[Kevin Dougherty]

Hello Group,

I hit a pothole Friday morning on the way to work. The spare was flat. ARRGH!!! :x

The aluminum Wheel is nicely bent, and HParts wants $295 (local dealer wants $345).

Are alloy wheels repairable? I would much rather repair than replace the wheel.

Awhile back, on the Honda Hybrid group, someone posted a link to a "Global' junk yard. Does anyone know which one I'm looking for?

 

[Insighter]

Aluminum wheel repair...

Click on this link and look at the before and after picutres:

http://www.microwks.com/wheels/service.htm

 

[Resist]

Interesting wheel repair site. I wonder how much they charge?

 

[Braxus]

I don't know if this pertains to all states but you may be able to file a claim with city/state to repair your wheel. Where I live (California), this is the case if your wheel gets damaged due to a pothole. It's the state's/county's job to make sure the roads are well maintained.

 

[uvman]

http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/

You can try this sight out too. Probably similar to hparts.com though.

-Dan

 

[Ecfool]

Curious question on this thread.
Have most others noticed the "yellow" spare is flat? Or won't hold pressure for a long time?
I have had to refill mine regularly as it only holds air for about 2 weeks. I finnaly got paranoid and added a can of "fix a flat" in the spare tire area and actually had to use it on a trip to San Diego last week(seems MIZR is a magnet for road debris in the side walls, yes another tire shot to heck and had to buy one in San Diego to get home) but as usual the spare was flat again.

 

[Kevin Dougherty]

Internet junk yard

I have noticed that the spare doesn't hold air the hard way :roll:

But I would really like to know the name of a good internet junk yard.

Several people here in NC. have suggested that I try to sue the North Carolina DOT. I'll make a few phone calls tomorrow. Probaably a waste of time.

 

[Hambone]

I understand your displeasure, and certainly the state bears responsibility for maintaining drivable roads free of hazards, but sueing the state is asking for a hassle which probably far outweighs even the dealer's price for a new wheel. The cost of retaining a lawyer (unless you are one and can pursue this without additional legal assistance), taking time off to file motions/appear and testify in court, etc. is probably far more than the few hundred bucks for a new wheel. Before doing that, if a simple claim is either dismissed or decided adversely, you might want to check and see if the cost of repairing the damage is covered by your insurance. Several years ago I had a Subaru that had a headlight damaged to the tune of over $100 (a lot to me at the time, I was a teenager without much $!) because of the type of unit it was, and my insurance picked up the cost due to the headlight being "necessary driving equipment" and the comprehensive portion of my coverage kept me from having to shell out cash from my own pocket. Just a thought.

And on the spare issue, if y'all don't mind losing a slight amount of cubby hole space, buy a wheel of the same dimensions as the normal Insight wheels (I got mine from Discount Tire Direct, it isn't the same style as the regular wheels, but then again, you'll only be using it as a spare, its steel, and cost me about $40 including shipping). Then, when you get new tires, have them mount one of the old tires with the most remaining tread on the wheel you've bought. Then, in the worst case situation, you've got a full size spare which means you can go a lot further with fewer concerns than with the toy-tire spare.

 

[Insighter]

...

Your insurance paid to replace a headlight that was broken when you bought the car?

 

[Hambone]

Re: ...

Your insurance paid to replace a headlight that was broken when you bought the car?

No, it was fine when I bought the car, and a rock or something or other had broken the headlight while I was driving it. I didn't remember exactly when it happened, but my insurance company just asked me for the time period when I thought the damage occurred, and they went with my time frame (for purposes of filing the claim) and the repair estimate from the dealer for cost. They told me that items such as windshields, headlights, taillights, and other parts are covered from damage even in cases where no accident caused the damage, because the damaged parts are considered essential for safe operation of the vehicle. I'd imagine that a broken wheel as a result of a pothole would fall into the same type of category. Aftermarket parts are the exception, they only cover up to the cost of the original manufacturer parts.

 

[glitch]

Will a full size spare fit in the same spot as the normal spare? What about the bin, can it go back down w/o a problem, if not ,what mods have to be done to store a full size spare?

 

[Hambone]

Glitch,
A full size spare will indeed fit nicely in the space for the original spare tire, with no problems getting it in or securing the tire. As for the storage bin, because of the way its shaped, it does poke up a little bit. In order to keep this from happening, I took out the whole thing, bent up the bottom portion (kinda folded it up all the way around), then replaced it and reloaded the gear I normally keep in there (a first aid kit, a car tool kit, and other various junk). So, for me at least, the bin maintains its original functionality albeit with a minimal loss of capacity. For me, having the full size spare is well worth losing a couple inches at the bottom of the bin in terms of capacity.

 

[glitch]

I concur. Sounds like a mod I may be doing in the very near future. How hard was it to modify the bin so it'd be 1-2" shorter? It just crumples up and doesn't expand again? I want a full size spare in general because A) I hate Donut tires and B) I heard the spare tire is prone to go flat w/o warning a lot.

 

[Hambone]

The bin does want to return to its original shape at first, but can be made to stay in the desired shape with a little effort. I don't think I can explain my efforts very well, except to say that if you're determined to get the thing to stay in the shape you want, it will eventually bend to your will!

 

[Jim]

air for your spare

I ordered a Check-A-Spare from INTERNATIONAL auto parts - it's a hose about 42 or 44" long that attaches to your spare - and the other end can be left under the edge of the cargo mat - makes it real easy to keep the spare full.

They also carry a really nice dial type pressure gauge with a bleed button - makes it easy to set your air pressure exactly where you want it.

http://www.international-auto.com

Update - just hooked up the check-a-spare and checked the pressure for the first time in more than two months - it was at 50 psi.

Thank you for posting about flat spares! The spare will now get checked weekly along with the others. I'm thinking I would like to find a full size wheel and tire to use instead of the donut.

 

[Will M]

Just to note, since I haven't seen this mentioned:

The reason they use the small spare is that it weighs a lot less than a full-sized tire, and since you almost never use the spare, you'd be hauling quite a few more pounds every day you drive the car for something you may never use.

I had a flat in my Insight. I used the doughnut. It worked fine. I drove on it for several days until I could get another tire ordered. It looked silly, but it worked fine.

I doubt it goes flat any faster than any other tire would. It's just that tires in the spare compartment don't get the air pressure checked nearly as often because it's inconvenient to get to.

I don't intend to replace my spare with a full-sized tire. I appreciate how well this lighter alternative works. While the remote access to check and fill the pressure you describe sounds cool, I think I'll just discipline myself to pull out the spare and check it now and then. I try to minimize the weight I add to the car.

For that matter, I even try to keep myself lean.