Backcountry without a spare tire.

Kevin B. · Oct 13, 2024

I have discovered that I am not a huge fan of having a spare tire on the rear bumper, and I'm weighing my options. The spare is just a hair too big to fit under the truck, I don't really want it on top, I definitely don't want it in the cab.

So... no spare? I'm considering packing Gluetread, an inner tube, and a whole bunch of plugs, and just running without a spare at all. I know some of you have experience with the Gluetread, give to me your wisdom. Or tell me a I'm a dummy and talk me down off this ledge.

Greg · Oct 13, 2024

I wouldn't do it, I've split enough sidewalls or had major tire damage where plugs or gluetread wouldn't help. I've also been stuck for hours without a spare while a friend tried to find one. Ruined the days trip because I wasn't prepared.

DAA · Oct 13, 2024

For about every three or four flats I've experienced, I've had a bent or cracked wheel. Which reminds me, my spare is still on a bent wheel...

We actually put a hole in a wheel on my buddies F150 this spring.

- DAA

cruiseroutfit · Oct 13, 2024

0% chance I'd recommend despite having worked with Gluetread and having good results (after much work to prep). Far too many ways to catastrophically kill a wheel or tire to trust a single solution.

jeeper · Oct 13, 2024

Also a no go without a spare for me. Too many major flats.

Kiel · Oct 13, 2024

Can you just deflate it and stuff it in the under mount? Assuming you have a compressor

Kevin B. · Oct 13, 2024

Kiel said:
Can you just deflate it and stuff it in the under mount? Assuming you have a compressor

I tried, even deflated it rubs on the panhard bar way too much. I'd have to clearance the panhard, remove the hitch, or run a smaller spare. That last option is on the table I guess. I'd have to look into how well that would play with the full time 4WD.

Unimog · Oct 13, 2024

Or run a different size for spare, maybe higher profile? Would that fit deflated?

Tonkaman · Oct 13, 2024

I say put on a smaller spare and carry the tire repair stuff.

In the last several years how many flats have you had? How many could have been fixed with plugs? How many could have been fixed by flying the tire? Now how many are test over? That little inconvenience is fine so long as you have other redundancies like communications, food, shelter, etc.

johngottfredson · Oct 13, 2024

Unimog said:
Or run a different size for spare, maybe higher profile? Would that fit deflated?

Seems like for most trips, a smaller spare allows you to carefully drive back to civilization if a field repair won’t get the job done*

*he types as he nervously contemplates the stock sized spare on his jeep

SLC97SR5 · Oct 13, 2024

Kiel said:
Can you just deflate it and stuff it in the under mount? Assuming you have a compressor

This is what I had to do for the 4Runner.

It had to be tipped as well. With the tire sucked up flat using the winch it was running into the panhard bar.

I've only HAD to have a spare once and it was due to bending the heck out of the rim. No full on tire failure that couldn't be plugged.

The F350 has had 2 full on tire failures. One was losing the tread at speed and another was a 2 piece valve stem that loosened up and deflated the tire going down the road.

RockChucker · Oct 13, 2024

The spare tire discussion is one I've had with friends many times over the years. For my particular needs, I've decided to carry a pretty comprehensive repair kit and forgo a spare. A 40" tire is a pain. They are heavy and cumbersome. The other thing to consider is that your spare is only good one time. If you get a 2nd flat (not likely, but also neither is the first), you are in the same "hot water" you'd be in if you didn't carry a spare tire to begin with. I have various plugs, patches, super glue (think gluetread) and tire spoons. I realize that this is largely a theoretical discussion for me as I have never flatted a tire, and most of the wheelin' I do is generally within a few miles of where my truck and trailer are parked (where my spare always resides). I have a friend that will pack a spare tire only. No wheel and then he packs the inside of the tire full of gear, so the tire is much less impactful for space and saves a bunch of weight.

Medsker · Oct 13, 2024

Two years ago I was out alone driving the old transcontinental railroad between Lucin and Corinne and hit something that tore a huge chunk out of my tread. There was no way to repair it and I was miles away from being anywhere in cell service. It took some time for this old man to change out the 37" tire for the spare but if I didn't have the spare I would have been walking.

I spend a lot of time driving the back roads alone simply because I'm retired and drive a lot during the week when no one else can go. I also like the solitude. I always tell my wife where I'm going and when I'll be home and carry a satellite device for use in an emergency. It can send text messages with the lat and long if I did get into trouble. I also carry enough equipment to last the night if needed.

