-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
DIY Spare Tire Kit
- Thread starter tk1971
- Start date
- Status
roblab
Active Member
Sounds like a lot of work, and now you have a large piece of equipment plus tools to take care of what is often only a screw or nail in the tread. These types of punctures can be repaired with the tire still on the wheel, the wheel still on the car, with a repair kit consisting of a T handle on what looks like the eye end of a large needle. Rubberized rope slips into the eye, the eye is pushed into the hole (quickly enough that the air doesn't leak out), and the leak is fixed. A razor blade trims off excess plug material. Can be done by the side of the road in fifteen minutes or less, and it works even with sound deadening foam liners.
All this effort of buying spare tires and carrying them around just because people are afraid to fix their own tire? "Just call AAA" is their mantra, even if it's to put on the spare in the trunk!
$8.99 at WalMart. And it takes up way less space than a spare tire.
On top of this, most people don't even get punctures. Unless you live near an active construction project, your chance of getting a screw or nail are about zero. I've been driving Teslas since 2012, and I've had one slow leak that I fixed when I got home. I do like the tire pressure display on the dash.
All this effort of buying spare tires and carrying them around just because people are afraid to fix their own tire? "Just call AAA" is their mantra, even if it's to put on the spare in the trunk!
On top of this, most people don't even get punctures. Unless you live near an active construction project, your chance of getting a screw or nail are about zero. I've been driving Teslas since 2012, and I've had one slow leak that I fixed when I got home. I do like the tire pressure display on the dash.
Roblab: "These types of punctures can be repaired with the tire still on the wheel, the wheel still on the car, with a repair kit consisting of a T handle on what looks like the eye end of a large needle. "
Easy for you to say. I've repaired tires this way before, and no doubt, it requires strength that many people don't have. It's not a matter of "...people are afraid to fix their own tire...", but a reality that many just...plain...can't...do...it.
Don't diminish the potential need for a full-size spare, when in a remote area, when a blowout occurs. My wife's Avalon, with primo/expensive Michelin Premier tires, only 20% worn, ALWAYS properly inflated/properly balance, had a golf-ball sized blowout, on the INNER wall, right rear. Obviously not repairable by a tire plug kit.
(PS: Roblab: is your SO in the photo able to plug a tire?)
Easy for you to say. I've repaired tires this way before, and no doubt, it requires strength that many people don't have. It's not a matter of "...people are afraid to fix their own tire...", but a reality that many just...plain...can't...do...it.
Don't diminish the potential need for a full-size spare, when in a remote area, when a blowout occurs. My wife's Avalon, with primo/expensive Michelin Premier tires, only 20% worn, ALWAYS properly inflated/properly balance, had a golf-ball sized blowout, on the INNER wall, right rear. Obviously not repairable by a tire plug kit.
(PS: Roblab: is your SO in the photo able to plug a tire?)
k.alexander
Member
Just ordered a MY last night for my wife. Ordered the base 19" wheels. The info above, does it apply to the 19s or just the 20s? Thanks!My DIY 2020 Model Y LR AWD Spare Tire kit:
1) Spare tire from a 3rd Gen Nissan Murano. 18x4 steel wheel, 5x114.3mm (or 5x4.5”), and 66.1mm bore. The Stock Nissan spare tire size is T165/90R18 and has a diameter of 29.69”. My stock 255/40R20 has a diameter of 28.03”. I may have a tire shop put a T165/70R18 for a diameter of 27.09”.
2) Chevy S10 pickup or Blazer emergency scissor jack. This one has the little domed protrusion that fits the Tesla’s jacking point. I know of this jack because I was the first to test fit this jack for my Chevy Bolt which has similar jacking points (on the ChevyBolt forums).
3) Chevy S10 / Blazer tire iron with 21mm (13/16”) hex lug wrench.
I test fitted it this morning using all the hardware listed above and drove it around the block a couple of times to make sure everything works.
I only tested it as a rear wheel, as I didn’t test fit it in the front, so if I have a flat in the front, the first thing I will do is to swap the rear to the front then install the spare in the rear.
I also made a little tool to remove the center cap from my 20” wheel.
20 and 19 size is the same.
The only difference would be on rear 21 Uberturbines. They will be a bit taller than 19 or 20.
k.alexander
Member
Thanks. And you’re saying the 19” and 20” wheel tire combo has the same or equivalent overall height (total wheel profile)? And this matches the spare wheels from the Nissan and others in the orig post in this thread?
I also have this kit, along with a 12v compressor in the trunk.
Tried it on this and it leaked. To close to the edge. Used the spare for almost a month because the Tesla specific tire was back ordered.
