Spare tire

I have one of those...

...sitting in the cabinet in my garage.

I would never consider putting that thing on my car.

But also, a road trip through the Rockies is not in my plans either.

quote:

I am wondering if anybody has ever used the spare tire during a flat and does it actually work.
Or is it just extra weight.

Ditto on never using that.

For a tenth of the weight, you can carry a tire plug kit and some spare air cans. You could also carry a small $25 floor jack and some 2x4's to drive up on if ground clearance is too tight for the jack.

But please, do not even consider using that spare.

IF it would fit over upgraded brakes, IF it wouldn't ruin the limited slip clutches, it still would be unsafe.

Larry

quote:

I am wondering if anybody has ever used the spare tire during a flat and does it actually work.
Or is it just extra weight.

Extra weight. And unsafe at best given it's age.
Carry a tire plug kit and a can (or two) if instant fix-a-flat. Be sure to get the non-flammable kind, otherwise the heat in either trunk could turn it into a bomb.

I do as Garth suggest, but find the cans fit great in the front trunk (in my case behind the battery which isn't dropped like yours) and also behind the seats on the floor. I suppose if the spare was equipped with a new tube it might be of some value, but even then, from what I understand, a ZF can be ruined in short order when driving with mismatched rear wheel diameters. If that is true, then the spare would only be good for a front wheel puncture.

If your trip in the Rockies is with the rest of us in August, it will comfort you to know that our trailer will be carrying almost an entire Pantera in spare parts, including a full set of wheels/tires.

Mark

Keep the fix-a-flat away from the front bulkhead, as the radiator fans throw enough heat against it to explode the can and make for a very sticky mess.

Don't ask how I know......

If you absolutely want to carry a spare then source a more modern Mustang spacesaver spare (the ultra thin ones). Tire height should be close enough to get you to the next town at reduced speed.

Julian

quote:

explode the can and make for a very sticky mess.

Ohhh, photos.

Do you have any photos?

quote:

Originally posted by Joules5:
Keep the fix-a-flat away from the front bulkhead, as the radiator fans throw enough heat against it to explode the can and make for a very sticky mess.

Julian

I am also afraid to carry my can of "fix-a-flat" type stuff in either trunk. I am afraid the thing is going to explode in the heat.

The downside to keeping it inside the cockpit is that the can is big, bulky and looks just plain ugly laying inside the cabin.

My space saver spare has been used twice that I know of, once by Bob Richards when his three piece wheel broke on the way to mount Charleston and once when I ran over a utility knife blade and cut one of my rear tires. It worked fine.

quote:

Originally posted by GT5KR:
Planning a road trip to the Rockies.
I am wondering if anybody has ever used the spare tire during a flat and does it actually work.
Or is it just extra weight. Thanks

Sure they work.... many domestic and import cars carry them in various sizes including 14", 15" and 16" sizes. I used mine to get 50 miles home one Sunday evening when nothing was open. It was a rear wheel that failed, not a tire, and using it did wear out the LSD clutches in the ZF, but that may have been a smaller cost than leaving the car to the mercies of roving pickup trucks full of drunken rednecks and walking 5 miles to a phone. The spares are good for 'about' 50 miles at no more than 50 mph.
I suggest you bolt that thing in your front trunk down, though. Thats where the prototype Pantera had its spare, and in the first crash test, it popped the hood and came through the windshield. BIG FAIL! A simple threaded rod through the trunk floor with a big washer underneath will do it; that's how mine mounts. And make sure your inflator can actually has stuff in it, and whether it needs an adapter to fit the valve stem. Some inflaters do; some don't. Finally, if you have bolt-centered custom wheels, you'll need to carry 5 lug nuts that fit the spare.

Jack,
Strange that Ford did not just properly secure the spare as you did to resolve the issue. I guess it was a recall because Ford gave me a new rear tub for my first Pantera #4060 .

I currently carry an electric pump (slow but works) vs. the pressurized can. This and a plug kit should work unless the hole is a large cut etc.

Jeff

FIWIW, I once made up a high-pressure spare for a Pantera owner with aftermarket brakes. The wheel is a forged aluminum alloy from a mid-'80s Thunderbird and easily clears all aftermarket brakes. Only problem was, Thunderbirds (really, turbo-4-cylinder Tweety-birds) of that era had 4-bolt hubs. To fit the thing to a Pantera, I welded one hole closed, then drilled the normal Ford 5-bolt pattern in it. Fit just fine..... except the guy who asked for it decided he really didn't want it 'cause it won't fit most front trunks unless you've dropped the battery, and doesn't fit the factory rear trunk cutout either. Still in my garage....