Some new cars these days don't bother to include a spare at all and instead provide a puncture kit that inflates the tyre long enough to get to a repair shop.

I must confess I've always found spare tyres a bit of a nuisance, especially with Minis where space is short. My boot spare in my Cooper S is wide meaning the boot board won't fit properly, and the space under the floor in the Van where the spare goes could be used for storing other things.

And it's a small but useful weight saving not having to lug a spare tyre and heavy jack about.

On the other hand, I've never used one of the aerosol type repair kits so have not experience of how well they work.

Has anyone ditched the spare and relied solely on a repair kit, and does it work?

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Slide
1965 Mini Van (1360)
1970 Mk2 Cooper S (1310)
1978 Rover SD1 V8 (4.6)
1996 Land Rover Discovery V8 (4.0)

If you're a city slicker with a credit card, no spare is not an issue, but get on a country road with a tyre that is damaged beyond a repair and you are screwed.
I would opt for a spare any day.

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"Investing my Super in a Cooper" &
"Re-living my Surfing Past in a Woody"

You can always get a narrow wheel and tyre for the spare to save some space and weight. Just make sure it fits over the brakes and you have the right nuts!

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doesn't the puncture repair kit render the tyre unrepairable? as in, use the kit, buy a new tyre

edit: googling agrees with me, and you need to buy a new bottle of goop for the repair kit

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

Most tyre shops charge extra to repair a puncture if tyre-in-a-can has been used because it can be either a very messy job to fix puncture or time consuming cleaning it out to minimize possible balance irregularities. Also if people ignore the instructions (speed & distance limitations) that can cause dramas of their own. Also tyre-in-a-can usually only seal tiny punctures, if they actually seal that is.

Brad

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During the day I work on English designed cars & on my own time I work on English designed cars....

I never carry a spare in my mini, but then I've never had a puncture in any of them either.
I carry a can of foam, as does the Mrs in her Polo Gti.
The stuff works. Doesn't destroy tyres - running on flat tyres does.

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Too many cars, and too little time.

I drove Melbourne to Bali without a flat, some of the roads weren't roads as we know it. Had a spare though, would have been farked otherwise over here....

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67 Deluxe
Dry suspension
1293cc, 11:1 comp, RE 282 camshaft, 45 Weber, extractors etc
4 synchro close ratio gbox
Cooper S brakes, no booster
Stealth box, as Doc says "goes harder and idles!"
RH tank cos I needed it crossing the Nullarbor etc..

Daughter was driving along Parramatta road in her Mirage and ran over some shiny stuff that was scattered all over her lane.
Turned out to be box cutter blades and one slashed the inside wall of the rear tyre.
No spray can was ever going to fill that. Out came the spare and away she went.
Finally appreciated that wheel changing exercise I forced her to practice

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Find a job you love and you will never have to go to work !

Walk into any tyre service around country Victoria and ask for a 10 inch tyre. You'll get the look as if you had asked them to drop dead. A night or 2 in a Motel while waiting for a new tyre will cure you of not carrying a spare.

Haha! So true, imagine trying to get one in Indo!

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67 Deluxe
Dry suspension
1293cc, 11:1 comp, RE 282 camshaft, 45 Weber, extractors etc
4 synchro close ratio gbox
Cooper S brakes, no booster
Stealth box, as Doc says "goes harder and idles!"
RH tank cos I needed it crossing the Nullarbor etc..

Just use the old standard rim with 145-10 tyre, doesn't take up much space. Spares are like insurance, a pain in the ass but you're sure glad you have it when you need it. You can probably get away without one if you don't venture far from home.

And it only needs to fit over the rear brakes, because you'll put the spare on the back and move one of your big wheels to the front.

There is nothing good about that tyre in a can s%+t. Horrible messing sticky goop. Run the smaller spare tyre and even a plug kit isnt a bad idea if tubeless. Plug it if the hole is towards the centre of the tread, if not put spare on.

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1963 Morris 850 Smoke Grey
1963 Morris 850 Shadow Blue
1965 Morris Mini Smooth Van
1966 Morris Mini Van
1969 Morris Mini Deluxe Resto
5/72 Clubman Gt

No 10 inch tyres in Sale, Victoria, but the tyre services know they can call me anytime for anything second hand to get some poor bugger home.