# Stupid Spare Tire!



## Snappa (Mar 31, 2013)

Not too long ago I got a flat tire. I've been waiting for the replacement from tirerack, but until then have been using the equipped spare tire. Forgetting that the car now sits lower on the front side where the spare is, I ended up scraping my front bumper. Absolutely ridiculous considering how cautious I am. I would like to know what could be done as far as touching up and the whole process from start to finish. I'm not looking for a total reprint as a response or just "ignoring it" since its not noticeable unless you get u see the car. I am aware of those common since options but is like to get some info of some touch up options. I know the dealership sells touch up paints in aerosol cans. Will this be effective in getting a DECENT touch up? And no I'm not looking for perfection. Here is the scrape below.


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## Farmboy (Apr 21, 2013)

Shame shame. Spares should only be run on rear of a front wheel drive.

But to make you feel better. 

A couple weeks after I had my car I drove it over a curb leaving dinner with the wife. The parking lot was even with the curb, I never realized there was actually a curb there until the front tires dropped 4-5 inches and BANG.:signs057:


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

Farmboy said:


> Shame shame. Spares should only be run on rear of a front wheel drive.


I have always heard this too, something to do with possible damage to the transaxle with the tires of different diameters rotating at different speeds. Sad part is there is no mention of this in the owners manual that I ever seen.


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## Snappa (Mar 31, 2013)

And that's my point exactly and I was already aware of this. I didn't do it because we've been having non stop rains here and I was already tired and beat that night. I don't plan to do much driving on it and the tires arrived today from tire rack. Since I have a full warranty and have read all GM manuals I've owned from front to back and have a full warranty, I didn't care because I'd like to see them deny me repairs on something their manual DOESN'T mention. Yes using tires of dif diameters will cause the differential to work hard and can increase its wear faster, however this is something that happens over night or even a few hundred miles. Gm basically set the mark of how long you can ride along on this spare, about 3,000 miles and at 65mph. I believe when they calculated that they also had in mind that the wear on the did would not really be a concern unless those values were surpassed. They likely didnt bother to write anything about that because what lerson would be riding around on a spare that long?


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## Snappa (Mar 31, 2013)

So no one on here knows how to use or do a touch up job?


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## ChevyMgr (Oct 27, 2010)

Snappa said:


> So no one on here knows how to use or do a touch up job?


When using the brush inside the paint bottle you will dab not stroke the paint on. Touch up bottles need to shaken very well before applying.


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## Snappa (Mar 31, 2013)

Can those be used for this though? Will I need primer and clear coat? This is the plastic bumper.


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## ChevyMgr (Oct 27, 2010)

Touch up paint is made to go directly on with no primer or clearcoat. If you need that you need a body shop.


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## Snappa (Mar 31, 2013)

I have no idea or knowledge about painting. So you're saying I can spray the touch up that gm has at me dealer in a spray can on this and be fine?


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

spacedout said:


> I have always heard this too, something to do with possible damage to the transaxle with the tires of different diameters rotating at different speeds. Sad part is there is no mention of this in the owners manual that I ever seen.


What happens is that one tire is a different size than the other making the transmission act funny and can cause early wear. But if you buy only 2 tires always put the new ones on the rear.

Sent from my Droid


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

H3LLON3ARTH said:


> What happens is that one tire is a different size than the other making the transmission act funny and can cause early wear. But if you buy only 2 tires always put the new ones on the rear.
> 
> Sent from my Droid


Just curious about putting the new tyres on the rear? 

About 3 years ago my daughter was driving my wife's Hyuandi Getz on a wet road and it slid out on a low speed bend and clipped a guardrail. There wasn't any real damage just a scrape but it was a warning sign to me. I went to a tyre dealer and even though there was still nearly full tread the tyres were 7 years old and the rubber was hard and gave very little grip. No point in putting equally hard rear tyres on the front so bought 2 new ones and scrapped the old fronts. There have not been any problems since and the rear tyres aren't causing any grip problems at all.


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

Aussie said:


> Just curious about putting the new tyres on the rear?
> 
> About 3 years ago my daughter was driving my wife's Hyuandi Getz on a wet road and it slid out on a low speed bend and clipped a guardrail. There wasn't any real damage just a scrape but it was a warning sign to me. I went to a tyre dealer and even though there was still nearly full tread the tyres were 7 years old and the rubber was hard and gave very little grip. No point in putting equally hard rear tyres on the front so bought 2 new ones and scrapped the old fronts. There have not been any problems since and the rear tyres aren't causing any grip problems at all.


Well see I've always been told that. It supposed to be due to rainy roads so your back end dosnt come out in a turn.

Here's a link telling why.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=52

Sent from my Droid


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

H3LLON3ARTH said:


> Well see I've always been told that. It supposed to be due to rainy roads so your back end dosnt come out in a turn.
> 
> Here's a link telling why.
> http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=52
> ...


The article makes good sense only our car still had full tread depth on the rear and it was the front that slipped into understeer. At the time the 7 year old car only had 20,000 miles on it and tyre wear wasn't the problem, tyre hardness was, so we merely put a softer compound on the front and tested it to make sure we didn't transfer the problem to the other end. The car is now 10 years old and is about to go 50,000km (30,000 miles). That is the only reason we keep it, it has never given any mechanical problems.


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

Aussie said:


> The article makes good sense only our car still had full tread depth on the rear and it was the front that slipped into understeer. At the time the 7 year old car only had 20,000 miles on it and tyre wear wasn't the problem, tyre hardness was, so we merely put a softer compound on the front and tested it to make sure we didn't transfer the problem to the other end. The car is now 10 years old and is about to go 50,000km (30,000 miles). That is the only reason we keep it, it has never given any mechanical problems.


Wow I guess over time rubber hardens and then the fundamentals of the tire are now gone. So in your case it had nothing to do but old hard rubber.

Sent from my Droid


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