Spare or not to spare

[jjw]

OK I know this subject gets plenty of space on this forum,however, to make an informed decision whether to spec one or not it would be helpful to know how people have coped with flat tyres on the Yeti.

Assuming people have suffered flats...

Did the tyre gunk work and get you back on the road or not ?

Was changing the flat tyre over to the spare easy?

Do people spec one as they go off road and getting breakdown/recovery would be difficult ?

If you dont off road then will gunk suffice?

Do people spec them as a security blanket just in case they have an unrepareable flat ?

Is the loss of boot space worth the sacrafice ?

Thanks.

[DonjSZ5]

I doubt the gunk will work with a slashed tyre and if used for a nail puncture does in not make the tyre U/S anyway once injected in.

 

I have ordered one but have yet to decide whether to have it fitted or just available at home or in my cars boot should I need to rush it to the wife who will be driving the Yeti. We do not travel very far so this system would work for us.

Edited 29 April, 2014 by DonjSZ5

[Huskoda]

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/313826-if-youre-thinking-of-not-ordering-a-spare-wheel-think-again/

 

If you need the boot space for specific trips, just leave the kit at home, at least you will have it available to fetch in the worst case.

 

The last puncture I had split the tyre (on a motorway) and I would have been stuck without a spare. Plus if you use the gunk you have to buy new gunk and a new tyre, even if its just a small hole.

 

No car in my household is without a spare. If you can't fit one in the car, its not even considered for purchase.

[Anzio]

I totally agree. And if you get one, get a full size one, and you won't be creeping to the nearest garage/tyre dealer.

[Huskoda]

Yep, my Octavia had full matching spares and I'm working on getting one for this one (having had the dealer prove it will sit under the boot floor in the showroom prior to buying it). Our other car only fits a space saver, but with having sets of winter wheels we don't have to use it for anything more than getting home.

[137699]

Does the gunk work? Yes on small punctures. And contrary to the myth that most mainstream tyre repair places tout - as witnessed by some of the nonsensical comments above, there is absolutely no problem with repairing a tyre once the sealant has been used - but the likes of ATS/Kwik-fit like people to assume once it's been used the tyre cannot be repaired so you don't question them when they sell you a brand new tyre.

 

We have 2 smarts in the family - neither has a spare wheel. I have also previously had an S-max & Clio V6 - neither of them had a spare wheel either. I have used gunk on 4 separate occasions and every time the tyre has been repaired afterwards. Take it to any reputable independent and they will repair it no issue at all.

 

But as has been said, it won't work on a blow-out or torn tyre, it won't work if the rim has been buckled.

 

We have the spare wheel on ours. It does restrict the boot space, but it means the floor sits level with the threshold and you can still stuff bits into the lower part of the boot within and around the spare wheel.

Edited 29 April, 2014 by 137699

[Brijo]

I wouldn't willingly drive anywhere, any distance, any time of day, without a spare.  My last 'puncture' (crosses fingers...) involved my previous X-Trail; it left an inch of sidewall and beading on the inside and outside of the rim, a tread wrapped round the front post and no sign of any remaining sidewall to connect them.  I quote, if you'll forgive me, my first post here on the subject: 

 

'....I think I have fairly retired from wheel-changing now (except for dire emergency). Our last event was the 70mph disintegration of the n/s front on a dual carriageway - no hard shoulder. If we hadn't had a spare there was nothing left to blow gunge into. Bless the AA, but even the Angel had us 50 yards upstream of his van, hi-vized and triangled, to yell if anyone seemed blind to the hazard - and they were, and we did, and he was pretty smartly over the barrier, too!...' 

[Smokeyjoe]

I wouldn't buy a car if I couldn't have a spare wheel with it of some sort.

 

Dave

[Totally Square]

I like the idea of the get-you-home skinny spare wheel (more space efficient than a full sized spare, and the Yeti spare is 16" versus the 17" fitted to SE and up specs anyway). But have to say I've not had need of the spare in my boot ever (and really need to check its still usable!).

 

From the discussion above: for a company car on business I might just rely on the roadside services; for a private car its probably worth it as extra insurance.

[Billcbf1000]

It was one of the things I insisted on when we got our Yeti - towing a caravan to me it's a must! Not that I'd fancy changing an offside wheel on the hard shoulder but sure it must be faster, with appropriate support, than waiting for a tow truck.

What happens if your going on holiday to an isolated spot and you have a blow out en-ròute? Tow truck takes you to site and drops you off, how do you get tyre fixed?

[wakev]

Does the gunk work? Yes on small punctures. And contrary to the myth that most mainstream tyre repair places tout - as witnessed by some of the nonsensical comments above, there is absolutely no problem with repairing a tyre once the sealant has been used - but the likes of ATS/Kwik-fit like people to assume once it's been used the tyre cannot be repaired so you don't question them when they sell you a brand new tyre.

 

We have 2 smarts in the family - neither has a spare wheel. I have also previously had an S-max & Clio V6 - neither of them had a spare wheel either. I have used gunk on 4 separate occasions and every time the tyre has been repaired afterwards. Take it to any reputable independent and they will repair it no issue at all.

 

But as has been said, it won't work on a blow-out or torn tyre, it won't work if the rim has been buckled.

 

We have the spare wheel on ours. It does restrict the boot space, but it means the floor sits level with the threshold and you can still stuff bits into the lower part of the boot within and around the spare wheel.

