I am glad to see that some of you have thought about your spare tire. You are already ahead of many other RV owners. [If you missed Part 1 of this two-parter, here’s a link.]
The comments on confirming that the tools you already have needing to fit your lug nuts are spot-on. I bet that there are many folks that think they have the correct tools and that the tools they have will fit. BUT, if you have not actually tested your tools, you do not really know.
Here is my story on lug nut tightness and testing my tools
Many, many years ago, I had a small sedan. After buying a new set of tires, I thought I should confirm the tire store did the proper job of setting the torque (tightness) of the lug nuts. Well, the nuts were plenty tight. In fact I broke the cheap nut wrench the car company provided. I then dug out a quality “Craftsman” 12-point socket and managed to break that socket.
While I had an extensive collection of tools I used on my race car, I dug out a top-of-the-line 6-point SK socket. After making an extension, I was able to break that socket when I applied an estimated 300 Ft-Lb of torque.
The next day I went to the tire store and asked for the manager. I presented him with the three broken sockets and challenged him to remove the lug nuts using any hand tools he had in the shop. He failed. He did agree that he would replace the broken sockets.
I pressed him further and pointed out that there was a good chance the wheel studs have been stretched and might fail. He really didn’t want to pay for all new wheel studs but could not defend the obvious error. I did press him on the issue. He eventually agreed that he could not guarantee, in writing, that the studs would never fail, so he would replace all the studs on the car. This was an expensive lesson for the shop mechanic.
Can you change the tire yourself?
Today most shops have “torque limiting” lug nut sockets. However, you are still confronted with the question: “Can you replace the tire with your spare if you have never confirmed that both you and your tools are up to the job?” In other words, if you are planning on changing your own tire and if you have a spare, are you 100% certain you can do the job if you have a tire failure on some back road?
I have a Class C with 16″ tires. I have probably changed tires a few hundred times when I was racing and working on cars. But I have decided that after passing the “8-decade” mark, I really do not want to do that job again unless there is no other option. So I checked around and signed up for “road service” as a form of insurance.
I suggest that you need to be honest with yourself and confirm that you can get your spare out and ready to mount. Confirm you have the strength to remove the lug nuts, and that you can get them tight enough if you have changed your tire.
Speaking of “tight enough”… Do you know the torque spec for your RV? Do you carry a torque wrench all the time? And do you understand how and why you need to check the torque after changing a tire?
Important information to consider ahead of time so you’re prepared in case of tire failure.
Roger Marble
*****
If you have tire questions, check out Roger’s Blog as well as his posts on RVtravel.com. There are hundreds of posts covering everything to do with tires.
If you still have a question for Roger after searching the above posts, send your inquiries to him using the form below.
MORE ARTICLES FROM ROGER YOU MIGHT LIKE
- Do I need to carry a spare RV tire?
- Why does the tread on some RV spare tires tear off for no apparent reason?
- Do you have, or even need, a spare RV tire?
- What size spare tire can I use?
- Spare tire is wrong size. What to do?
##RVT1202
Boy Scout motto “Be Prepared”.
I used to carry a spare when we had a F53 chassis. Not now with fancy AL wheels and 22.5 295 Toyo tires there is no room and too much weight. Coach net road service now.
I carry a spare on my F53 Class A. No I can’t lift it. No I can’t change it myself, but I’m assured that when roadside assistance arrives I’ll have the correct spare.
I carry a bare spare, 285/75R22.5, in the enclosed trailer. it’s not the most common size. I have tools & ability to remove a wheel. I don’t have tire irons. I feel like I can find a tire shop to swap the tire. I don’t want to get raped over the cost/availability of a new tire.
It’s ‘only’ a 21′ single axle TT. But my star wrench couldn’t reach the lug nut holding the spare on the bumper mount. Glad I checked before we did our 1st trip. I have an extendable lug nut bar with a deep socket, a hydraulic bottle slightly bigger than I need, a couple stack jacks for safety, some wood blocks if the ground is soft, and a torque wrench. And no flats so far, but did have a brake adjuster spring pop off and had to pull everything apart on the RV site.
I have Coach Net as I have realized that I can no longer easily change a tire but do have all needed to do so in the event that some young stud should come along to assist me. An aside to your story: I took my van in for a service to a garage I had used for years. For some dumb reason I decided to check the oil before I pulled out. One mechanic had drained the oil, and the other guy forgot to put new oil back in – dipstick was dry. Ever since, I check the oil before I leave the lot and if a tire change, I check the psi before I leave.
Thank you, Roger, for the admonitions! Thank you, too, for the story of three broken sockets. How was the shop mechanic able to apply so much force when over-tightening your lug nuts? That is a remarkable degree of force. Have a great weekend and safe travels!