Spare Tire takes a back seat

[viento1]

Hello, I have a decision to make. The integral steering box in my MC5 cuts into the spare tire compartment. Now I have to seriously consider putting that great big dirty, smelly round block of rubber in one of my precious storage bays. I really don't want to!

Can you consider one of the rear tires as a spare? It sounds like a bad idea, I know. but In my mind it is a perfect plan.

[John316]

Viento,

My opinion. We go into some pretty remote areas. I wouldn't want to drive with a duel off. We even have a tag, but I still wouldn't want to drive very far, certainly at any high rates of speed, for any distance. We always have a fully mounted balanced spare, with us. That way we just have to call a service truck, or replace ourselves.

YMMV

God bless,

John

[TomC]

In 21 years of being an owner-operator 18 wheeler, I never carried a spare. If you have a blow out of a dual, just pump up the good tire to 110 lbs and go to the next truck stop at no faster than 50mph.  Never had a steering tire blow out-was vigilant on inspecting and checking tire pressures on all tires at least once a week.  Good Luck, TomC

[VanTare]

viento in my coach there is no place for a spare tire so I do not worry about it   

David

[JackConrad]

    We did away with our spare several years ago. Where the spare tire was, is now a slide out tray for our water hoses and power cords.
    If we have a tire problem, we plan to use raod service anyway. We can use a tag for a spare until we get to a truck tire place or have the road service bring us a tire (depending on price). We needed a new drive axle tire last fall and had road service bring one to us. We only paid about $25 more than a price I got from our local tire shiop after returned home.  Jack

[viento1]

It sounds like I could probably limp to a truck stop with 1/2 a dually besides I have already thought of some great things to put in that compartment.  One thing for sure would be an envelope with $500

[kyle4501]

30 years & I never had a flat while on a trip, so I got complacent about carrying a spare.

Then I had 2 tire failures on 1 trip.    Road debris killed the first & the firestone spare just did what firestones do best 
Yes, I checked the tires at EVERY stop. . . . Sometimes, you can't avoid a flat.
(The firestone blew 15 miles after a rest stop where I checked the whole tire, even the inner sidewall. No dry rot, checks, cracks, or buldges, just smooth & even tread wear.)


Anyway, to carry a spare or not is a personal choice.
Do you have time to wait for a new tire?
Do you have time to wait for the service truck?
Is your time limited & changing your own the best route?
etc.


For me, If I am physically able to change a tire, I want to have the choice. If time is short due to limited time off work & non transferable, prepaid reservations . . . . I'd rather change my own tire & minimize down time.

Once I retire, I'm sure my priorities will change.

[gyrocrasher]

  One thing for sure would be an envelope with $500

And exactly where do you park your bus?

[bigjohnkub]

Mine has $1000.00 in it. It's the one with the two red dobermans chained to front bumper.
   Big john

[gyrocrasher]

Thanks, John! I think I'll pass! Mitch

[bobofthenorth]

We carry two spares.  They hang behind the drivers and are commonly mistaken for bogies but in a pinch I can lift them and pull one off to use wherever it is needed.  Or more accurately, Good Sam roadside service can pull one off and reinstall it wherever I tell them to.  In that event we can then head on down the road well within our load range on the remaining tires and, if necessary, repeat the process with the remaining spare from the other side.  If the OTR trucks don't carry a spare I don't think I'm that much smarter that I need to carry one and I seem to have lots of stuff to fill the space that I don't use to carry a spare tire.  YMMV

[buswarrior]

Follow the truckers!

There are tire services right across the continent, whichever came first, the trucks with no spares or the tire services....Doesn't matter at this point, we get to benefit!

If you run a name brand tire or reman, the 1-800 number gets you straightened out in short order.

And most of these services are layered, the same guy goes out for Goodyear, Good Sam, ERS, State Farm, etc. A reputable service business will contract with a bunch of them.

In a more populated area, when you call for road side assistance, get them to cross reference to the tire guy you need and you get both birds with one stone. In the boonies, you might not get as much choice.

Swing around your local big tire place and get their info too so you are equipped.

It's easier for those of us with a tag axle to be cavalier about spares.... An MC5 only has 6 tires to begin with!

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[John316]

What about those of us who have 12R 22.5's. When we needed a new tire, they weren't very avalible. Maybe it wouldn't be as big a deal if the tires were more common. If we had 11R's then I wouldn't take a spare.

God bless,

John

[RJ]

I totally understand all the arguments for and against carrying a spare.  And everyone has a valid point.

However, I have and additional, slightly different outlook on this, especially as it pertains to two-axle, 35-foot coaches.

Weight distribution & collision protection.

With a 35-foot coach, and all that powertrain weight hung out behind the tail, having the spare up front helps put a little more weight on the steering axle.  May not sound like much, but I've experienced a 4106 in revenue service before and after having a tire in the spare compartment, and there is a subtle difference in the handling without the extra weight - it's more prone to wandering.

I know folk will disagree on the collision protection, and I'm ok with that.  But I still think having that wheel/tire combo right behind the bumper will help to absorb collision forces if you encounter a four-wheeler with significant force to bend the lower front end.  All bets are off if it's another bus or 18-wheeler, however.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around Viento's comment that the integral steering box intrudes into the spare compartment.  Somehow, to me anyway, that doesn't seem right.  Everybody else has gone off on to carry or not carry, missing the reason behind asking the question.  Didn't anybody else catch that???  A photo would really help here. . . hint, hint.

FWIW & HTH. . .

[Ed Hackenbruch]

I wondered about that too......i have plenty of room for a spare tire, (don't have a rim for it yet) spare air bags, and some carpet and cardboard for laying on the ground if i need to get under the bus to fix something.