When I had my 2011 Power Wagon I carried a 33 inch spare even though I had 37's on it. I once drove 100 miles on the freeway to the nearest town with a Discount Tire with the 33 inch tire on the front left. It didn't even pull that bad. Not that I would recommend this but it did work.

I always carry a spare.

Kevin B. · Oct 13, 2024

RockChucker said:
The spare tire discussion is one I've had with friends many times over the years. For my particular needs, I've decided to carry a pretty comprehensive repair kit and forgo a spare. A 40" tire is a pain. They are heavy and cumbersome. The other thing to consider is that your spare is only good one time. If you get a 2nd flat (not likely, but also neither is the first), you are in the same "hot water" you'd be in if you didn't carry a spare tire to begin with. I have various plugs, patches, super glue (think gluetread) and tire spoons. I realize that this is largely a theoretical discussion for me as I have never flatted a tire, and most of the wheelin' I do is generally within a few miles of where my truck and trailer are parked (where my spare always resides). I have a friend that will pack a spare tire only. No wheel and then he packs the inside of the tire full of gear, so the tire is much less impactful for space and saves a bunch of weight.

That's the big kicker for me, my rig isn't trailered and I'm normally nowhere near pavement, let alone a 3/4 truck to tow my junk home. And the 5x150 lug pattern isn't common so even if I'm with somebody the odds of being able to borrow a spare in a pinch are slim.

Every flat I've gotten in the backcountry could have been repaired with plugs or patches, except once. And I do carry a pretty decent tire repair kit, although I want to add Gluetread or similar to it anyway. But I've never damaged a rim bad enough I couldn't drive out on it, and I'd honestly forgotten that was a thing

. It's a good point, and kills the idea for me. An undersized spare is a possibility, but I kinda sorta have plans for that space under the truck eventually so I might just have to suck it up and find a tire carrier I like better.

I Lean · Oct 14, 2024

For carrying the tire underneath, you could try the Scott Ellinger "Square Spare" method. I think he used a vacuum pump to square-ify the tire on the wheel so it will take up less space. Then inflate when you need it.

For myself, I decided that was way too much work.

notajeep · Oct 14, 2024

@Kevin B. I've had this same thought and to be perfectly honest.. in the 15 years I've owned this truck... I've had countless flats, but I have yet to ever remove/use the factory spare from under it. And I have debated with myself countless times to remove it to make room for a rear mounted winch. Unfortunately I'm not doing anywhere near the amount of recovery work I once was so it's kind of a moot point. Also, for reference, I have 37" tires on the truck and I'm reasonably sure the spare is a 265/70 r20.

All of the above reasons, mainly a catastrophic tire/wheel failure, remain completely valid. But... in the lower 48... how often are you going to find yourself with either no options for communication, or no passersby for more than a few days. Sure, that could happen... but odds seem low. And... what an awesome story you'd have that you'd chopped down a log with your trusty pocket knife and used it as a skid to limp yourself back to Les Schwab.

DAA · Oct 14, 2024

One aspect that strongly favors a spare, for me.

I have more than once, had a flat that was undoubtedly repairable and probably easily so. But I was alone. And it was dark. It was freezing effing cold. It was snowing. The wind was effing howling. And I wasn't about to eff around with any of that repair chit. Just slap on the spare and get going again!

- DAA

Gravy · Oct 14, 2024

Rock crawling: no spare. Same reasons as above: a 40" is huge. I have unrepairably ruined one before and it sucked. I think we stuck 20ish plugs in a sidewall. I still will go without.

Longer distance adventuring: spare.
In fact, since I lifted the Libertyrd I have been running a 2-3"+ too small spare and I now have felt strongly to get a full size spare... Like tomorrow.

Hickey · Oct 14, 2024

For me it’s based on the distance I am from the trailer. I lost a tire last year in Price. Plugged it with about 10 plugs and got back to the trailer. Last June I got one on the BDR run and I absolutely could not get a plug in that hole. Something was blocking me and I never did find out what. We were 50 miles from a tire shop, so the spare was awful nice to have on hand.

Cody · Oct 15, 2024

Gravy said:
Rock crawling: no spare. Same reasons as above: a 40" is huge. I have unrepairably ruined one before and it sucked. I think we stuck 20ish plugs in a sidewall. I still will go without.

Longer distance adventuring: spare.
In fact, since I lifted the Libertyrd I have been running a 2-3"+ too small spare and I now have felt strongly to get a full size spare... Like tomorrow.

This is my take. I always left the spare at the trailer.

I think a spare for remote exploration is pretty important.

Backcountry without a spare tire.

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