Punctures are entirely a matter of luck (unless like my sons you make a habit of hitting the kerbs in which case it's just bad driving!) and likewise the chances of an aerosol sealant 'fixing' a puncture are not good - especially if you've had to run on the flat tyre for any distance.

Even though it's down to luck, there are certain rules that punctures always obey:
1. It will be raining and dark when it happens
2. You will have a boot full of luggage and will have to unload it all onto the roadside to get at the spare wheel
3. Because of the rain, dark, etc you will leave one vital item of lugage behind when you load it all back into the boot and drive off.

As I understand it, the MoT man can fail you if your spare is bald or flat. How come he can't fail you if your spare is missing?! When I bought my FL2, it had a spare wheel, but no tyre. How legal would that have been?

very legal as you are not likely to fit it and drive.
unless desperate.

A spare tyre can be 100% bald and your car will pass an MOT! Spare tyres are not part of an MOT test. MY14 Kahn Converted Dynamic - Fuji White Ebony/Pimento Interior
MY15 Xenon Headlight Conversion

MY17 RRS SVR - Estoril Blue Cirrus/Ebony 🪣💺’s

Ayjayh wrote:

personally changed a wheel at the roadside , and how many times in how many years?

I've had two punctures since Christmas, blame it on the new house development nearby. Only had to change wheel on one though but saved me the price of a new tyre as both were repairable, not so if I had used the foam.

On a side note, from memory my last car is the only one I have not had a puncture with. BMW with run flats. When I queried about having a spare their response was that is now deemed dangerous to change a tyre by the roadside, especially on the motorway and there will be more manufacturers fitting run flats in the future. Hope not, the ride quality was terrible

Not in my FL2 but yes in my wife's Peugeot 307cc. It had a steel spare which is OK but limited to 50mph. My FL2 had a steel spare so I bought an alloy with decent tyre on fleabay for £55 - well worth it! John
07 HSE Narvick Black
Land Rover Series One
Triumph Rocket 111 (sadly gone!)

A new full size spare alloy with a branded tyre along with a wheel jack and brace for £185 was a very wise option for those who specced it from new. If you were to ever kerb/damage an alloy you have a brand new one in the boot. Similarly when you come to replace your tyres if you keep your car that long then you will only need to purchase three tyres! Also if you have a puncture and use the gunk there is no one up here in my area who will touch it! I have heard that certain garages do but it's very messy and time consuming to clear the gunk out! You don't even get a wheel brace and jack unless you spec the spare wheel! So basically JLR expect you to travel home with the gunk and then round about trying garages who will repair it! Pathetic really they should give you a jack at least so that you can take the tyre off yourself and then get a friend or family member to take the wheel to a garage and see who can fix it! For those who have a second car we can take the damaged tyre ourselves to a garage. MY14 Kahn Converted Dynamic - Fuji White Ebony/Pimento Interior
MY15 Xenon Headlight Conversion

MY17 RRS SVR - Estoril Blue Cirrus/Ebony 🪣💺’s

Old thread but, a spare is vital I find. Had a blowout on a motorway on xmas day a couple of years back in my BMW, only just bought the car so went to change it and boom, no spare! Luckily it was a run flat so crawled 50 miles home and waited a few days to get the tyre changed. Same car one Thursday night at around midnight on the A1 somewhere between the m25 and yorkshire. Had the gunk but did nothing as the split was too big. Recovery geezer had to call around depots and luckily managed to get hold of a tyre close enough size to fit. Few weeks ago in a different car had another puncture, caused by some knobheads who decided to smash some glass in the road in the town center. Thing is it was a slow puncture so by the time it was flat it was evening and I was in the middle of the new forest. Again, gunk didn't work and had no spare.

Now got the feeelander, first thing I checked was the spare. It's a steel wheel but it's full size with brand new tyre. As soon as I can I will be buying an alloy so I have a proper spare, for once 😂

I have the same experience - changed a flat roadsid twice in 40yrs of driving. However, I wouldn't dream of going out without a spare tyre, the 'peice of mind' is priceless..

It's like many other things in life where 'sods law' comes into play. You only need something that one time you don't carry it.

As an aside.... Spent a lifetime practicing combat/m.arts. Never needed to apply it in a 'defensive situation' despite having done a bit of door work/protection in my youth.  Only dead fish go with the flow

Maybe I have just been lucky! Can I ask how many of you have actually personally changed a wheel at the roadside , and how many times in how many years?

On one journey I had 7 flat tyres to get there ! Mind you I did drive from Yorkshire to Gilgit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilgit-Baltistan FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

Back in the 90's at the height of the IRA problems I had a puncture just up the road outside an army tank training school so I pulled in to their entrance. All hell broke loose as they obviously suspected a car bomb. I was questioned and the car was searched then I was allowed to replace my wheel but with a couple of guys with guns standing over me. No sudden movements etc ....  3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

The pleasure of getting old is we all have stories Dorset.

You just reminded me of yet another one of mine - I used to have a legal explosives licence, obtained by saying it was for Cave Rescues (we used them really for exploration). Back in dicks day we went to Ireland by ferry to go caving and of course the ammo tin in the car stunk of Nitro Glycerine, try explaining that to the nice man with the big gun.  FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

One thing I always do ( after getting caught out and not being able to change a puncture on an Alfa Sportswagon ) is to pop the alloys off any car we've had and slap copperslip on the mating faces. Steel hubs, alloy wheels, and winter road salt can easily leave you with a wheel that won't come off without a lump hammer and a block of wood ! Not what you need in a puncture situation .

When I was working I ran BMWs for 12 years with run flats, twice they saved my bacon on the M62 allowing me to get to Manchester airport without the scary option of a wheel change on the M62.

I agree that " peace of mind " is priceless, with both cars I'm often out of "mobile 'phone signal" and no way am I going off road to a fishing beat where I'm the only person there, without the ability to get back ! 2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto .

Last edited by MartynB on 16th Jan 2017 12:52 pm. Edited 1 time in total

Excellent point about the Copper-slip Martyn.

I am always keen to apply it to any new car, I remember BMW alloys especially stick on hard from day one and they may not come off for years on modern menu type servicing. FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

Ct8637 wrote:

Now got the feeelander, first thing I checked was the spare. It's a steel wheel but it's full size with brand new tyre. As soon as I can I will be buying an alloy so I have a proper spare, for once 😂