wife got a flat tire tonight - I had to install the donut on the side of the road. it had 20psi instead of the requisite 60. not good. check that spare now before you need it!
check the air pressure in your spare!
- Thread starter tomcat27
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Spare tire pressure should be checked once a year, at the very least, but because it is out of sight therefore it is mostly forgotten until you need it.
Two of my cars have full size spares, once a year I pumped it up to the maximum pressure of 51 PSI as stamped on the side wall, because I think it lost about 1-2 PSI a month. If I need the spare 10 months later it should have about 30 PSI or more.
Two of my cars have full size spares, once a year I pumped it up to the maximum pressure of 51 PSI as stamped on the side wall, because I think it lost about 1-2 PSI a month. If I need the spare 10 months later it should have about 30 PSI or more.
Also MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A GOOD AIR PRESSURE GUAGE!!!
I cannot stress this enough.
When I worked at Ukranian Tire years ago, i acquired 2 guages, the one was eaier to read, so i held onto it for most times, but only went up to 50psi. The othe rone didn't have the finer measurements, but went up to about 80psi so I used that one only for the spare.
Shortly after we got the focus I went to check the pressures. All of them were showing about 5-7psi too low...so I topped them up. The ride ws pretty harsh, but considering I've never owned an economy car with 50 profile tires, I assumed this was normal.
A short while later i went to check my tires on the Corolla. Sure enough, jsut as I was seating the guage on the valve, the head of the pressure guage simply snapped off the end! At this point I went to use my other guage that went up to 80psi, jsut to realize that I had my tires over-inflatted by about 10psi!!! I was running at almost the extreme pressure designed for that tire and could have almost suffered a blowout had the ambient temps gotten too warm outside.
I cannot stress this enough.
When I worked at Ukranian Tire years ago, i acquired 2 guages, the one was eaier to read, so i held onto it for most times, but only went up to 50psi. The othe rone didn't have the finer measurements, but went up to about 80psi so I used that one only for the spare.
Shortly after we got the focus I went to check the pressures. All of them were showing about 5-7psi too low...so I topped them up. The ride ws pretty harsh, but considering I've never owned an economy car with 50 profile tires, I assumed this was normal.
A short while later i went to check my tires on the Corolla. Sure enough, jsut as I was seating the guage on the valve, the head of the pressure guage simply snapped off the end! At this point I went to use my other guage that went up to 80psi, jsut to realize that I had my tires over-inflatted by about 10psi!!! I was running at almost the extreme pressure designed for that tire and could have almost suffered a blowout had the ambient temps gotten too warm outside.
I usually check the spare tire pressure during oil change. When I work on other peoples car I would check the tire pressure and offer to check the spare tire as well.
It makes me wonder how many people actually check the spare tire. Its ones of those things that can be easily forgotten.
It makes me wonder how many people actually check the spare tire. Its ones of those things that can be easily forgotten.
On many cars, checking the spare tire involves removing the spare tire from the vehicle, which is a major PITA.
Originally Posted By: The Critic
On many cars, checking the spare tire involves removing the spare tire from the vehicle, which is a major PITA.
This is true on my wagon. I went to the local Camping World and bought an extension that attaches to the valve stem. I then routed the extension through the rim to the backside where I can check it while still mounted. It has a slow leak so I need to check it regularly and getting it in and out is a real pain. It is also easy to damage the rear quarter panel if you mess up. The previous owner already left a small dent from the inside of the car due to installing the spare wrong.
On many cars, checking the spare tire involves removing the spare tire from the vehicle, which is a major PITA.
This is true on my wagon. I went to the local Camping World and bought an extension that attaches to the valve stem. I then routed the extension through the rim to the backside where I can check it while still mounted. It has a slow leak so I need to check it regularly and getting it in and out is a real pain. It is also easy to damage the rear quarter panel if you mess up. The previous owner already left a small dent from the inside of the car due to installing the spare wrong.
Kestas
Staff member
On oilbabe's car it's a major pain. She treats her car like an attic, always full of junk.
Getting up in the morning can sometimes be a pain, but we still do it. No excuses for not checking the spare tire pressure guys! Man up.
The spare on my Jeep is perfect at 10psi.
...38x12.5 Super Swamper
Actually, I checked my wife's Maxx this summer. It was a little low so I bumped it up to 60psi. Every vehicle I own has a compressor and small tool kit on board. My Jeep runs a Viair 400H system and the daily drivers have cheapie lighter plug in's. They get the job done though!
...38x12.5 Super Swamper
Actually, I checked my wife's Maxx this summer. It was a little low so I bumped it up to 60psi. Every vehicle I own has a compressor and small tool kit on board. My Jeep runs a Viair 400H system and the daily drivers have cheapie lighter plug in's. They get the job done though!
I like to have a pump onboard too, mostly for different loads for my one trailer but also so I don't have to worry about the spare or any tire being flat. I just have hand pumps as the tire on my cars aren't that big and I find the cheap plugin compressors don't work well or for very long...
I've been stranded in the San Greda Cristo mountains of Colorado at about 10,000 feet for 2 bitterly cold nights because of a buggered spare tire. Needless to say, I'm pretty anal about checking them now!
In fact, I've gone the route of ditching the donut in my Corolla for a full size setup I got at a junkyard, and have an old hydraulic floor jack and a torque wrench.
In fact, I've gone the route of ditching the donut in my Corolla for a full size setup I got at a junkyard, and have an old hydraulic floor jack and a torque wrench.
I make it a point to check people's spares when I do oil changes...
if its a repeat customer, I might slide every other oil change, cause I know its been checked......
and some people try to feel a tire for its pressure, I've felt donut spares that seemed ok that only had 20psi in them.....
its something so easy to do, but on the other hand can really screw you up if its not in proper working order when you need it.
if its a repeat customer, I might slide every other oil change, cause I know its been checked......
and some people try to feel a tire for its pressure, I've felt donut spares that seemed ok that only had 20psi in them.....
its something so easy to do, but on the other hand can really screw you up if its not in proper working order when you need it.
Originally Posted By: 38sho
I make it a point to check people's spares when I do oil changes........
You get "Barry's Atta Boy" award.
That and $4.00 will get you a cup of Starbucks!
I make it a point to check people's spares when I do oil changes........
You get "Barry's Atta Boy" award.
That and $4.00 will get you a cup of Starbucks!
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I work in a ministry at my church in which we do oil and basic services on cars owned by our widows and single moms at a garage owned by a church member. As the new guy I became the "tire man" and checked the tires and spares on the cars. Unless it was a car that we normally serviced I found that most of the spares were way low on air. It is a PITA to check them and I wasn't in the habit of checking my own. I found they were low also. I now make sure my own are checked and I have started carrying a plug kit and a small compressor in my cars.
The extension is a perfect solution to the problem of needing to remove the spare to check it. I have it routed on my Prius so that I only need to open the trunk (actually, hatch) to get at it. Runs about $8.
I recently checked my five year old donut for the first time(commence flaming now!). It is a bit of a pain, ended up being at 28 instead of 60. I'm sure all it would take is one time at about -10F to get me to decide once a year at least was better!
Carrying a small portable compressor and a plug kit has saved my bacon many a times, i highly recommend it .
All three of my vehicles have their own set.
Tundraz
All three of my vehicles have their own set.
Tundraz
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