Mine was the original Michelin MXV 15: on the Bundt, been down about 2 times maybe 5-10 miles on it, but it is the original one from August 1990
So, just to be on the safe side, I had a new Falken on put on it, 17 years and 128,000 miles later.
The original tire looked fine, but I wondered, isn't 17 years an awful long time to have an original spare tire in the trunk of the car?
What if I got a flat, and used it, and the thing got tread separation and blew?
For $118 that worry is gone but I am wondering what others;
What are your thoughts are on this?
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I replace mine each time I replace the tyres. I take the best of the 'old' tyres and have it used as the spare.
The problem I now have is directional tyres. My spare however is from the last set of non-directional tyres, not sure what I am going to do in the future...
__________________ Ross
It's like watching drunk monkeys trying to hump a football...
I replace mine each time I replace the tyres. I take the best of the 'old' tyres and have it used as the spare.
The problem I now have is directional tyres. My spare however is from the last set of non-directional tyres, not sure what I am going to do in the future...
That sounds good.
This way, you don't have to spend $$$$ on a new tire and at the same time, you need not be worried about the tread separation.
Cheers.
__________________ Soma
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Honestly, my opinion is, if it's in the trunk, or below a panel which screens out 100% of UV rays, it's likely 'good enough' for spare use, nearly indefinitely.
I still have the OEM spare in the trunk, from 1989, which pales compared to the one used, above.
In fact, I just threw new shoes on The Tank, and had no qualms about leaving the spare untouched. It holds air, and if I need to use it, I'll remember not to travel for 800 miles on it, in SW desert summer daytime temps, at 110 MPH...at least not without looking at it a few times....
I'm not the original owner, so I don't know how many times it's been used, or for how long, but it's on a non-chromed OEM wheel, and all of the in-use wheels are the chromed OEM 15 hole (or whatever hole they are) variety, so I figure it's been on the ground for less than 1K miles in its life.
Ross, don't worry about slapping on a non-directional spare with three directional tires for a few days. You might notice a difference...if you're in hard rain while trying to corner above 98% of max G, but otherwise, you'll probably not feel a difference. You might hear one, though. One oddball tire can sound strange.
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If you have a collectable museum quality classic, then DO NOT replace that tire or ever use it! If you have a daily driver, then it is a good idea to replace it every now and then. Most other makes of car do not last 20+ as a daily driver, so this is non-issue for most people.
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Ross, don't worry about slapping on a non-directional spare with three directional tires for a few days. You might notice a difference...if you're in hard rain while trying to corner above 98% of max G, but otherwise, you'll probably not feel a difference. You might hear one, though. One oddball tire can sound strange.
My concern is not with the non-directional tyre, it is what will I do when I do the next change over, 1 directional tyre will work for one side of the car but will it be that good spinning in the wrong direction? Will I now need 2 spares (I just so happen to have 2 spare rims)??
My concern is not with the non-directional tyre, it is what will I do when I do the next change over, 1 directional tyre will work for one side of the car but will it be that good spinning in the wrong direction? Will I now need 2 spares (I just so happen to have 2 spare rims)??
For a spare, I wouldn't worry about directional tires.
My shop put my directional tires on the wrong way when i changed the wheels over this spring.
They made a heck of a lot more noise and the directional stability was abysmal, but for just getting you back home and over to your shop to replace the blown tire it will work just fine.
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Axel
1990 SEC, Arctic White w/gray interior, M119.960 326 Hp. engine from 1992 500 SL, 722.370 transmission from 500E (reinforced clutches), 2:82 Differential, Euro Headlamps, 1st Gear Start module, One-Touch Window module and Keyless Entry module all from BergWerks, Bilstein HD Shocks on front axle, H&R lowering springs front and rear, AMG 3-piece 17" rims, 8.5" in the front and 10" at the rear.
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