Spare Tire
 

OK Guys,

I've been going around the block for several months trying to arrive at a suitable solution for equipping our Caymans with spare tires. (I just don't like the idea of traveling without one.)

Been overloaded with TMI about space saver tires, their ages, whether 986 spare would fit, etc. Searched all the boards and still not confident with a rock solid option.

Even bought a collapsible spare on eBay that didn't work out, and got stiffed on the return shipping.

Any thoughts?

Just wonderin'..............

TO

1) Fully charged cell phone
2) Credit card
3) Vulcanized tire plug kit (and know how to use it)
4) Add towing insurance to your policy and/or add AAA if you are really risk adverse

Check on all points.

Still looking for a spare tire.

TO

The problem with all of those points (except for #3, and that would require an air pump), is that if you are in the middle of nowhere, you may not have cell coverage. I suppose that Illinois is different, but where I live, some of the best roads are pretty remote, and there is no cell coverage. Even if there was, it would take hours for a tow truck to arrive, and the bill for that would be hundreds of dollars.

I can change a flat tire and be on my way in fifteen minutes. Having to sit by the side of the road for hours, then ride in a tow truck for another couple of hours, and then hope that there is a tire repair place in the tiny town you are getting towed to just doesn't make sense when all that could have been avoided if you had a spare tire.

A 986 spare will bolt right up and do you proper.
Call or text Woody... itsnotanova.
He’s gotta have a spare or two lying around that he could fix you up with.

The OP has Caymans. Caymans have a built it air pump for about the past 12 years. FYI.

This is why.....
 

......Hokey Religions and cell phones are no replacement for a good spare tire at your side.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1538488021.jpg


Just buy a 986 spare tire and slap it in your frunk and start road tripping in peace.

:cheers:

That doesn't help if you get damage to a sidewall.

You can still find a 986 spare and they will fit over the engine compartment or rear trunk,leaning forward into the cabin. Last I checked they will not fit in the Cayman Frunk. No really great options to carry one unless you want to rack it on top Baja 1000 style.

FWIW I have been running around the barren desert all over Mojave, Southern Nevada, and Arizona in my Porsche for 13 years with no spare and never needed one. I do run good tires, inflated properly, and carry a 12v compressor, tire plugs, and slime. I have picked up 3 nails/screws in those years but always just kept the air at 30psi and drove it to a tire shop a few days later. The tires rarely needed the air topped off and were practically self sealing on their own.

Pick your poison. When in doubt, take the SUV instead.

My main concern is sidewall damage. I know three fellow PCA members who have suffered flats in the last few years. One was a simple puncture on the tread, easily fixed with a on-the-spot tire plug. The other two were sidewall cuts, and were hugely inconvenient.

One was at Boxstoberfest on the Twisted Sisters. 987 Boxster, no spare, no cellphone reception. It took 9 hours for that poor guy to get off that mountain and back into town. Then he had to layover for three days at a hotel, at $175.00 a night, until he could source a new tire. Classic "My kingdom for a horse" scenario.

I'm probably overthinking the whole situation, or maybe I'm just having a hard time coping with owning a car without a spare tire for the first time in my life.

Just sayin'..............

TO

I had a pic of a 986 spare on my 987 orange LE but I must have deleted it. I had a 2008 base Boxster Wheeler Dealer car that had the 986 spare in the frunk. I sold the spare separately, so I think I deleted the pic. But it does fit.

Wow! I have a Boxstoberfest flat tire story, too!
 

I was at Boxstoberfest in 2016.

I got a flat on the group run on Saturday at 3:30pm on Texas 83, about a mile south of Texas 41.

Zero cell service.

I was last car of the train and had an FRS radio and called out I had a flat. A nice guy in an air cooled 911 turned around and came to me. He had a Harbor Freight aluminum jack in his car and I put the spare tire on. I blew out my sidewall. Plug kit was no joy.

I drove up to the gas station a mile up on 41 and used their land line to call the Discount Tire store in Kerrvile.

I got there on my spare tire FIVE minutes before they closed on Saturday.

On the phone call I knew they had a rear tire that fit and told them to hold it for me.

I got the tire mounted and returned to the Hanger Hotel for the night.

I woke up Sunday morning and drove home to Louisiana.

If I had not had that spare tire, I would not have made it home in time for work on Monday. I would have been so far passed screwed, I wouldn’t have been able to catch a bus back to being screwed.

That spare tire saved me at least two days of my life and my job.

Just find a way to fit one in your car.

BTW, that’s one reason why I bought a 986 back in 2015.

That and the oil dipstick.

Suncoast Porsche Parts & Accessories sells one. This is what they say about it:

"Factory spare Tire kit for the rear of a Cayman, fits perfectly under the rear hatch. Nylon straps connect to the rear tie-down fasteners, and hardware is contained inside the storage bag. This all-inclusive kit comes with a spare tire, storage bag, scissor jack, and rim wrench. A handy accessory, ideal for road trips.
Install and drive with caution, intended for short distances at low speeds. Fits all 2006-2012 Cayman models. Not compatible with the Ceramic Brake System.

How does this work?
- For a flat front tire - This is a direct replacement for the stock front wheel.
- For a flat rear tire - This scenario requires an additional step. In this case, the spare tire must be installed on your front of the car, and your front wheel/tire must be transferred to the rear (to replace the defective rear wheel). In other words, this spare tire won't fit on the rear, so you can use your front tire as a temporary replacement.

This can vary on certain models, but accurate for most."