The 255/45-19 tire has a 28.04” diameter and the 255/40-20 tire has a 28.03” diameter. The spare tires are either taller (Murano) or shorter (Equus) than the stock tire but still works.
roblab
Active Member
As I said, MOST punctures can be driven home. My wifey would of course "allow" me to fix it for her in the garage, and she also has an air pump in the trunk, which she CAN work. I wonder what your wifey hit with that Avalon. That's a whale of a hole, and probably less that 1/10th of 1% would be that unusual. Nearly all punctures are a screw or nail in the tread, easily fixable with a plug, but it you wish to take up room in an already small trunk, it's your car. As a side note, my wifey probably would be unable to change out a spare tire, either. For a blowout like you describe, hopefully there is some form of tow truck near.
But I stand with "most people are afraid to fix their own tire" simply because, through lack of experience or ability, they are. Now, if a wife had a husband who didn't have that experience, it would make it more difficult, but the suggestion was, then, to carry around a spare which might weigh thirty pounds or more and expect this theoretical person to work the jack, loosen five lug nuts (that's another chore in itself) pull off the tire while hoping the car doesn't roll off the jack, jack up the car some more so the spare will slide onto the lug bolts, hand tighten the lug nuts, lower the tire, and then tighten the lug nuts to some approximation of 49 ft. lb. When you think it over, pushing a plug into a tire at home in the garage seems a lot less of a chore, plus you have more room in your trunk. I wonder if you've ever tried to place a plug in a tire while it's on the car. It's a lot easier than putting on a spare.
roblab
Active Member
k.alexander
Member
Guys, my wife drives a Volvo sedan with 17” Non-low-profile tires…an MY is on order. The amount of blow outs she’s had on her Volvo in the last 8 years or so would astonish anyone! And when I say blow outs, I mean blow outs—either a complete immediately full tire deflation or a god damn bent rim—try living in/around of Philadephia. That said she did also have a number of punctures, at least one of which was fixed by myself and a friend on the side of the road. I think I will be picking up a repair kit, and rely on Tesla Roadside Assistance at least for the first 4 years of the car. That said I would definitely get a spare if traveling more than a few hrs from home on a road trip—the idea of getting stuck in the middle of nowhere for an extra day or two is not fun.
I picked up one of the Equus spares to find it uses a flat style lug nut unique to the model. Using a conical nut to hold things in place seems a little sketchy. The closest mag lug nut to the shank size of the wheel I've found is the Gorilla standard 14mm X 1.5 but the shanks is a bit too long. I'm looking at double washers but need more research.
Last edited:
I think using conical on a flat surface would successfully center the wheel on the lug/stud, which is what the conical nut is good for. The conical surface on the nut keeps the wheel from contacting that thread lug/stud. It assures the center bore of the wheel supports the car, and not the lugs/studs.
Going the other way around, using a flat lug on a wheel designed for conical would NOT center the wheel on the lug/stud.
Can someone comment on this? I'm no mechanic, but it makes sense to me.
Going the other way around, using a flat lug on a wheel designed for conical would NOT center the wheel on the lug/stud.
Can someone comment on this? I'm no mechanic, but it makes sense to me.
I don't see it as a centering question but as load distribution. The spare doesn't have a fitted centering ring, so with the conical lug nut, the load is carried at the ends of the lug bolt. I'll do a fit check Monday and see if the OEM lug nuts are even engaging all available threads. Using things in a way not intended can lead to surprises.
You can always go to Summit Racing and get 5 of these:
www.summitracing.com
Gorilla Automotive 79916 Gorilla Lug Nut Washers | Summit Racing
Free Shipping - Gorilla Lug Nut Washers with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Lug Nut Washers at Summit Racing.
Black306
Active Member
Not sure if a Y has longer studs than a 3. If not, the washers won’t work; studs aren’t long enough.You can always go to Summit Racing and get 5 of these:
Gorilla Automotive 79916 Gorilla Lug Nut Washers | Summit Racing
Free Shipping - Gorilla Lug Nut Washers with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Lug Nut Washers at Summit Racing.
I put a caliper to the spare shank holes. Looks like 0.745 width and 0.50 depth. The closest available shank (mag) nuts using 14mm X 1.5 threads comes up with a Gorilla with a 0.75 D X 0.74 W. which is probably too long without washers. I'll check the studs when changing out wheels/tires on Monday. I can machine the extra length of the Gorillas to fit the shank holes once I see what length there is with the studs. Not an ideal situation.
You're saying that the Equus spare you're using doesn't fit precisely on the hub? Seriously?
Again, I'm not an engineer, but it's my understanding that the center bore of the wheel MUST fit the hub, because it is the center bore of the wheel that supports the car. If the bore larger than the hub, a hubcentric ring is required. If you don't use hub centric rings, you transfer the weight of the vehicle to the lug hardware, and the wheel studs will break
Do a google search. There are several articles on this.
Last edited:
- Status
Similar threads
