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YOUR RESEARCHSpare Tire Question
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Use 4' wrecking bar
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Suggestion
I think I finally did get one of the beads to break/tear using a 4' wrecking bar, but the answer in this case to "How hard could it be" is pretty damn hard.
Leading evidence: 'Use 4' wrecking bar' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Use 4' wrecking bar' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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Suggestion · Original poster
(In case you missed it, Dave lived nearby and let me use his wheel/tire to get home, wherein I then shipped it back.
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Use 4' wrecking bar
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Suggestion
I think I finally did get one of the beads to break/tear using a 4' wrecking bar, but the answer in this case to "How hard could it be" is pretty damn hard.
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I recently had to use my spare, far from home. With help from fellow Rennlister DTMiller I was able to get home, but after I made it back, I got to thinking.
I only went about 50 miles on the spare, and when I was putting it back in the frunk, it looked almost new. Frankly it looks quite a bit more robust than the typical temp spare I've seen. Tucked away under it's cover, I never took much note about it, other than making sure it had air.
So, had I not been able to get help, how far would you trust going on our spare? (My tire was blown on the rear, and after the fact I realized it might have been better to move the spare to the front and put that tire on the rear.). My tire's sidewall was shot, and no sign of a replacement (and when I got home I found the wheel was cracked), so I could have really been stuck. Or would I?
I think the 996 C2 spare looks pretty robust...much more so than the inflatable spares on the C4 and Turbos. Drive them as they are intended and I think you would have been good for at least another 50...and maybe even 50 more. But in doing so, I would make periodic stops to inspect it.
How did you transport the flat tire and the wheel? Or was it so obviously damaged you just left it at the side of the road?
I've often thought about what I would do in the event of a rear puncture. Did the engineers design enough room in the frunk to fit it in there? I've never tried.
I have roadside assistance so I'd most likely have it flat bedded if I could. I don't consider my 996 as an out of state traveller...
I was 600 miles from home, on a Sunday morning. I didn't drive on the cracked rim. I got off the interstate and made it to a nearby Walmart, that was just opening up. Two great guys took my damaged tire off, put the spare on, and bagged up my dirty wheel and tire. THEN wouldn't charge me or accept a tip. OK, they liked my car and we had a nice conversation while they worked, but still, they went above and beyond. I called the manager when I got back to be sure he knew what good employees he had.
I initially crammed the blown tire in the front and forced the hood closed. I thought all was good, but when I opened it at Dave Miller's house it "popped" open, and not in a good way. Took us both by surprise! Don't do this! It doesn't fit! Luckily no damage was done. (In case you missed it, Dave lived nearby and let me use his wheel/tire to get home, wherein I then shipped it back. AWESOME experience!)
I guess I'm adventurous. I've taken my 996 (now with 163,000 miles) on numerous 1,500+ mile trips, with no real issues. I'm getting ready to drive from South Carolina to Atlantic City in a few weeks to meet some friends for a few days of golf. Not worried at all.
That pop was not a good sound. Kinda surprised the hood was not messed up.
Coming north in a few weeks? Let me pull the engine and transmission just in case.
If the rim is good and it is only the tire that is toast, you can also cut the tire off the rim (or have a tire store remove it) and the rim will take up much less room in the car...might even fit in the trunk.
John, you have mentioned this twice. Have you actually cut a modern tire off of a rim - without damaging the rim irreparably?
When I cracked my 19" wheel, I decided to cut off the old tire. After maybe half an hour with a die grinder, a sawzall, sheet metal shears for the cords, and a hack saw - during which I extensively damaged the busted wheel-off wheel - I gave up. I think I finally did get one of the beads to break/tear using a 4' wrecking bar, but the answer in this case to "How hard could it be" is pretty damn hard.
It is _possible_ to remove a tire from a wheel without wrecking the wheel, but it is DEFINITELY not a time saver and not something you're going to pull off on the side of the road with your Porsche toolkit and a Leatherman.
If your rear tire goes flat - move a front tire to the rear and put the spare up front.
Carry a big blue ikea bag in the spare tire cover, and throw some disposable gloves in there to keep interior and steering wheel clean.
I removed my spare from the car. I don't trust the 17 year old rubber tire and don't see the need to replace it. I'll call roadside assistance when the time comes.
I assume you are referring to a pre-inflated space saver spare. Like any other tire as long as you do not exceed it's limitations it will last until you have worn thru the tread. 60 psi, 70mph max speed, no hard cornering, being mindful of outside temp. If you are driving a long distance I would install on the driver side front due to road crown & potential road hazards from road shoulder.
I drove my Mom's 1979 Old's Cutlass Supreme about 350 miles on the spacesaver while fully loaded during summer.
Later discovered how easy it is to do doughnuts in my Firebird with 2 spacesavers on the rear. They lasted until the tread was worn away. (aprox. 20 min.)
I was about to create a new thread and ask if anyone could foresee any issue with removing the spare tire from the fronk and in turn reducing the overall weight of the car by about 19lb, will this adversely affect the balance of the car?
My reasoning for removing the space saver is if I get a flat I'm not going to transport the flat tire inside the cabin, it won't fit in the fronk, and I'm not leaving my rim on the side of the road.
Yesterday, I passed a woman driving some sort of Asian SUV/minivan hybrid with a donut spare on the passenger side rear that had ALL the tread warn off. It was bald! You could tell it had been on there a while and it even had some curb rash marks. I wanted to take a picture, but I didn't get an opportunity.
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