Spare Tire: Is It Essential To Take It?

Spare tire: is it essential to take it with you? We answer this question so common among drivers. The spare tire can be an important element when it comes to suffering a breakdown on the road, but it would mean losing some of the trunk space.

The spare wheel is an element that is disappearing from new cars in the automobile market. This is mainly due to the fact that the manufacturers claim that the number of punctures has fallen drastically due to the better quality of the wheels.

Less weight and more space

This is the main reason why cars and drivers are starting to bet on not having a spare tire. Car wheels are getting bigger and heavier, which means a significant increase in the weight of the vehicle.

This, in turn, will lead to higher consumption, which we can notice in the long term. On the other hand, the larger size of the wheels means losing a considerable part of the storage space in the trunk.

The spare wheel can add an additional weight to the vehicle of between 20 and 40 kg, depending on the model. In addition, there are brands that have even managed to reduce the CO2 emissions of their models by one or two grams, so eliminating the spare wheel has allowed them to adjust to the limit of 120 g / km.

In addition, eliminating the spare wheel means a gain of up to 80 liters in the volume of the trunk. This considerable space can be achieved taking into account that we not only eliminate the wheel, but also all the mechanical components that accompany it, such as the jack or the foam structures that surround it. Finally, doing without the emergency spare wheel can save between 80 and 120 euros.

Alternatives to the spare wheel

In front of the spare wheel, new solutions have emerged to repair a puncture on the road:

Puncture repair kit

The puncture repair kit is the most widespread solution, although the least effective. These kits incorporate a foam that serves to cover the hole in the wheel cover, and a compressor to re-inflate the tire. This option will allow us to get out of a hurry, without losing much space in the trunk and at a lower cost than an extra wheel.

Reinforced tires

Another solution is to invest more in tire technology, designing them in such a way that they are shielded from the dangers of asphalt. The latest and most resistant technologies allow driving with a punctured tire for up to 80 km and a maximum of 80 km / h.

Thanks to its reinforced structures, the rubber does not come off the rim after the puncture as it has a special anchor and an inner block that supports the weight of the car when air is lost. Of course, after the puncture, it can be difficult to find a similar wheel for the replacement.

Self-sealing covers

The tires with self-sealing foam covers have a rubber similar to that used in puncture repair kits. However, in these cases, the foam spreads automatically when the tire is punctured. In this way, the driver does not even have to stop the vehicle, since it is likely that he will not even notice anything.

This technology has some aspects that can be improved, since the internal reinforcement is sometimes not enough on the sides, but it can be a good solution to avoid being stranded and to be able to finish the journey without problems.

Ultimately, the greater reliability of tires and the application of innovative solutions to punctures can make the idea of ​​carrying a spare wheel in the trunk obsolete. Manufacturers test airless wheels and compounds with amazing mechanical properties.

On the other hand, research with rubber bands that can adapt their shape to close the puncture hole are increasingly advanced. It is likely that we can see some of these advances in the new models that will be added to the market in the coming years.