Their spare tire kit is not cheap: $1,095.00

No reviews.

jD

Spare Tire
 

A 986 spare should fit a Cayman. I just can’t understand why the first guy ever bought a car with no spare. If he had refused the manufacturers would have found a way to continue including them. Air cooled 911s had very Limited space in the frunk but Porsche had a decent option. I still have extra Porsche spares from a couple of different era cars. When rx8s first came out without a spare I wanted one. Not sure why I wanted one, but I told the dealer I would buy it if he fitted a spare in the trunk at no extra charge. He refused, asking me several hundred bucks and I walked. He called me the next day offering to do it, but in the meantime I bought a used 996.


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How any punctures have you had in your motoring life. I have had two in the last 30-40 years.
Have a 12V air pump.
Puncture repair kit
Bottle of tyre foam

Exactly what I'm running. Unless you're offroading in your Boxster, or drive down a road paved with pins, needles, nails, spike strips, etc... pffffffffffffffft.

Same here, plus AAA :D My issue with the whole spare tire thing is what are you going to do with a rear tire that is flat? It either has to be strapped to the trunk or in the passenger seat, and if you have a passenger? AAA is my best bet with the patch kit and pump a back up.

A flat tire will fit in the back shelf of my Cayman while using a small bungee cord to keep the rear trunk lid partially closed.

Ask me how I know this.

But seriously, I have experienced several punctures over the years just driving on roads in the DFW Metroplex. Never anything serious; I always drove home. I also subscribe to AAA with a 200 mile tow range.

But I would like to take some road trips into the wild frontier, i.e. through areas that don't have shops that normally stock 265/40-18 tires.

The stock 986 spare seems to be the solution. And the 987 owners have also become aware of this. Finding a decent one at a reasonable price is becoming more difficult.

Just sayin'...........

TO

The last 2 flats I had were (with a non-Porsche):
1) Bent rim from debris in the road
2) Cracked rim from a pothole filled with water

If I hadn't had a spare, I would have been screwed both times.

Are they F***ing high?! $1100 to add a spare tire? You could do it much cheaper with Harbor Freight straps and a 986 wheel. GEEZ!

It's not only the spare wheel that the post 986/996 guys want. They want the jack and tool kit too. I use to have tons of tires, tool kits and jacks in stock before I started selling them on eBay for $250 a set. I sold 10 complete sets in a month. Now the only kits I have are the ones I haven't listed yet.

..........

..........

hmmmm....just when I planned to remove the spare wheel and go modern. My front jacking locations are covered by tie downs so the jack wont fit in them.....could lift from the rear I suppose.

I have never used tire sealant blown in by a compressor; my understanding was that this was the current standard and worked in most cases.

I have a bunch of cars, and I'm pissed that most do not come with a spare. I've had my share of tire issues and in each case it was a non-repairable location(side wall) or not the tire but the wheel developed a hairline crack. I carry either a Harbor Freight lightweight aluminum floor jack or a compact low profile scissors jack in all my cars. Additionally, I've had 1/2 drive sockets welded to the end of the scissors jacks so I use my breaker bar or impact wrench to raise and lower those. I also carry plug kits, cans of fix a flat and small compressors in all my cars. I have 2 Vette's a street and a track Z06. The donut spare from my Caddy CTS fits the Vette's although I need 2 5/32" spacers for the spare to clear the front brake calipers. I have a Boxster and a Cayman S. The Boxster donut fits perfectly on front/rear of the Cayman. I found a new Boxster donut for $80 at a junkyard near me. That spare is secured by ratchet tie down straps in the rear of the Cayman-I was unable to figure out how to securely store the donut in the frunk. The scissors jack is wrapped in towels and stuffed with the breaker bar into that small compartment in the frunk below the battery. It seems secure in there and the towel keeps it from moving around. I don't think there's anything in there I can screw up-at least I hope there's nothing in there I can screw up-does anyone know if there is something in there I can screw up?

The 986 spare tire is a very good idea. I have a 986 2002 S which has a spare tire kit including jack, and I have another one left over 914 days which I ran Cup II rims with different front and rear tires sizes. Worked very well on the 914. Now, I carry two spares in the 986 with kit to provide service to others who need a spare tire.

I run a 2007 Corvette with radials and without a spare. This car is used for different reasons to travel. I do not like Corvette run-flats; they do affect the handling. Very happy with the radials without a spare but I do travel the roads where I have cell phone, AAA, traffic, and knowing where I can get emergency service. The Corvette us our "RV" where drive to a set destination and stay in historic hotel properties.

I have to ask how safe are these spare tires to use after 20 years? Can a replacement tire be even had these days? I wonder if it would actually fit on top of my spacers....it should. I think the best thing about the spare is it houses the tool kit.

Are we better off with shooting goo in there with compressor (what goo / compressor brand is is considered the best?) for tread punctures and or repair plugs for the side wall? I think I can fit a rear wheel in the passenger side but that seat could be taken

I have been lucky so far. I have been able to feel slow leak punctures (nails) almost
Immediately as a little more roll than normal and dive in to repair facility when needed. Perhaps this sensitivity was an off-shoot of track driving back in the day.

Been carrying around the spare for years and I am not convinced it’s entirely practical now. The car was even corner balanced with it in place!

Yes, donut replacements are still available if you wish to change your 20-year old rubber. Discount Tire sells them for about $100.

Just sayin'.......

TO

Thanks man I will see if this true for Canada. Not sure we have discount tire..