Modern Spare DOES fit in frunk area, with liners removed!!!!!

[Pianewman]

This is getting more exciting. I just received the latest Modern Spare for my 2021 MYLR. I removed both of the frunk liners, exposing the cavernous empty space below.

I was able to place the modern spare in the void, resting on the AC compressor, nestled behind the front bumper area. NOTHING seems to be compromised, except for the 3 or 4 electrical wires that can easily be rerouted, without any cutting/splicing. TeslaFrunk1 photo shows the void behind the front bumper area, with wires loosely placed. They could be wire-tied differently.

The frunk lid closes w/o issues. A bracket could be designed to support the spare so it isn't resting on the AC compressor.

Of course, the frunk liners would need serious alterations, or in fact, a complete redesign. I'm not going to start cutting/modifying the liners until I've thought about this.

Thoughts? Anyone here with the skill/desire to be creative with a solution?

(Question: Is there any reason why the car can't be driven with the frunk liners removed?)

 

[ScoobyDoo82]

I too have wondered this. The area by the air intake for the ac and the general space by the octovalve should be covered to prevent noise and any dirt/debris from coming up off the road to inside the frunk area. However, this can be achieved by creating a new plastic piece to leave the void that the tub fills out in the open while still covering up all the goodies behind it. The reason I think why no one else has done this (yet) is because it would be very costly to engineer a new piece as well as a mount for the spare wheel. Additionally, having the spare tire fixed up front would have a negative effect on the safety of the car were to be in serious enough accident.
In order to achieve this, it would cost too much money - not worth it for the one or two times that a spare might be needed throughout the car’s lifetime. Just my two cents. Awesome idea though!

 

[andaconda]

I was able to place the modern spare in the void, resting on the AC compressor, nestled behind the front bumper area. NOTHING seems to be compromised, except for the 3 or 4 electrical wires that can easily be rerouted, without any cutting/splicing.

You seriously want the weight of that spare resting and bouncing on the compressor? That might be an expensive fix if the compressor or its seals and fittings were to fail. Not to mention the weight on top of the radiator/cooling system. Damn sure it wouldn't be covered under warranty.

 

[Dennisis]

I understand it's a good feeling to have a spare, though I don't recall ever having needed one. Carry a plug kit, compressor, overalls and a cell phone and you'll almost always be OK. Tires rarely actually blow out nowadays. And if you get one flat you might get two then what? Anyway, I know that's not the point of this post but just throwing out the idea that perhaps the amount of thought and effort going into the spare idea is excessive. Just my opinion! good luck with whatever you do...

 

[Pianewman]

You seriously want the weight of that spare resting and bouncing on the compressor? That might be an expensive fix if the compressor or its seals and fittings were to fail. Not to mention the weight on top of the radiator/cooling system. Damn sure it wouldn't be covered under warranty.

Please read my post. "A bracket could be designed to support the spare so it isn't resting on the AC compressor."

Y'all bring up some very good points. Thanks for the thoughts. Always carry a plug kit/compressor, but a blowout? (I've had 2 in the past 3 years, on primo Continental and Michelin tires)

The spare would only be used for load trips. I will continue to be taking road trips, through the wilds of west TX, OK, SE Colo, mountains in CO, then frequent trips EAST, diagonally across MS or AL. I'm trying to avoid the inconvenience of a blowout and the time taken to wait for service.

I'm now thinking if I lay the Modern Spare in the rear deepest well, leaning forward, I could easily cut an opening in the floor and have the very top of the tire protrude upward, creating a slight "bulge" in the floor of the trunk. It would actually be quite small.

 

[Corndart]

Additionally, having the spare tire fixed up front would have a negative effect on the safety of the car were to be in serious enough accident.

This is actually an interesting point. I'd imagine the frunk area was designed as a crumple zone, and having the spare tire pushed violently into the front cabin may not work out so well for its occupants.

 

[tangible1]

I understand it's a good feeling to have a spare, though I don't recall ever having needed one. Carry a plug kit, compressor, overalls and a cell phone and you'll almost always be OK. Tires rarely actually blow out nowadays. And if you get one flat you might get two then what? Anyway, I know that's not the point of this post but just throwing out the idea that perhaps the amount of thought and effort going into the spare idea is excessive. Just my opinion! good luck with whatever you do...

Tesla is a heavy vehicle. Every friend who owns a Tesla (M3 mostly) has had a bad flat, almost once a year, and the roads they travel here in SoCAL aren't terrible. The stock tires aren't all that. Sidewalls in particular seem poor, and you can't plug that.....

 

[Dennisis]

Tesla is a heavy vehicle. Every friend who owns a Tesla (M3 mostly) has had a bad flat, almost once a year, and the roads they travel here in SoCAL aren't terrible. The stock tires aren't all that. Sidewalls in particular seem poor, and you can't plug that.....

