Spare Tire Delete (Convince Me)

Ratbikerod

Ratbikerod

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Carrollton, TX
So, today I began toying with the idea of deleting my spare tire. Visibility out of the back in my 2015 JK (no backup camera) is horrible. Furthermore, I think the last time I put a spare on the ground on a vehicle I owned was my wife's Mustang about 35 years ago. Modern tires just tend to leak a bit when they get a puncture, but often not enough that you cant make it to a shop to get them fixed.

That said, I do carry a puncture kit and a Viair compressor 100% of the time. The compressor for other obvious reasons off-roading and the puncture kit, because I carried it on my motorcycles before I sold them.

So please, talk me out of doing this if you guys think it is just a horrible idea.

Most of my driving in my JK is as a daily driver and most of my off roading is pretty light weight. I am not rock crawling in it and so I tend to go places to ride my mountain bike, camp or do some easy trails/fire roads and such. Sure, I could always tear a sidewall, but I have never done so as I dont tend to put myself in a position to do so. But it could happen and then I would be screwed.

I also want space to mount some rotopacks and am thinking about doing this kit - https://vectoroffroad.com/products/jl-element-plate

Please flame me on this.
 
I drive both of our Wranglers in the same manner as you, mostly around town w/ the occasional off-road trip that many here would call easy.
I put a camera on our 2015 because of the limited visibility and a really tight garage. Both have full-sized, matching spares that I rotate in with the other 4 to achieve a 20% mileage gain out of my wheel/tire investment.

I get the visibility issue, but rather than go without a spare, I would get a rack and put it on the roof.
 
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I do not carry a spare day to day and haven’t in years. I have had several people ask about it, aren’t you worried about a flat??!! :eek:
Like me, most of these people have a lift and oversized tires…but, when asked none of them even considered the jack. If you aren’t carrying around one of those god awful hi lifts or something that can lift your jeep, what’s the point of a spare.

My jeep is my daily, most of the time, but I never travel too far and live in a small town. If I have a flat it’s no big deal. When we go to off road parks, I do strap the spare in the tub. Hours away from the house and don’t want to deal with trying to find one.

Plus, I think Jeeps look so much better without the spare

All that said, do what ya want. It’s your jeep. :cool:
 
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WestCoastDan said:
I put a camera on our 2015 because of the limited visibility and a really tight garage. Both have full-sized, matching spares that I rotate in with the other 4 to achieve a 20% mileage gain out of my wheel/tire investment.
Click to expand...

I did exactly the same thing... Camera and five tire rotation.


1o1Proof said:
Plus, I think Jeeps look so much better without the spare
Click to expand...

That's what's great about forums like this - lots of varying opinions. I tend to favor the look of them with the spare! To each their own... My opinion is really only valuable to me. 😁
 
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Granted, all of this is personal choice, but I value y’all’s advice. I have never run without a spare, but then I never had one on any motorcycle either. And even after taking multiple BMW Adventure bikes to some pretty remote places I can count on one hand the number of flats I have had. Never impossible, but I was always able to plug it until I got a replacement.

Typically, I would not be a fan of going without. But tire technology being what it is, few of us get unpluggable leaked these days.
 
Ratbikerod said:
Typically, I would not be a fan of going without. But tire technology being what it is, few of us get unpluggable leaked these days.
Click to expand...

Ill throw another variable out there for consideration. Every leak I have experienced in the last handful of years has been on a vehicle with functional TPMS sensors. I was notified well in advance of a total undrivable failure and could take appropriate action. In fact, I've had exactly two "blowouts" in my life that would not have been saved by a TPMS notification. The last one was 2005.

So if you like the aesthetic without the spare and still have your sensors in place I don't think you'll have any issue. Since you have a plug kit you can address a slow leak or take it into a tire shop and have it fixed... Probably for free.

You are correct that if you are out in the boonies somewhere and have a catastrophic failure you will be in a jam... That's the risk you're taking with this route.
 
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tJKrider said:
Ill throw another variable out there for consideration. Every leak I have experienced in the last handful of years has been on a vehicle with functional TPMS sensors. I was notified well in advance of a total undrivable failure and could take appropriate action. In fact, I've had exactly two "blowouts" in my life that would not have been saved by a TPMS notification. The last one was 2005.

So if you like the aesthetic without the spare and still have your sensors in place I don't think you'll have any issue. Since you have a plug kit you can address a slow leak or take it into a tire shop and have it fixed... Probably for free.

You are correct that if you are out in the boonies somewhere and have a catastrophic failure you will be in a jam... That's the risk you're taking with this route.
Click to expand...

This has been my exact experience. And, yes, it is taking a lot of convincing to run without a spare.
 
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I've been tossing around the idea of going "spareless" as well. As has been mentioned:
1. I do not have a hi-lift jack and I would need one with 35s and a 2.5" lift.
2. Putting the spare in the roof rack is not an option. The wheel (moto Metal 962 @ 35.4lbs) and tire (BFG TA KO2 @ 63lbs) make this impractical.
3. AAA for all of my cars is about $100 a year.
4. The one time I took a good sized bolt into one of my tires about 30 miles from home, I didn't know it until 12 hours later when it was flat in my driveway.
5. Although my spare is the same size as my BFGs, it's not the same brand. It's still on the Jeep from years ago, a Toyo MT.

So yeah. I don't think there any practical reason to keep the spare on. I'll keep all the hardware and parts for the next owner if I do make the switch.
 
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Anybodyhome said:
I've been tossing around the idea of going "spareless" as well. As has been mentioned:
1. I do not have a hi-lift jack and I would need one with 35s and a 2.5" lift.
2. Putting the spare in the roof rack is not an option. The wheel (moto Metal 962 @ 35.4lbs) and tire (BFG TA KO2 @ 63lbs) make this impractical.
3. AAA for all of my cars is about $100 a year.
4. The one time I took a good sized bolt into one of my tires about 30 miles from home, I didn't know it until 12 hours later when it was flat in my driveway.
5. Although my spare is the same size as my BFGs, it's not the same brand. It's still on the Jeep from years ago, a Toyo MT.

So yeah. I don't think there any practical reason to keep the spare on. I'll keep all the hardware and parts for the next owner if I do make the switch.
Click to expand...

Not sure about the 35” and impact to the Jack. But the 2.5” lift doesn’t have an impact, unless not jacking up at the axle.

I guess I figure even I have to call for help at least I still have the tire to change out.

We have a Smart which has different tire sizes between the front and rear. We were out town and my daughter got flat, had to have it towed to a tire shop and that is pain. I’d just as soon have a spare with me if I can.
 
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I always carry my spare and a jack. I've actually used my spare in the past year as well. Rather to have and not need than need and not have.

Yeah, visibility is ass but these are not efficient vehicles by any means and like many others I just installed a camera that I can view while driving.
 
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Delete it. Looks better imo, especially if you increased tire size. Than it just looks dumb back there unless your spare matches. And the weight loss is good. I love my delete kit.

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