Ever have to change a spare tire? Do you even know how to change a tire? Or are you one of those types that would rather wait 45 minutes to an hour for a AAA tow truck to show up and change the tire for you? Ok, I shouldn't knock AAA and other auto clubs. In fact, I am a AAA member myself but I only call AAA when my car breaks down not for a simple flat tire. I can change a tire in about 15 minutes or less, so why would I want to wait an hour for a tow truck? Unless of course it's 10 degrees below zero and snowing - then maybe I'll have a tow truck do it for me. But then again if it's 10 degrees below zero or snowing then chances are the tow truck could take hours to get to me since there will be priority accidents they must clear.

Anyway, I really don't understand why they don't teach people how to change a tire as part of driver's ed. I mean, c'mon, it's really not that difficult. First you loosen the bolts/lug nuts (but leave them on so tire doesn't fall off!), then you jack up the car, finish loosening and removing the lug nuts. Then you slip off the flat tire, put on the spare, tighten the lug nuts as much as possible, lower the jack, and then finish tightening the lug nuts.

If you're like most people, you probably never inspect the spare tire in your trunk to make sure it has air in it. Worse, if you're like me then you've probably driven on your spare tire for more than the recommended 50 miles. Now a company named Amerityre has a brand new technology that they claim solves the problem of flat spares. They claim, "Our solid polyurethane elastomer construction does not require high pressure to carry vehicle load, and provides the consumer with an “always ready” solution in the event of regular tire failure.

According to their website, "Temporary spare tires that require inflation to high pressure often lose air normally through the process of permeation. Changes in outdoor temperature can
affect the rate in which your tire loses air. This change is more pronounced in hot weather. Generally speaking, a tire may lose one or two pounds of air per month in cool weather, and even more in warmer weather. Under- inflation is the leading cause of tire failure. Underinflation or overloading creates excessive stresses and heat, and can lead to tire failure. Vehicle damage and/or serious injury or death may result from the use of a spare tire that fails due to over-inflation, under-inflation or overloading. An explosion of a tire and wheel assembly can result from improper or careless inflation or procedures."