What Do You Think??????

[Don Hiltz]

My son and I will shortly be taking a 2-3 day trip in my Viper. The spare tire has never been touched; it could be dry rotted and flat for all I know.

As I looked in the trunk, it occurred to me that we could have increased room for our luggage if I were to remove the spare.

My wife thinks it's a dumb idea, but how many owners have ever had occasion to use the spare?

What do you think?????

Don

 

[kowalski vanishing point]

Just get a roof rack.
Works on my H1.

 

[dwhitt]

Bought my '95 used in Florida with 4k miles - drove it home to Va - put another 13k miles on the car with no spare - for some reason car did not have a spare when I bought it

 

[GR8_ASP]

I've taken the spare out of the RT/10 for all lengthy trips. Placed 2 cans of spare tire in a can and a plug kit for an emergency. You gain valuable space. Note that you do reduce the accident protection. But, and I think this is significant, if you do it and fill up the trunk with other stuff I would think the crash protection would be okay.

 

[Qualitywires.com]

Don,

I don't think it's going to really matter anyways. Think about this, what if you did get a flat on your trip and you did use the spare tire. Where you going to put your flat tire with your luggage? No space. Take a can of fix a flat instead or a plug kit.

 

[GaryA]

I took my spare tire out about 14,000 miles ago. I'd never use the "spare" that comes with the car. That's why I bought the extended coverage with roadside assistance.

 

[Daffy Duck Viper]

Obviously you're asking for trouble if you remove the spare. And since you went through the trouble of posting this question, you can bet you're going to have a flat now, and need the spare tire. LOL

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[Wing King]

Thought I should weigh in here with an emphasized WARNING. In the early days of Vipering, we were warned on numerous occassions that the spare is MANDATORY crash protection. I've seen pictures showing the aftermath of an RT-10 Viper being hit hard in the rear, or backing into a wall at the track. The front edge of the trunk went through the sport cap window, and ended up right where the drivers NECK should be! Unfortunately, I don't think a trunk full of squishy luggage is going to provide you with the same protection that a heavy steel rim will.

There are too many idiot drivers day-dreaming or otherwise occupied on their cell phones on today's highways. I would hate to lose any of you fellow Viperholics. Keep the spare and pack lighter!

 

[RX VIPER]

Drove to VOI last year with no spare. I wanted the 'tunes' on with the sub more than the space. Good point WingKing about the saftey in the RT.

 

[Bob K]

I actually had to use my spare once.
I was on my way to an auto auction in my GTS a couple of years ago when I heard what sounded like an explosion under my car. It still drove OK but I knew something had happened. I pulled off on a side street and could hear air leaking out of my left rear tire. When I looked under the car I saw a 3 inch bolt sticking out of the inside edge of the tire right at the sidewall.
As luck would have it, Dan Vargus was driving by on his way to the same auction. We took off the wheel and put it in the back of his pickup. I limped to the auction with what looked like a bicycle wheel on the back of my Viper. How embarrassing!!
Bob K

 

[ndvipergtsr]

I would call your insurance company and just add roadside assitance along with the plug kit and fix in a bottle. Mine costs me 1.50 a month so i put it on everthing i own and have used it twice. Just a thought. Jerry

 

[Ulysses]

Blow outs due to sidewall separation, fix-a-flat or plug kits aren't going to help you.
Accidents do happen and I wouldn't want to take a chance of having one without the spare. Especially with someone I care about right next to me.

 

[McGuireV10]

Heck, we drove to VOI with the spare in the trunk, and drove back with all the freebie VOI junk in there. If we can do it, you can do it. There is enough room, you just have to stash creatively. I'd be willing to bet my wife took a hell of a lot more clothing, shoes, and other junk than you and your son combined.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

AB makes a good point.

As far as the safety issue goes, every day is a risk and removing the spare for an occasional trip seems like a minimal one.

 

[Tiepilot]

Thought I should weigh in here with an emphasized WARNING. In the early days of Vipering, we were warned on numerous occassions that the spare is MANDATORY crash protection. I've seen pictures showing the aftermath of an RT-10 Viper being hit hard in the rear, or backing into a wall at the track. The front edge of the trunk went through the sport cap window, and ended up right where the drivers NECK should be! Unfortunately, I don't think a trunk full of squishy luggage is going to provide you with the same protection that a heavy steel rim will.

There are too many idiot drivers day-dreaming or otherwise occupied on their cell phones on today's highways. I would hate to lose any of you fellow Viperholics. Keep the spare and pack lighter!