As said here ^^^^^ .  mine came with the gunk which for local driving is all I carry, but I have a spare wheel and keep it in the shed, if the gunk cannot repair the problem a phone call to my son or neighbour will have the wheel there in no time.   But for longer trips as yesterday to Dorset 80+miles the spare was put in the boot and strapped down  (with a jack and wheel brace), giving me both options.

[eribaMotters]

On a remote campsite in France 2012 I checked my car tyre pressures a day before we left. When I took the pump off the valve came with it. The tyre went down with a bang, like something out of a cartoon strip. I had a spare. My Touran had not been supplied with one and the first thing I did when I bought it was buy a spare.I carry this around in a large IKEA zip bag.

To me a full size spare is a must. This is one reason I bought a VW Up over a Citygo, and why the first box I ticked as a Yeti option was the spare.

Remember, the full size spare has an advisory and not legal max speed of 80kph. It is a full size spare, with I believe the same rolling diameter as the alloy wheeels, with a suitable speed and load rating.

 

Colin

[caine9]

RAC  and others are now using this to try to combat the gunk wont repair scenario.It appears it is a joint deal though with Kwik Fit in that you have to get a new tyre from Kwik Fit and they keep the spare presumably for return to RAC or whoever.

 

 

http://www.dynomec.co.uk/universal-spare-wheel.html

[DonjSZ5]

RAC  and others are now using this to try to combat the gunk wont repair scenario.It appears it is a joint deal though with Kwik Fit in that you have to get a new tyre from Kwik Fit and they keep the spare presumably for return to RAC or whoever.

 

 

http://www.dynomec.co.uk/universal-spare-wheel.html

What is the Yeti's PCD.

 

How much are they.

Edited 29 April, 2014 by DonjSZ5

[caine9]

What is the Yeti's PCD.

 

How much are they.

I have no idea not technical i'm afraid just saw the advert, i assume its on a loan basis and they make something when you get a tyre from Kwik Fit? but thats a guess.

[w1zzer]

What is the Yeti's PCD.

 

How much are they.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheel_sizing

[Gnomeface]

I won't travel without a spare, having had several punctures on long night-time trips including at least two that injected sealant would have been unable to fix.  I have a matching 19" alloy and tyre on my XF, a 'skinny' on Mrs Gnomeface's MX-5, and the near-full-size spare on the Yeti.  To compensate for the slight loss of boot space due to the Yeti's raised floor we have a dog-guard which allows luggage etc. to be safely piled up to the roof, so that's not an issue

 

What I find odd is that the Yeti's spare is a normal steel wheel and tyre that could be run at normal speeds - but because the wheel is slightly narrower than the others it is restricted to 50 mph.  I accept that the car might be unbalanced under harsh braking with the spare on, but it's infinitely better than a 'skinny' pumped up to high pressure with just a tiny amount of tread touching the road, and yet the skinny has the same speed limit.  I've seen two drivers lose control of their cars when they've tried to corner at quite low speed with a skinny on the front.

[muddyboots]

Last puncture I had was caused by a stone lurking in the edge of a rural road - which burst a hole in the sidewall.

I was able to insert two fingers into the hole, there was no way any gunk would have repaired that

Luckily I was driving a car with a spare.

 

More recently, a colleague had a puncture - some bit of metal debris (around 10mm diameter rod) had gone through the tread. He tried the gunk, and it would only hold pressure for a minute or two. He ended up driving a few hundred yards at a time, reinflating, driving a bit further, etc etc until he reached a tyre place. 

 

So for me, I prefer to have a spare than be stranded in the middle of nowhere (and sod's law states it'll be somewhere with no mobile signal!).

The fullsize spare option does take up a lot of room. Whether that's an issue depends on how much you need to use your boot space.

A happy medium might be to try and fit a space-saver (the really skinny, temporary type) but not sure how you could do that - maybe you could get the polystyrene inserts etc that go round the fullsize spare, and cut them down in height ?

[Huskoda]

There is another financial saving that goes with having the fullsize spare - you can buy a replacement tyre at your convenience. You are not limited to what the nearest tyre place has in stock at whatever price they decide to sell to you at.

[137699]

There is another financial reason for having the spare - you get a smaller boot so your missus can fit less new clothes, handbags & shoes in there!

[jjw]

Thanks for the replies. Phone call will be made to spec one for the new Yeti. As regards dog guards will the cargo net (£120 option ) stand up to items in the boot being stacked against it ?

[jjw]

Phone call made and spare wheel,partition net and double sided boot liner added to the order.

Got a build date of week 27 (first week of July) so hopefully adding the extras wont delay it any further...fingers crossed.

[900000]

I've never had a puncture on the Yeti but had about four on my Audi (that had a free space saver option over and above the standard gunk). None of the four would have been repairable with gunk - all long gashes. And all four happened in London - so it is not just on rural roads you get weird punctures. Would I be driving up and down the UK without a full spare? Nope. Would I go to the south of France without a full spare? Never. Even if you live in France and want a new tyre you (apparently) wait days for it to arrive... Would I want that on holiday? No. Is the Yeti's boot pathetically small as a result of having a spare? Of course, but that's why I also have a 380 litre roof box and a 1,700 litre trailer. Storage sorted. You can always travel with less "stuff" but you can't magically make a new tyre appear somewhere rural.

[Pouclee]

Totally agree with Johann, and for pretty much the same reasons. You try getting a tyre replace over a holiday weekend in France!

[ben4012]

I can't believe this is a discussion. If you consider you need one, get one.