# Didn't Know Doughnuts Die **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 23, 2015, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-know-doughnuts-die/710719 "2015-01-23T22:22:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![straight\_doped](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@straight\_doped](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straight_doped)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2015, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-know-doughnuts-die/710719/21 "2015-01-25T03:05:16Z")
never skimp on tires. they are the only thing between the car and the road. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2015, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-know-doughnuts-die/710719/22 "2015-01-25T05:53:16Z")
At age 65, I broke down and got an AAA membership. Only one reason: I drive a pickup, and there is no way in Hell I am going to try to crawl under the truck and drop the spare - I know there is a spare, have no idea if it is usable. I’ll let somebody else worry about how to deal with a flat. Also: yes, carry a can of Fix-O-Flat (whatever) and one of the attache-sized compressors. I used to carry a tank of compressed air, a spare battery, and jumpers when on long drives or through hostile terrain (Mojave). ---
**Author:** ![dba\_Fred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c37758/32.png) [@dba\_Fred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dba_Fred)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2015, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-know-doughnuts-die/710719/23 "2015-01-25T16:03:03Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > Ever take a chem class while you were in college? > It’s called oxygen. > Rubber oxides. Rots if you prefer. Plus if no one put air back in the tire it was probably way low on air when mounted. Off to check the rubber in my wallet - no recommendation of the PSI (penis square-inch?) it should be inflated to. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-know-doughnuts-die/710719/24 "2015-01-26T03:37:33Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > At age 65, I broke down and got an AAA membership. > Only one reason: I drive a pickup, and there is no way in Hell I am going to try to crawl under the truck and drop the spare - I know there is a spare, have no idea if it is usable. > > I’ll let somebody else worry about how to deal with a flat. My father got a flat on his quad-cab, full-size-bed Tacoma when we are in Bar Harbor – in that touristy area where the street is lines with cars and there’s only room for one each way. He used my AAA and yeah, let the guy deal with crawling up under the truck. He has also now broken down (no pun intended) and gotten his own membership. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-know-doughnuts-die/710719/25 "2015-01-26T22:16:02Z")
[QUOTE=Senegoid;18077901If you have a donut spare tire that’s been sitting there for umpteen years, the rubber has probably gotten brittle. Good fucking luck finding a replacement for it anymore. (Cite: Been there, tried that.)[/QUOTE] Got a used tire store near you? The 2 times I’ve needed a donut spare for a used car I purchased, I went by the local used tire store and they let me pick one out of the pile in back, no charge. There’s not much of a market or them and the store has to pay to have them hauled off, so it’s a win/win. NOTE: You just have to know the lug pattern of your vehicle. Not all wheels are interchangeable, even if they have the same number of lug holes! ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2015, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-know-doughnuts-die/710719/26 "2015-01-27T00:18:56Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > Got a used tire store near you? The 2 times I’ve needed a donut spare for a used car I purchased, I went by the local used tire store and they let me pick one out of the pile in back, no charge. There’s not much of a market or them and the store has to pay to have them hauled off, so it’s a win/win. > > NOTE: You just have to know the lug pattern of your vehicle. Not all wheels are interchangeable, even if they have the same number of lug holes! And, as I learned at the beginning of this winter when I bought used snow tires on rims, the centre bore diameter is also important. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2015, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-know-doughnuts-die/710719/27 "2015-01-27T06:56:46Z")
So you’ve been driving on bald tires, with ONE having been filled umpteen times with whatever crap you filled it with, and then your ‘donut’ (whatever that is) failed as well? Yeah, fuck you mate. There’s ‘accidents’ and then there’s ‘accidents waiting to happen’. Your situation falls into the latter, just in case you missed it. WTF?? :mad: ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2015, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-know-doughnuts-die/710719/28 "2015-01-27T08:40:19Z")
> [@GrandWino](#): > > Did you buy the car brand new and are certain nobody else has used the donut? They’re only have a lifespan of 50 miles or so and aren’t to be driven on very fast. Could have been a perfectly good donut that you just drove on wrong. The 50 mile thing is per use, not an absolute lifespan for the tire. I guess they think people will be more likely to get their damn tire fixed and not just drive around on the donut if there’s a set limit. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2015, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-know-doughnuts-die/710719/29 "2015-01-27T08:48:20Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > Ever take a chem class while you were in college? > It’s called oxygen. > Rubber oxides. Rots if you prefer. Plus if no one put air back in the tire it was probably way low on air when mounted. Oh, those dumb rubber oxides! Yes, it felt solid but went flat right away and actually got twisted under the rim.:smack: ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2015, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-know-doughnuts-die/710719/30 "2015-01-27T16:02:39Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > Yeah, fuck you mate. Don’t say this to anyone on here again, let it be a warning to you. ---
**Author:** ![Whiskey\_Dickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9fc348/32.png) [@Whiskey\_Dickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whiskey_Dickens)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2015, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-know-doughnuts-die/710719/31 "2015-01-27T20:31:16Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > And, as I learned at the beginning of this winter when I bought used snow tires on rims, the centre bore diameter is also important. Only on [hub-centric wheels](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheel_sizing#Centerbore) (wiki). Although in fairness most of the vehicles sold new nowadays use hub centric wheels from the factory. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-know-doughnuts-die/710719/32 "2015-01-29T19:53:41Z")
Sorry for my rude outburst. Warning taken on board. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-know-doughnuts-die/710719/33 "2015-01-29T20:04:48Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > P.S. Umpteen cans of Fix o Flat?! So you’re riding around on hardened foam? What does that feel like? Stale doughnut. My car doesn’t even come with a spare, just a leak repair kit to (hopfully) get you to the next NTB. As soon as I get to the indicators I order a new set and junk the old ones. Not worth pushing it. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-know-doughnuts-die/710719/34 "2015-01-30T03:57:26Z")
I have the same car (2008 Honda CR-V) and had to use the donut about 18 months ago. I drove on it about 50 miles and then put it back in the trunk. It worked fine, but then I do keep on top of the pressure in that tire, it needs to be 60 psi. Maybe I need to take another look at it this weekend. But props to the OP for living with the original Bridgestones for so long. Those tires were crap. Enjoy the Coopers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-know-doughnuts-die/710719.md?page=1)