FYI FORD MustangSteve's Ford Mustang Forum / Dixon had bad luck

**Posted by MS** 6/20/2025 6:14 PM

Pic taken somewhere around Bryan, Tx on the way to the mini-bash. Been waiting for tow truck since 3pm.
7pm now and just got a tow.
Lesson for those who don’t believe in carrying a spare tire on a road trip.

**Posted by Rufus68** 6/20/2025 6:25 PM

With the trunk being so small, and considering the very few flats I've had in all my years and miles, I opt to take the risk when I travel. But you are right, there is a chance for a flat among other reasons for being stranded on the side of the road. I do carry a plug kit, jack, and pump. Of all the flats I've had, only one involved the sidewall being cut rendering it not fixable, and one other exploding. The remaining flats were just punctures..

**Posted by Greg B** 6/20/2025 7:47 PM

I took the spare tire out of my Mustang before I traded it, and put the air kit back in.

I figured I bought it seperate, so I'm keeping t it!

Last edited by Greg B (6/20/2025 7:47 PM)

**Posted by BobE** 6/21/2025 5:12 AM

For those that do carry a spare, check the air pressure every so often. Pretty frustrating havig a flat, then having a spare that is nearly flat. (no this didn't happen to me, but a close friend, and this was before cell phones)

**Posted by 6sally6** 6/21/2025 9:30 AM

MAJOR BUMMER......!
Sorry John...(this too shall pass!)
6sally6

**Posted by Nos681** 6/21/2025 7:46 PM

Dang the bad luck.

Did tire have a slow leak at highway speeds?

It happened to me many years ago.
Fortunately someone on interstate told me about it.
Valve stem was leaking at rim.

**Posted by MAW** 6/22/2025 8:29 AM

No one willing to loan him a spare so you could get to a service center???

**Posted by MS** 6/22/2025 7:42 PM

When you have a car with bigger than stock brakes, you need a spare that fits over the big brakes.
I loaned him mine, once he got a tow into town.

**Posted by Bolted to Floor** 6/23/2025 9:57 AM

Yea, this was a debacle!!!! Had been making good time up till then and was about an hour away. I will be rethinking the no spare mentality.

Bash thrash prior to the trip was checking the oil and water. The tires looked fine so, no air pressure check. They did have a date code from 2017 with 18,000 miles on the car and always garage kept, so no dry rot issues. Tread was fair. Steve checked air pressure in the other rear tire Saturday morning. It was at 28 psi. It got 2 new ties before I headed home Saturday.

My AAA Plus membership has been in place since the Mustang started making trips to different shops when I was still getting it back together. It gets me 4 tows up to 100 miles for each person on the account. I think it's about $175 a year.

The silver linings..... no damaged paint and AAA Plus. The wrecker driver told me they charged AAA $640 to take the car about 50 miles.

**Posted by 6sally6** 6/23/2025 11:06 AM

AAA is a GOOD thing !!
(last time I needed a tow (a local tow) the driver sez..."Hey Mr. Mike...she break down again?!")
The guy knew me by my first name !!!! Kinda sad...
6sal6

**Posted by rpm** **Online!** 6/23/2025 1:43 PM

6sally6 wrote:
AAA is a GOOD thing !!
(last time I needed a tow (a local tow) the driver sez..."Hey Mr. Mike...she break down again?!")
The guy knew me by my first name !!!! Kinda sad...
6sal6

Brahahaha 🤣

**Posted by BobE** 6/24/2025 5:41 AM

6sally6 wrote:
AAA is a GOOD thing !!
(last time I needed a tow (a local tow) the driver sez..."Hey Mr. Mike...she break down again?!")
The guy knew me by my first name !!!! Kinda sad...
6sal6

LOL

**Posted by Steve69** 6/24/2025 9:30 AM

Yes and make sure your spare fits your front and rear. Mine would only fit the rear only after I added the MS brake kit. I had to do some grinding on the rim to have it clear adapters. Now it fits front and rear.

**Posted by Bolted to Floor** 6/24/2025 9:49 AM

6sally6 wrote:
AAA is a GOOD thing !!
(last time I needed a tow (a local tow) the driver sez..."Hey Mr. Mike...she break down again?!")
The guy knew me by my first name !!!! Kinda sad...
6sal6

The tow company is not someone I want to be on a first name basis with!!!

**Posted by MAW** 6/25/2025 6:54 AM

Sorry, I didn't think about rims not fitting, that never entered my mind. I was just wondering why everyone would sit around for hours when someone could just loan him a spare to move on. But, a spare is a must have item on a long cruise.

**Posted by Bullet Bob** 6/25/2025 7:55 AM

MAW wrote:
Sorry, I didn't think about rims not fitting, that never entered my mind. I was just wondering why everyone would sit around for hours when someone could just loan him a spare to move on. But, a spare is a must have item on a long cruise.

The spare in the Heap is number 5 of the same wheels that are on the ground. I have the same problem with stock wheels not clearing the brakes so that seemed like a solid solution. Yes, it takes up a lot of trunk space but, we are only two when we travel in that car. The kids are all growed up. No pet either so Jean has what's left of the trunk plus most of the back seat for "essentials". I can usually find room to stuff in a small duffel for my needs.

**Posted by Quicksilver** 6/25/2025 9:59 AM

6sally6 wrote:
AAA is a GOOD thing !!
(last time I needed a tow (a local tow) the driver sez..."Hey Mr. Mike...she break down again?!")
The guy knew me by my first name !!!! Kinda sad...
6sal6

At least your getting your money 's worth out of it Sally. I have had mine (AAA) for 5 years now and still haven't used the card yet. I was thinking maybe a 40 MPH spare butt with larger brakes I guess that is now out the window.

Last edited by Quicksilver (6/25/2025 10:03 AM)

**Posted by MS** 6/25/2025 11:10 AM

MAW wrote:
Sorry, I didn't think about rims not fitting, that never entered my mind. I was just wondering why everyone would sit around for hours when someone could just loan him a spare to move on. But, a spare is a must have item on a long cruise.

Your last sentence says it all. Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.

Yes, I could have driven an hour to the failure location, loaned my spare, and then driven an hour back to the show, arrived late and then not find any place to park.
Had it been a breakdown or part failure, or something not totally the fault of the owner, I would certainly have been the first in line to go do that.

My philosophy on bash trips:
Nobody gets left behind. We will do whatever it takes to help Mustangers out. However, it is the duty of every Mustanger to do everything they can (due diligence) to make sure their car is reasonably capable of making the trip. When they don’t do that, it can ruin everyone’s trip. No spare tire that holds air and fits the car is a good example. Wires routed where they get burned going down the road, or loose/missing bolts, or carb return springs attached to temperature sender wires are other recent examples. If you are joining on a road trip, you owe it to everyone on the trip to make sure you did your due diligence to make it to the destination.
That said, had there not been an alternate solution, yes, we would have come to the rescue. Nobody gets left behind.

**Posted by BobE** 6/26/2025 6:11 AM

MS - well stated.

**Posted by MAW** 6/26/2025 6:26 AM

Sometimes you read a post but maybe not as well as you should have. I thought he was in the caravan of Mustangers and there were many cars sitting along the road waiting with him, I was stunned that no one would loan him a tire to keep the caravan moving. I guess I completely misunderstood the problem.