No spare tire?

YES! However I bought a used one today (a doughnut) now I just need a Pip.

 

where'd you get it andy? i want one as well. just for trips out of my comfort zone.

 

It may seem a little crazy, but I looked on craigs list for Gen 2/3 for sale and then I sent them all the same message, "Would you care to sell your spare?) 1st answer: Sure $50.00 however the car was a Gen 1 so it only had 4 holes. Next Email: Yes, $35.00 I jumped on that, A Russian auto entrepreneur from the Urals, he was parting the car out. It doesn't hurt to ask, and one never knows the circumstances, right? Wish you luck.
:cheer2:

 

I'd be careful how old the spare tire is.

While exploring eBay, I found that one seller had 2010 and 2011 spare tires from Prius for $60 or $70 delivered. All three wer sold in days.

Bridgestone/Frirestone, the suppliers to Toyota warrantees the spare tires for 6 years; that's 6 years form the date or manufacture or if is supplied with your car; from the date of the vehicle's delivery.

Each tire is required to be marked with the date of manufacture.

A tire that's over 10 years old is "iffy."

http://www.safercar.gov/Vehicle+Shoppers/Tires/Tires+Rating/Tire+Aging

http://www.safetyissues.com/site/transportation/aged_tires_can_be_dangerous.html

 

I'm assuming the toyota team decided to just nix the spare tire on these because the car appeals to a city driver and not someone driving long distances? You can always get a spare in the city.

 

TY, I bought it locally, cash and picked it up at his auto repair place. It was from a 07. On the safety issue, there is/was a warning on the spare not to drive over 50mph and I believe not to drive more than 50 miles. On my 05 I only used it once, but it saved me calling a wrecker and a lot of wasted time. Also many of the warnings, if not all, are to save the manufacturers from liability.

 

The Toyota team nixéd the spare for weight. ( they said ) I think for 2 other reasons, they could not figure out where to put it, and if you price that tire at retail it cost around $350.00! ( rim & tire ) That may be the main reason. Personally I think it was a incredibly STUPID decision! A can of goo and a compressor is not a answer.

 

That what you think?

I've owned may cars for may years in 45 years and have driven maybe 1.5 million miles.

I've noticed that tires seem to go after 3-4 years, when the tread start to separate and the layers begin to delaminate. I've had maybe five total tire failures in the last 45 years. They do "explode."

Rough spots and "bubbles" begin to form and can be hard as tire noise. Firestone, Bridgestone, Yokahama, General, Pirelli and Michelin; it happens to all of them, eventually.

I have not used a very old donut spare, bet I wager that the same thing happens to them, too.

 

I agree with all aspects of your post, the doughnut spare is only to be used temporarily until you get to a tire shop. It is a strange tire, but appears incredibly tough! :cheer2:

 

I'd agree with you, here.

A lightweight and thin spare wheel and tire can be developed that clears the brake hardware. The aircraft industry has gone to lightweight composite materials that work. Expense would come down with quantity.

It will, however, not suit for a drive wheel, but will fit between the batteries and cover on the trunk of cars like the PIP. That means changing and swapping tires twice, in some situations. But, it is still better than no spare.

Other materials, like urethane and "airless" foam materials can replaced laminated rubber that seteriorates with age.

The consuming public has not demanded them. Until the public expresses their outrage with the "goo" and the "air pump", it is not likely to happen soon.

 

Really? How about a flat that cannot be repaired at 2am in the morning on a weekend? Waiting for roadside assistance to tow your car to someplace that isn't open is not my idea of making the best out of a bad situation.


---
I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?54vr4a

 

I'm with you, there.

I won't own or drive a car without a spare. I've been there too many times, when I had to use the spare.

 

The current plug-in Prius seems little different than the regular hybrid version: little has been done to accomodate the extra battery volume; the removal of spare tire seems a stop-gap measure.

With a little engineering I'm thinking they could undersling a spare in that region, below the hatch floor sheet metal, similar to trucks and SUV's.

 

It won't work. That area is among the lowest part of the trunk, already.


With the spare mounted under it, your road clearance will be 3-4 inches.

 

this is interesting. does toyota recommend replacing it after a certain amount of time? i've never heard anything and i imagine there are quite a few people driving 10+ year old cars who may be in danger if using the original spare. i wonder if they last longer if they are pristine sitting in their sun proof space under the back?

 

Ah got it. Wasn't quite sure what the reasoning was.

 

Rubber, whether from natural sources like Hevia braziliensis or synthesized from petroleum (ancient natural compounds) is a polymer "stabilized" with sodium sulfur and other elements. All compounds and materials fabricated by nature or humans degrade to their "natural" state of stability with time.

Aging and degradation can be plotted in the form of an inverted "logarithmic" curve. How fast the curve descends with time or the "delta" factor determines the stable life of a material.

While materials like concrete become stronger and more stable with time, hydrocarbon componds degrade with time. Compounds like ceramics and glass have very shallow or nearly flat degradation curves. This material may take thousands or even millions of years to degrade in the natural environment.

That's why the older a a manmade material is; the less reliable it is. High tech materials used in space suits have a very short design or servicable life. Some aircraft like the Douglas DC-3 are long lived and lasts for tens of years. I doubl if the Boeing 787 "Dreamliner" will last as long.

The current crash of an "older" FA18B in Virginia Beach, VA, has called into question, the design life of that aircraft system as a whole.

 

i had a 12 year old miata with 25,000 miles. the tires felt and looked new when i sold it. i always questioned the age and safety of the old rubber vs mileage. i wonder how the new owner made out...

 

Just because the human eye can't see what's happening, cars abd other materials and objects are constantly "live" or in motion.

Molecules "vibrate" in place and rub or saw against each other due to changes in temperature. Heat is "movement" of the molecules. Heat breaks the bonds that hold material together.

What we know as "dry rot" is the result of the chemical and mechanical bonds breaking down between molecules.

 

Wow, I wasn't aware of that. Thanks for the explanation Sheldon.