Overage Spare refused?

My favorite is this Ryobi inflater.

RYOBI ONE+ 18V Lithium-Ion Cordless High Pressure Inflator with Digital Gauge (Tool Only)-P737D - The Home Depot

 

Someone somewhere probably did a study or compiled statistics about "tire age vs failure rate" and that got circulated through the industry. So then the legal departments at various companies got involved - saw the report and pronounced it as gospel. And the company owners said "the remote possibility of getting sued at any point in the future ain't worth it so we won't touch any tire more than 6 years old- period".

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Pretty much spot on. I watched unfold over 10 or so years. Also as they've rolled back the use of oil in rubber etc The rubbers become much less resilient it turns white and fails at a much higher rate

 

very handy, and makes checking the spare a much simpler task:
ref=asc_df_B081DVPZJH

 

Ah yes we useon trucks n trailers with hard to reach schraders. A solid in the trunk mounted spare mini or space saver type spirit 63 PSI should comfortably hold that PSI for about 15 years of just sitting in that space so generally should not be a whole lot of checking going on I guess once you get out to the 10 12 13-year range maybe once every 20 months you just make sure it has air in it to be honest I've never used my spares on my cars I've always used them on other people's cars to get them home or whatever I generally don't change a flat I usually will plug it right where it sits literally on the car I'll roll it around till I see the little hole or the nail sticking out pull it out with my dykes get my North shore plug kid out ream it plug it be putting air in it in about 9 minutes you know barely got my pants dirty I'm gone

 

When we took delivery of our "brand-new" 2010 Prius, albeit with build-date about 15 months back, the temp spare was at 40 PSI. That's what you get when you pay for Pre-Delivery Inspection these days.

 

I can believe that absolutely now I'm saying that you the owner whatever you want to call the person that's going to be primarily using the car should make sure that it's checked if you're into that sort of thing and then again 2010 Prius now is you know 10 plus years old so it's time to check the spare. But I get what you're saying the car was only 15 months old or so and that's not good to be 20 lb down but don't know who PDI the car when it was new some kid

 

My flat tire story.....last summer, we brought the grandkids to a park out in the country. When you turn off the highway it has about 1/4th of a mile of gravel road. (We were in my wife's 2017 Prius and tires were, still, the OEMs, with 24,000 miles on them)
Anyway, after we left, we got on the interstate and I felt the right front tire going flat so pulled over....yep it was going down fast. Got her spare tire and the Toyota scissor jack and got the spare on.
After we got it home, I went down to Discount tire and replaced all four tires...they were all looking low on tread even with 24,000 miles. Put General Altimax RT43 tires with 65,000 miles warranty on it and went on Amazon and replaced that ridiculous Toyota scissor jack with this one:

I also bought a spare tire for my 2021 AWD Prius which only has the inflator/tire seal kit. I know a regular tire costs less but just takes up too much room in the truck...the spare fits right behind the passenger seat on the floor.

 

i wonder what the minimum psi the donut would have to have to allow you to limp to a gas station

 

Yeah thumbs down on the Toyota scissor jack. It'll get the job done, barely, dancing around as you turn it, and there'll be metal flakes off the crap metal single-eye linkage that the torsion bar hooks onto.

 

That's the point right there... You're using a space saver donut to limp to a shop to get repairs. The whole notion that a donut is safe to drive with at any age is the real issue here. A donut is so you can slowly drive to a place to get your flat repaired. The age of the donut doesn't make it that much less safe because it's not very safe to begin with.

 

Said the man driving around on four temp spares, lol:

 

Two allen wrenches in a screwdriver gun works better than the hand crank. Also if you search long enough you can likely find a screwdriver gun attachment that works better than that.

 

That's not really me, that's just my avatar... As in a false representation of my inner child who's way less responsible.

 

True, Priuscamper! I've seen people with donuts on their cars on the interstate going 70mph+.....they are crazy! I steer clear....that thing could blow at any time...max speed is 45 mph but I won't even do that on them....just leave my flashers on and go 30-35 mph.

 

Honda scissor jacks have this bent-plate style connector, much more stable when rotating:

 

Mostly true... But when I've got a flat on the freeway and changed it and headed back to a nearby town I did have to push the limits of the 45mph rating simply because driving too slow on the freeway is a significant safety issue in its own right. And if the flat is on the front, I'll take the extra time moving tires around so the donut is on the rear.

 

Frankly I would learn how to change the tire if necessary. The hardest part on a Prius is breaking the lug nuts loose if all you have is the factory wrench. I would get a 16" to 20" Four Way Lug Wrench for less than $20 and put it with the spare. Push come to shove, some passerby could be enlisted to help.

Second, I might get a better insurance carrier. I use USAA and live close enough to their headquarters where service is fast and free. Still, I would be ready to change it even at your age because its a safety thing as much as anything.

Finally, I would always drive a car with a flat tire off the road to a safe place even if it meant ruining the tire and wheel. People that stop on the side of a freeway or road to fix a tire are just asking for an accident.

Link.
https://www.pepboys.com/titan-metric-4-way-lug-wrench-20-/product/282914

Pic for users with ad blockers

 

Yep, smart, RJ! When we bring our 32 foot camper out into the Colorado Rockies, I bring my cordless (18 volt) Ryobi tire air compressor and cordless (21 volt) impact wrench for lug nuts...makes removing tires a breeze and even loosens them after you jack up the vehicle.