. You can also purchase towing insurance for a few dollars a month. I have used this countless times. It has always paid for itself.


Now the lawnmower is a different story. For a tire that refuses to hold air you need "GREEN SLIME". Remove the valve core, squirt it in, and double the inflation pressure. Works like a charm.

[schmeep]

well maybe for a short-term fix all you need is the compressor, if you have a slow leak you might just need to fill it so you can drive a short distance to a tire repair shop.

[MetroMPG]

A lot of energy is going into this discussion about saving 25 lbs!

Which may represent a fuel economy difference of about 0.25% - 0.5% based on the oft quoted figure of a 1-2% fuel economy penalty for every extra 100 lbs carried (EPA).

As Dan knows, you can gain an equivalent weight advantage by just not filling your tank above half way.

I've only ever had one instance where I had to change a tire, and it was my own fault: I was driving too fast on a road I didn't know, at night, in rain, and missed a turn. I wrenched the steering, oversteered a bit, and smashed the rear wheel into an icy snowbank on the roadside, breaking the bead seal. The tire itself wasn't damaged, but I didn't have a 12v compressor then, and even if I did, it may not have fixed the problem, depending on how far the bead was off the rim (don't remember). But I did have a spare.

The main issue seems to be: if you have a blowout or failure that you can't fix with goop or a plug kit, and you have no spare, then you're out of luck. (Unless you also have a roadside assistance plan.)

Alternatives in worst case, no-spare scenario: put the blown tire on the back (if it isn't already), and drive slowly to where you can get it replaced. Is this reasonable? My car weighs next to nothing, so I kind of doubt I'd wreck the rim, but I don't know that for sure.

Another option: leave the spare in the car for highway trips, where the weight savings benefit is minimized and the inconvenience of a flat is maximized. Take it out for local driving where the weight difference will pay off more.

[SVOboy]

Killed my response, *sigh*

[schmeep]

wow, that is a pretty negligable fuel savings, why would anyone want to pay more for runflat tires then? it there a benefit that i'm not thinking of?

[SVOboy]

"Cool factor" for one, convenience factor as well I suppose.

[MetroMPG]

Space savings is another. Have you seen inside the trunk of a Solstice?

[SVOboy]

True dat, the mini cooper doesn't have that kinda room. Not like the small, yet surprisingly roomy CRX.

[Compaq888]

Here's what I did with the altima. For work and school I took out my spare and jack. When I went on road trips I put the spare and the jack in.

For my civic my spare is still in the car because my rear tires are bald. I'm just going to replace them with LRR tires and then take out the spare. Since my tires are bald I'm scared to raise the tire pressure. So I've been driving on 35psi.

[schmeep]

it does seem to enter into obsession, not that i'm judging

but for me, i would like a scan gauge, but i can't justify spending $200 cad on it because it would take a damn long time to recoupe that money in gas savings.
it would be cool if you could rent one so you can see where you are driving poorly for fe, then once you have adjusted your driving habits, send it back to the rental place.