Wing King hit the most valid point you guys are missing. The spare tire is intended more importantly as CRASH protection from the rear!

The Viper Wizard gave strong warnings about removing that spare tire because Dodge put it there for your protection, a flat tire is nothing compared to a broken back or worse.

 

[Matt M PA]

I too remember the thread a long time ago that did talk about the spare being an integral part of the Viper's crash protection. In fact, at a Tech Session a couple years ago the Viper Technician told us the same thing.

I'd surely would not take the chance. I am not concerned about my abilites..more the abilities of the driver behind me.

 

[Janni]

Creative packing will really help. Pack small squishy items in ziploc bag (I am thinking underwear and socks here) and you can stuff them in very small nooks and crannies - space that normally is unusable for larger items.

A club member, who shall remain nameless, drove to VOI6 with his lovely wife, packed all their clothes, his helmet, and all the stuff received as goodies in the trunk of his RT - and STILL BROUGHT HIS NITROUS BOTTLE. He didn't have the heart to tell his wife he wasn't ever able to use nitrous for a dragstrip pass....

Keep the spare. If you look underneath the car, there is a very stout cable that runs from the frame, around the front of the spare tire and bolts back to the frame (at least it does on my GTS) and adds tons of strength. A trunkload of Underoos isn't going to do the same thing.

Be safe.

 

[Snake Bitten]

What are the odds of you getting rear ending by a tractor trailer, or spinning out and going asssinto the wall outside of turn one at 140 mph, while on a three day cruise...Slim to none on both counts...Stay away from tractor trailers entirely, they throw rocks/sand and will blast your front facia/windshield...and don't exceed 140 mph...You'll be fine...

Punt the spare, you're gonna need the room for that pony keg...

Life's too short to sweat the little stuff...seatbelts, airbags, speed limits...If only I could just live in a bubble and be spoon fed, I could probably extend my life expectancy by a few years...

 

[99 R/T 10]

Hey Don,
If you do take the spare out, make sure you have AAA or another type of tow service. Good piece of mind if you have a flat. You know they will send a flat bed to take the car to a safe place to get repaired.

Mike

 

[MannyC]

I have had a hard time believing this whole spare tire/safety issue. Is it actually posted anywhere by Dodge? Sounds like a decent theory on paper that somebody posted, that others read and passed on, and now it is almost viper folk lore.

I look at how far down that tire is -- is a spare tire that far down really going to keep the trunk lid from going anywhere if the impace is big enough to do that in the first place? And if it is a big enough hit, that tire is going to be pushed into everything else which is then going to be pushed. Maybe it's true, but I find it hard to swallow.

Will the tire cushion the NOS bottles as they get crunched by a big metal truck bumper from the rear

 

[Snake Bitten]

Will the tire cushion the NOS bottles as they get crunched by a big metal truck bumper from the rear

My "cushion"...The NX blankets are very soft!

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

If only I could just live in a bubble and be spoon fed, I could probably extend my life expectancy by a few years...

Aint that the truth. Start a national safety campaign claiming padded bras reduce traffic fatalities, then buy stock in Playtex and retire while you're still young.

 

[V10 MOJO]

spare is a waste, use it for whatever else you need and get roadside and/or AAA.

as for this alleged safety issue; gotta call BS on that one, a tire is not a safety device and if it was touted as one (which is not a bright idea) it would be a swingin-dick attorneys dream for a lawsuit

 

[V10 MOJO]

G; about this pony keg; when you tappin it? im thirsty, LOL

 

[ViperJoe]

Dodge put it there for your protection, a flat tire is nothing compared to a broken back or worse.

This was a recent topic of debate. The protection afforded by the sparetire is just coincidence. There is no mention of this in the manual or on the tire itself. What about when you take it out to USE it, the crash protection is then defeated. I am not saying it does not afford some kind of extra protection, just that it is NOT the primary purpose of the spare.

 

[Sean 96 McViper]

If you go without a spare, I would suggest getting a tire pressure monitoring system, like the SmarTire System. This way you could see potential problems ahead of time. I just bought one for my RT. I will be installing it this weekend. In fact I just started selling them on my web site. (Just stocked quite a few) http://www.vulcantire.com/smartire_sys.htm <-- Shameless plug. (couldn't resist, sorry) The whole system costs less the price of one rear tire, cheep insurance... pays for itself if you save one tire.

-Sean