Fitting Spare Tyres

Firstly I'd get off the road as you might get run over. Sorry couldn't resist.

Seriouslythough it's not that hard. I use the R & R Bead breakers as they are good to use with alloy rims. A lot more gentle and less hard work than the plyer type in my mind.

Practice at home before you leave. The R & R's come with an instructional DVD. I set up my lap top in the garage at home and watched and practiced.

Gday,
Bead breaker, tyre levers, rubber mallet.........but if you dont know what tools are needed youve obviously never changed a tyre before?
I reckon should should try to change a tyre before you buy the gear and decide weather its feasible or not.

Cheers

And a spare motor, gearbox, transfer case, front and rear diffs.....you get the idea.

Unless you're going to be charging along rough roads at great speed and ploughing through flooded rivers then 2 good spares will be quite enough.

So many people spend all their money on outfitting their vehicles with gear they probably will never use to the detriment of the trip and the vehicle. You can safely drive most of Australia in a standard 4wd.

Peter,

Depends where you're going, but unless you really expect to be damaging tyres frequently, and beyond what can be fixed with a plug, I'd suggest carrying two spare wheels is as much as you will need. Assuming tubeless tyres (not split rims) an essential is a decent repair kit for plugging leaks. We've travelled a lot of remote tracks - the deserts, CSR,..... but never carried more than the two spare wheels. The big advantage of carrying a spare tyre is that it's lighter than carrying a spare wheel. If you do carry a tyre, be sure to wrap it (shrinkwrap) to keep sand and dirt out; much easier to keep it out than it is to get it out by the side of the track.

"How feasible is it to swap over a tyre on the road and what equipment would one need?" Not impossible but you'll need to carry the gear already suggested and become familiar with using it. A plastic tarp to work on is also a high priority so you don't get everything covered in sand and dirt.

The above assumes tubeless tyres. If you are running split rims, a whole new scenario, different tools, and absolutely essential that you learn of the associated dangers.

Cheers

John

Pelican
Carrying 1 or 2 spare tyres is lighter than 1 or two whole wheels.
You can use the space in the big hole to store items for he trip, saves weight.

However, if you have difficulty in changing a tyre on a rim or removing one or puncture ( often called puncher) repairs then you may have to carry whole wheels.
Remember, you only have to change a tyre IF and only IF you have tyre trouble.
It is character building so think of that while you complete the job.

It appears some learning of tyre changing skills is required before you can confidently venture away.

Ross M

If using good tyres in good condition carrying one spare should do, get yourself a TPMS and a good quality tyre plug kit and plug as you go.

My way of looking at it is the more you have to do the more chance of damage or injury and yes I have seen someone get hit with a tyre lever requiring stitches... could've been worse.

The other big thing is drive to the conditions and pay attention to your surroundings, this alone will help you save tyres.

People get carried away with what they think they have to carry...... spare CV's, Shockers, Springs, brake pads, water pump, oil for engine/diff/gearbox/power steering, 2000pcs tool kit.......I am positive some carry more than the local Repco store.

Very feasible and an essential skill for remote travellers. I fit several each year in the bush with mallet and levers. It is not something you want to try without training and practice, there are a few "tricks" to making it easy. I run courses for remote travellers all the time covering this very task and the skills required. My brother in law ran a tyre business for years and insisted all his tyre fitters could do it - in case of power outage- they could still fit tyres.

Peter,


You seem to be asking if carrying spare tyres *in addition* to spare wheels with fitted tyres is appropriate. I would consider either but not both. If travelling remotely and in arduous conditions then two spares is appropriate.


Carrying spare wheels with fitted tyres is more convenient but if weight is a factor then carrying spare tyres only may be better. Refitting a wheel with a new tyre is not the easiest task and you would need instruction plus practise to do it properly and safely.


As John has said, if carrying a tyre carcase outside the cabin it is wise to cover it to preclude foreign material from lodging inside the carcase. Other than wrapping the tyre, another neat trick is to fit a tube inside the carcase and inflate it sufficiently to fill & seal the cavity. This has an advantage that the tube can also be used to repair a punctured tyre which cannot be sealed airtight. Just be sure that the tube has a valve stem which suits your wheels.

I carry two whole spare wheels which I thought was overkill until I had two flats at the one time. It was hot and in the middle of the day so I was glad to be on my way(out of the sun) in about 20 mins.Glenn

If you are already carrying 2 mounted spares, the only extra item needed is a plug kit and learn how to use it. If you know how to use a plug kit, then you probably won't use either of the spares and you won't even need to use the jack because you can plug a tyre without removing it.

Speaking of the jack, it makes a damn good beadbreaker - My high lift jack and my factory axle jack are the only beadbreakers I've used over the past 12 years. I do carry tyre levers (Mumme brand) for the odd occasion where we're not successful with a plug repair and need to pop on a patch from the inside.

I carry the typical spare wheel that is new condition, I carried a spare tyre once on the roof, across the Simpson then Cape York and so on and so on, and didn't use either fortunately.

I now only carry the 1 spare, TyrePliers, & various Tip Top Rema patches & plugs, I have used the big gator patch on a Kumho (I will not digress on how bad the tyres were) and used it up until the time I sold the car.

I have information that the constabulary are going to start targetting 4wds that are over weight by pulling them into weigh stations so think about your weight if carrying 2 spares wheels and a spare tyre.

This is only my opinion based on quite a few thousand km of off roading but others have much more experience than I.

Cheers

My sincere thanks to all who replied to my question. Once again this forum has proved its value to a beginner like me.
As expected there is a variety of views, but something to be learnt from all of them. Being perhaps at the upper end of the age bracket of those indulging in this pastime I have decided on the basis of your advice to go down the path of having the two spares and the plug kit. I lean towards the view of those who think one can go overboard with all the gear that can be carried. We are perhaps not going to be as adventurous as some and hopefully will not get into too many really difficult situations. Seeking member's advice on this and a variety of other topics like tyre pressures, communications, safe speeds for different surfaces etc should help us avoid too many problem situations.

Cheers, Peter