rex

iTrader: (2)

Can someone who has the spare tire kit tell me what the make and model of the spare tire is? I'm trying to figure out if $400 is a good deal for the spare tire kit with the tire mounted on the rim and balanced. Given the crazy pricing of RX-8 accessories you can see why I'm skeptical!

The kit can be had for $274.80 (plus shipping) which would put the tire and mounting/balancing at about $125. Does that sound reasonable?

Thanks!

dankgummy

I always thought the spare tire kit wasn't a full size tire, can anyone clarify this...

rex

iTrader: (2)

It's not full sized. Check out this thread:
https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...threadid=12112

allstate

Save the $400, the trunk space, and the weight, and use the roadside assistance.

rex

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, I agree but there are many, how to say this politely, "out of the way places" where there's no cell phone coverage and the nearest phone is a long hike. For these situations I'd pack the tire. Most other times I'd use the the bottle of goo or roadside assistance.

Bigcat44

Mine came with the kit and the tire and it is just a donut tire, it takes up too much trunk space and I am going to pull it out.

Genom

I got the kit for whenever I am planning a road trip and want that extra bit of assurance. However, I took it out and dont bother with it while driving around town.

eccles

The search button is your friend. As previously posted in this thread:

rex

iTrader: (2)

Grazie, eccles! You da man!

silvercloud

I make several trips a year over 600 miles and would like the peace of mind a spare tire would offer. I'd hate to wait for a tow in the middle of the night or on a holiday.
I checked into the spare tire kit today at my dealer.
They quoted $350 for the kit $110 for the tire and $35 for the wheel. So $400 sounds like a good price to me.
I'll have to see if another dealer in town has a better price.

rex

iTrader: (2)

silvercloud,

The kit includes the rim as far as I can tell.

Check out www.trussvillemazda.com. They have a better price on the kit that you're being quoted, though I don't know what the shipping costs would be. Getting the tire seems to be a challenge however. It's not listed at tirerack.com for instance.

silvercloud

I'll do that, thanks rex

eccles

Check around your local wrecking yards or used tire stores - you may find one that came off a wreck before it was ever used. I suspect it's a fairly standard size for a 17" donut.

mikeb

thats excatly my thoughts

RodsterinFL

I got the spare kit on the car - the dealer "said" he would throw it in since I HAD ordered a car without it but wanted a different car that included one. It is more than a spare tire and rim though. It comes with a mounting assembly and a vinyl tire jacket that zips the tire up neatly. That does not make it worth $400 but I thought you should know what all is included. Just a regular spare would have to sit in the trunk. This actually mounts on the wheel well area and the tire sits just below the rear window ledge - up off the trunk floor. It really takes up the room though. If I traveled a lot, I would get it. The repair kit is perfect for normal use but will not handle ripped tires which CAN happen on the highway. Town drivers like me would not really need it. My tire is in its vinyl case sitting against the garage wall. I left the assembly intact - looks like a rear stabilizer bar!

Bigcat44

Shoot I'll sell you mine. Tell me what the dealer wants for it and I will beat theirs shipped. I have all of the items mentioned and it has NEVER been used possibly looked at once or twice thats about it. Let me know

Eradicator

If you use the goo ... are you supposed to have a portable air compressor with you to reinflate the tire?

eccles

Yes, that's why Mazda puts one in the kit with the goo. :p

Eradicator

ugh :o I took a quick peek inside the kit when I first got the car ... I guess I forgot I saw that or something. Sometimes I'm just a retard.

Red Rocket

Another item to consider: My dealer's service department (and Mazda literature) states that once the goo-fixed tire gets you home, you will need to discard that tire and buy a new one. Apparently, the hardened goo will cause problems with vibration & re-balancing, not to mention the pressure sensors. Use of the donut spare would allow you to put a nail-punctured tire in the trunk which could be repaired & reused.

8_wannabe

MIne's for sale! Sitting in the garage; I will live life dangerously and depend on the compressor/goo combo if needed. Will deliver in the SOCAL area.

Nubo

To each his own. Personally I can't imagine driving around without a spare tire.

1 - tire damage can and does exceed the capability of "goo" - sidewall puncture for instance. Not uncommon.

2 - "roadside assistance" is a great feature but it's not as if someone in a reapair vehicle is tailing you around. There can and will be times when it is inconvenient as all hell, or even unavailable.

3 - I can't imagine the weight being a factor unless you're on a racetrack

4 - If you can afford the car, you can afford the spare

5 - For simple punctures which the goo can patch, it also ruins the tire in the process. What a deal.

6 - That leaves trunk space, which is admittedly a tradeoff.

But all-in-all I don't want to be stranded by something as simple as a puncture. It might be interesting to have a poll where the response would be

a) did you/are you getting the spare
b) what is your age

I would suspect a correlation of increasing preference for the spare with increased driver age. I don't think this is due to "old fogeyism", but rather from having experienced enough real-world situations to recognize the value.

rex

iTrader: (2)

I'm with you Nubo. Every time I've experienced a puncture, it's been a tire shredding or sidewall destroying experience. I had a tire blow out at 80mph and that tire was way past the goo stage. I've also driven enough remote roads where there's no cell coverage or people with teeth within tens of miles. Isn't it usually the case that the twisty mountain roads that this car cries out to be driven on are the exact places where help isn't available and the possibilities of irrepairable tire damage might happen? I'm not paranoid, but for long excursions I'll be taking the spare with me.

Now, I don't believe that everyone should rush out and load their cars up with spares. If you're predominently in a safe urban environment, do avail yourself of roadside assistance. It's just in the wilder areas of the Pacific Northwest having the reassurance of a real spare tire is worth the peace of mind.

Hey, is your dog avatar a Black German Shepherd? Neat looking dog!

Chuck Clifford

I bought the kit from trussville and it does not come with the tire, only the rim. I bought the tire, had it mounted, and it only goes in the car on long trips. I did not install the tire mount kit in the trunk, because it takes up too much room even when the tires not in there. I am thinking about putting tie downs in place of the bar and brackets, so I can use nylon cargo straps to secure it on the trips when I need it.

Nubo

Yes, he's a GSD. Or sometimes we call him a GAD (goofy-***-dog). He's neat. Here he is doing some forestry work