Is the spare supposed to be flat

[NSXG35]

OK I have a question about the spare tire. Is is is supposed to be flat, at least it looks flat I have not actually mounted it yet. It has a valve stem but when I put air in it the tire did not look right. I do not have an owners manual and I did a search of the forums and FAQ but I could not find any info related to this.

 

[cojones]

OK I have a question about the spare tire. Is is is supposed to be flat, at least it looks flat I have not actually mounted it yet. It has a valve stem but when I put air in it the tire did not look right. I do not have an owners manual and I did a search of the forums and FAQ but I could not find any info related to this.

Yes... the car comes with a folding spare.
It collapses into a compact form when stored. You inflate it to specific pressure (26/32 psi on 91-93 cars, depending on whether you are replacing F or R) when you need to use it.

 

[jrehner]

That's a funny question--I just got an NSX without a manual and first thing I did was go to WWW.Helm.com and ordered a manual from them--it was not cheap but was worth it--you can get an original owner's manual for any year from them.....Not only is the spare a folding spare but check your trunk to see if you have all the tools required to change the flat including the air pump and the tire pressure gauge---my car lacked the air pump and gauge and the spare itself......Also other issues--if you have stock 15/16 wheels make sure you get the spare for those sizes. Later models use a bigger 16" spare I think...Also if you have larger aftermarket wheels like 17/18 or 18/19 forget the spare and call a tow truck because I don't think you can even get the flat tire into your trunk or your passenger seat area.....

 

[The REAL nsxtasy]

if you have larger aftermarket wheels like 17/18 or 18/19 forget the spare and call a tow truck because I don't think you can even get the flat tire into your trunk or your passenger seat area.....

Not exactly true. You should be able to fit pretty much any size NSX front tire into the trunk. Larger rear tires in aftermarket sizes may or may not fit. Also, you should be able to fit pretty much any size NSX tire, front or rear, onto the passenger seat - assuming, of course, you don't have a passenger with you. (And if you're using rear tires larger than stock, you may want to keep a large lawn and leaf bag in the trunk for this purpose.)

If you have an aftermarket brake kit with larger calipers, then the spare may not clear the calipers, in which case you may want to forget the spare.

 

[jrehner]

Spare

Interesting--so can the spare be used even when you're running 17/18 or 18/19 but don't have the larger calipers? I got my info on the spare not fitting into trunk from earlier posts in the wheels & tires forum..If that't not an actual problem then I might go up to larger wheels etc--You are saying spares are cheap not because people go to bigger wheels but because they go to larger calipers?

 

[I Grok NSX]

Remove the spare tire and get AAA (Triple A) or some other road service. The spare weighs in at some 30 pounds.

 

[The REAL nsxtasy]

Re: Spare

so can the spare be used even when you're running 17/18 or 18/19 but don't have the larger calipers?

Yes, but...

The spare can definitely be used. The question is where you will put the wheel/tire that's on the car. Almost any reasonable front size wheel/tire should fit in the trunk, even on a 17" or 18" wheel - because its diameter and width should both be less than the stock rear tire. Depending on size, most rear tires that are larger than stock will not fit in the trunk, but should fit on the passenger seat, if you don't have a passenger.

I got my info on the spare not fitting into trunk from earlier posts in the wheels & tires forum..If that't not an actual problem

It CAN BE an actual problem, for rear tires, not front tires. If you're unable to put it on the passenger seat.

You are saying spares are cheap not because people go to bigger wheels but because they go to larger calipers?

Partly that, and partly because there may be some folks who don't want to have to put a rear tire on the passenger seat, and partly because there may be some folks like Lite who would prefer the weight savings achieved by leaving the spare home and are willing to risk the need to call an auto service in the event of a flat.

 

[jrehner]

So, if one has an older car that has the orange spare and if one goes to a 17/18 combo, can that spare still be used or must one go to the larger yellow spare? What must one do--one must know

 

[ncdogdoc]

Only calipers matter!

As the previous posts have stated, the only limiting factor to which spare you use is pre '97 calipers or 97+ calipers. The newer spare has a greater diameter for larger rotor clearance.

The size of the wheel has nothing to do with the the size of the spare. The size of the tire is what affects the diameter. I increased my wheels on my LS400 from 15" to 18". No real change to tire diameter, so the original 15" spare still works. HTH.

 

[jrehner]

Sorry did not catch that Hopefully, I have the stock calipers but really do not know at this point...

 

[The REAL nsxtasy]

So, if one has an older car that has the orange spare and if one goes to a 17/18 combo, can that spare still be used or must one go to the larger yellow spare? What must one do--one must know

If it's a '91-96 NSX with the original stock calipers, you can still use the orange spare on the front or rear of the car.

The only problem in doing so is where to fit the tire that you take off the car, not whether the spare will fit onto the car. See above for specifics. (Hint: there are certain tires that will fit in the trunk or on the passenger seat, and others that will fit only on the passenger seat.)