Quote:
Originally Posted by GOLDCYLON
Recently I needed a tow due to an accident that I tied to avoid a few weeks ago (you may have read about it in my other thread). The tow operator complained and whined about how low my car was an expressed his anger with the dispatch that quoted me a price (Almost $200) for a tow to my home about 10 miles away. He felt I was undercharged. Regardless as this charge was covered by my insurance I still felt that amount was very high.
So I looked into replacing the 28 year old doughnut tire to help myself if I am only a short distance away and the need arises. Basically the school of thought on any doughnut is 50/50. Or 50 Miles Per hr. No more than 50 miles away. Beyond that get a tow.
So I ordered a new doughnut tire from discount tire and had it mounted and returned to the wheel tub. There was a discussion many years ago about doughnut alternatives and that the replacement rubber was/is no longer available. That is no longer the case. Also if you are rear-ended the doughnut tire factors into the collision protection of the vehicle. Which is why in 1996 the spare tire delete bar was added if the vehicle was not equipped with a doughnut.
A lot of cars have a doughnut these days and in rare instance a full size spare. Some of the new cars today come from the factory with a can of fit-a-flat only.
Thoughts? Or at least food for thought
GC
|
Daryl,
My doughnut spare had gone flat and also after 20+ years I felt was history. Furthermore, I have gone to 14" Wilwood rotors up front and 13" on the rear plus 6 piston and 4 piston calipers front and rear respectively negating the use of OEM spare.
Luckily, a local former Zr-1 owner had advertised 18" spare that came with CTS-V. I had to have a machine shop enlarge the opening in the center to mate properly to the hub. Worked out to be a perfect solution for my over-sized braking system.