Hi Guys....I've had the car since about Mid December and I'm down to the last item that I am either able to repair or resolve before being able to just sit back, put the top down, and enjoy the car.....and that is the Spare Tire.

First, the sticker on the driver's door says the spare tire is/was a T125-70D/14......Which tells me it's a "donut," but it must be a "unicorn," because no such thing exists....at least today.

Second, the car came with one of those inflatable spares, and an empty can of CO2. The previous owner insisted it was the original factory installation, but apparently a descendant of Harry Houdini who was a GM engineer must have designed it. It was stuffed in the right rear inner fender well in the trunk, and in order to remove it I had to get the jack out from behind it first to get enough wiggle room to extract it, and once out, it was NFG, anyway.\

Third, both the original window sticker, (which I have,) and the "compnine" VIN report show no spare tire or RPO.

Fourth, I have procured a couple of different "donut spares" from 3rd and 4th gens that are T125-70D/15, which appears the most common, but none fit back into the right inner fender well. I can stow it on the shelf below the convertible top compartment, bit it is kind of unsightly. and I cannot tie it down. (I guess I could get a nice cover.)

My next step (maybe this weekend if it warms up here in central Texas,) is to deflate the spare and see if it will go into the fender well deflated, and then maybe carry a 12V pump if it does.

Your thoughts and inputs are more than welcome.

TIA

Jeff

 

The tire & inflator that came with the car is the correct one. There isn't an RPO for the standard spare tire, which is what you have.

 

Thanks!
Problem is though that the inflatable I have is NFG and you cannot purchase a new replacement anywhere. The tire shop I deal with tells me he cannot even order them, and it's strictly a product that is sold dealer only.
Perhaps the reason I had difficulty removing it is because the rubber degraded and swelled over time? Plausible, I guess...

Thanks!

 

Another problem that I assume you haven't addressed is after you change the tire on the car after a flat is that the tire that you had a flat will not fit in the trunk. I had to put the tire in the back seat. I went on a trip shortly after purchasing the car and had a flat on the road. I did have the expandale tire in the trunk and the inflator barely got enough air in the spare to get me going. Now a few years later I changed wheel sizes to 18 inch and decided that the best way to handle the problem is to carry a 12 volt air compressor in the trunk along with a couple of fixit sort of patches. I figure that the worst thing that could now happen is that I have to patch the flat and hopefully I can do this with the flat tire on the car. Really how many times have you had a flat in the car. Also, you are carrying a bit of weight along in the trunk and you may never have a flat!!!

 

That's a good point, and thanks! I already surmised that...

There is another problem that many also don't consider, and that is you cannot really put the mismatched size spare in the rear, and go any distance because you'll trash the posi unit, so, if you're out in the Bush, let's say, and had a flat in the rear, you'd be better served to put the spare on the front and move the good tire to the rear.

Also, for the life of me, I cannot understand why I just cannot go to the local Discount Tire or other tire store and just purchase or order and purchase a new, replacement inflatable spare to put on the wheel I already have, and replace the 31 year old dry-rotted, defective tire. i'm just baffled.

 

is the canister rusted out? the manual says a fire extinguisher service facility can refill it. im sure if you could get a air-gas place to do it as well.

 

My 92 JYellow trans am came with the black painted aluminum "1LE" spare with the foldup tire. It's a bear to fit in and out but it does fit.

 

I have been thinking about getting a proper spare as well. I was looking at getting a drag front runner with the proper height front tire to match my 275-40-17 tire profile. It may not fit in the spare space, but it would keep from having to swap wheels around in the event of a flat.

 

The 15" aluminum "1LE" spare wont fit in the verts, a 14" deflate-able will scrape in/out, but if you have bigger brakes...forgetit. A 4th gen 16" donut will also not fit verts. Thats about the smallest rim you can use with large brakes. These two threads have some good info.
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/whee...ns-2019-a.html
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/brak...2-4th-gen.html

 

I don't even carry the original spare tire in my cars anymore. After 30+ years of being deflated, I would be very leery of relying on them. Plus, my GTA is lowered so getting a jack up under it if the tire is flat is an exercise in futility. I just accept that if I get a flat that I'm calling a flatbed truck to take me home. I still have one of the spares out in the shed if anyone wants it.

 

I agree with "blacksunshine91" 30 year old tires should not be relied on and there are no replacements that fit the profile for storage to be had. They are a VERY tight fit when stored, the air can can be used once and no one will refill it ( fire stations, model airplane shops, paintball arenas.... I've tried 'em all!), and you can't swap a bad front with a rear wheel or visa versa due to the different wheel offsets, I keep mine installed for the sake of originality only and will happily call for a tow if I need a tire repair. I do, however, carry a 12V air compressor with me just in case a slow leak develops and I am within range of home base or a known reliable shop I deal with.