Right, a bad flat can definitely happen to anyone and a plug kit won't prepare you for any eventuality but then again neither will having one spare tire. I've put over 30K on an M3 and MY now and haven't even needed a plug though I'm ready for it. My point was perhaps the amount of resources (time, funds, effort) put into worrying about and planning for a flat may be disproportionate to the threat.

 

[tangible1]

Right, a bad flat can definitely happen to anyone and a plug kit won't prepare you for any eventuality but then again neither will having one spare tire. I've put over 30K on an M3 and MY now and haven't even needed a plug though I'm ready for it. My point was perhaps the amount of resources (time, funds, effort) put into worrying about and planning for a flat may be disproportionate to the threat.

AAA is your friend, unless you're not on a road. Then....you're on your own

 

[a2t2]

anything more with this thread ? I run a machine shop, can design bracket to hold a spare ..

had sidewall blow out last nite, 17k miles on the car and that was a sh!t show to deal with. had to flat bed home, took hours, and now waiting on a new tire which could take a week.

running around without a spare is pretty stupid and could be a very costly mistake. a can of fix a flat is not sufficient. neither is mounting a spare up against an ac compressor or strapping it in with seatbelts. not sure why this problem has not been solved already

 

[Pianewman]

Although the ModernSpare CAN fit in the trunk, and fabricating a bracket to secure the spare is probably a no-brainer, the risks of the "unknown" in a frontal accident (crumple zones...) is causing justifiable concern. Frustrating, for sure, because the space is there.

 

[a2t2]

Yeah consideration will have to be given to that .. I can use a high strength steel to mount the tire if there are some mounting points on the frame rails… if anyone has a sketch or some plans let me know, I’ll have one machined. My spare is being delivered mid may

 

[OxBrew]

I'd [think about] get[ing] roof rails and spend the effort designing a fairly aero box for the tire to go on the roof*. Or just take the hit strapping it up there. Did a 1200 mile road trip with a bike rack, had a couple legs in a head wind pushing 575 Wh / mile, still made it to the next super charger and only spent maybe 10-15 extra minutes at a couple stops.

*if we're really loaded down with 4 people and 2 dogs. For 2 people, just put the back seats down and throw the spare back there, bury it with everything else.

Lots of things going on around the frunk, hard to know if all the considerations would be mitigated.

 

[Pianewman]

So many variables. All hypothetical discussion.

If we're USING the frunk as designed, to carry random items, maybe even crush-resistant suitcases, how does insurance factor that into any claims of damage possibly related to the suitcases being pushed rearward?

How would carrying a spare in the frunk be any different from that? I guess the issue would be any modification (bracket) securing the wheel, whereas anything in the frunk is normally unsecured.

(I'm hoping this discussion will remain limited to dealing with a spare tire, and doesn't balloon into yet another thread about plugs/patches/AAA/road service. That topic has been beaten to death elsewhere.)

 

[a2t2]

Would be insane to strap a tire to the roof and kill aero efficiency when there’s a Grand Canyon worth of wasted space in the frunk ..

And yes I hope we stay on topic here, too. The car needs an onboard spare. Plain and simple.

 

[qdeathstar]

You seriously want the weight of that spare resting and bouncing on the compressor? That might be an expensive fix if the compressor or its seals and fittings were to fail. Not to mention the weight on top of the radiator/cooling system. Damn sure it wouldn't be covered under warranty.

You’ll have to remove the tire before making a warranted claim obviously

 

[Madsen203]

Does frunk protect wires from excessive exposure to water and posture. Lots of exposed harnesses and grounds there. Not sure how they would hold up long term.

 

[OxBrew]

How would carrying a spare in the frunk be any different from that? I guess the issue would be any modification (bracket) securing the wheel, whereas anything in the frunk is normally unsecured.

Size and rigidity. Even a rim with no tire is larger than the frunk storage. I assume the crash testing used items in the frunk based on industry standard assumptions about common and uncommon luggage, according to some test standards.

A rim seems to me to be stiffer than anything that would be tested in the frunk. It is larger, for sure.

My gut feeling is crash impacts are probably not a huge deal, but my gut has not crash tested any cars. Not a space I want to mess around with.

I have a friend who was a lead crash test engineer for Toyota, I'll ask her what the standards and assumptions are.

 

[Vicj]

Most cars don't come with spares these days. I've driven M cars from BMW for years and years, and have had a few occasions to use the emergancy fix a flat kit that comes with those cars. It's always been sufficient to get home. Heck, even my wife had to use her kit in her Prius, and she is a total non-car person, and was able to handle it easily.

Very soon, there will be a plethora of EV tires available from all major tire makers, including run-flats. And soon after that, the next generation of airless tires. Spares are dinosaurs, going through their death throes, just like ice cars. They just don't know it yet.

 

[Pianewman]

^^^^^
(I'm hoping this discussion will remain limited to dealing with a spare tire, and doesn't balloon into yet another thread about plugs/patches/AAA/road service. That topic has been beaten to death elsewhere.)