Been thinking for a while (no research just thinking) would it be a good idea to have a spare tire instead of that glue repair kit. Haven't looked if there are any jack points.

I do have a big cut in a rear tyre that the BYD mechanic said was fine, but it's a bit of a worry.

So I could buy a new tyre and rim and place it on the car then take this tyre and rim off and keep as a spare.

What think you?

If the steel braid is not showing and it never went flat, it should be fine as a spare, never put it on the front axle though.

49 minutes ago, carlyai said:

So I could buy a new tyre and rim and place it on the car then take this tyre and rim off and keep as a spare.

On a common axle - especially if it has driven wheels - the diameter/circumference difference should be kept to a minimum to keep the differential from wearing out.

Gemini came up with this table:

Drivetrain / Differential Type	Max Allowable Tread Depth Delta	Max Allowable Circumference Delta	Rotational Speed Variance
Strict AWD / Viscous Coupling / LSD	2/32″ – 3/32″ (~1.6 – 2.4 mm)	1/4″ (~6.35 mm)	$<0.3\% - 0.5\%$
Standard 2WD (Open Differential)	4/32″ (~3.2 mm)	1/2″ – 3/4″ (~12.7 – 19 mm)	$<0.8\% - 1.0\%$

where are you going to carry a spare?

Based on the picture the cut looks no worst than the factory-made impressions/grooves. And trying to carry a full size or even mini spare tire when a car really has no space specifically made for it seems problematic.

I too sometimes think about the day I will have a flat with one of my cars, but fortunately over many decades from my young adult days to my old man days I've had very few flats. And with the exception of two flats all the other flats were really moderate "leaks" which allowed me to just to add some air without needing to change the tire and then get the car to a tire repair shop. Now those "two flat-flats" were "quick" flats (one tire was a Firestone tire that just completely & quickly failed on a Pontiac Firebird and the other a big nail in a Michelin tire on a Toyota Fortuner.

Personally, I would just make sure the current flat tire kit consisting of a 12V air pump and some tire sealant (what you called glue) are useable....that is, make sure the pump actually works and the sealant is not expired.

Edited August 12Aug 12 by Pib

10 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

where are you going to carry a spare?

Was thinking in the boot of the SUV, but I think Pib's comment is a better option, better still just buy a new tyre then I won't be always worried about it.

36 minutes ago, carlyai said:

Was thinking in the boot of the SUV, but I think Pib's comment is a better option, better still just buy a new tyre then I won't be always worried about it.

Yeah, I keep a 12V "Michelin" compressor in the car for the "come back to the car and it's flat" flats. I've used it a few times in the last 20 years.

B-Quik has free roadside which is great for jumps and flats

46 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

Yeah, I keep a 12V "Michelin" compressor in the car for the "come back to the car and it's flat" flats. I've used it a few times in the last 20 years.

B-Quik has free roadside which is great for jumps and flats

Thanks for that, a good idea.

Mainly worried about wifey when I'm away if she gets a flat. I probably couldn't lift those huge tires out of the boot now anyway.

And a lot of vehicle insurance companies provide roadside assistance as a freebie benefit...and even included in basic car warranty in many cases. Yea, a person does need to call a number and hope the road assistance can arrive in a reasonable time (and hopefully a number with English language capability).

But based on the chances of having a "flat-flat" (really low chances based on my lifelong experience (I hope I haven't jinxed myself by saying that) that can't hold any air provided from the 12V air pump. In my driving around Thailand I rarely see anyone with a flat tire along the road "except" overloaded small/big business trucks which were using over-inflated/recapped tires or someone who was running on slick tires...tires that should have never passed the last inspection.

Based on the OP's picture of that tire gouge if it didn't go deeper than the factory made grooves I wouldn't worry about it in the less. And since the dealership mechanic said not to worry about it (a mechanic trained to drum-up business for the shop) I definitely wouldn't worry about it. In the picture it definitely looks like a small gouge...didn't go deep.

Heck, even throwing a brand new set of tires on a car doesn't mean you are shielded from getting a flat the next day by running over a sharp object.

2 hours ago, carlyai said:

Was thinking in the boot of the SUV, but I think Pib's comment is a better option, better still just buy a new tyre then I won't be always worried about it.

That's a strange ad in how it says/implies Bt8,900 for a "set" but Bt850 X 24 months = Bt20,400.

Tires are much better and last longer than they did when I started driving.

1 minute ago, Pib said:

That's a strange ad in how it says/implies Bt8,900 for a "set" but Bt850 X 24 months = Bt20,400.

Credit?

Just now, Yellowtail said:

Credit?

Yea, the ad talks/implies buying on credit....it's just the the low price for a "set" and buying over 24 months seem way, way out of sync.

2 minutes ago, Pib said:

Yea, the ad talks/implies buying on credit....it's just the the low price for a "set" and buying over 24 months seem way, way out of sync.

Broke people need tires too.

I would think someone so confident that they make up some gobbly gook term like "SL7" like it means something to regular people who aren't stupid would already know the answer...

Money talks, bull<deleted> walks. 😃

5 minutes ago, SiSePuede419 said:

I would think someone so confident that they make up some gobbly gook term like "SL7" like it means something to regular people who aren't stupid would already know the answer...

Money talks, bull<deleted> walks. 😃

That's a silly post.

SL7 is Sea Lion 7, name of SUV.

You write about 'gobbly gook term' and what's more gobbly gook than "SiSePuede419".

Come on, try harder, 1/10. :)

In my 10 years here my flat tyre history goes like this:

First car came with a Donut, used twice in 4 1/2 years. B-Quik plugged twice for free.

Second car,came with pump and foam, bought a Donut ( 7k baht ) no flats in 3 years.

Third car, came with pump and foam, no flat in 6 months.

Fourth car, came with pump and foam, one flat ( front tyre down from 36 to 26 psi ) limped to dealership who put air back in to 40 psi then pointed me in the direction of B-Quik who plugged for free, in 2 1/2 years.

Consider myself lucky as never had a flat in the sticks.

Last two cars not feasible to carry a Donut, plus wouldn’t feel happy about jacking up a two ton + car at the side of the road with a cheap jack.

Now carry, along with the pump and foam a plugging kit although it would be a bit of a nightmare trying to plug a tyre with it still on the car which brings me back to the nightmare of trying to use a cheap jack in the arse end of nowhere !!

My emergency options , if needed, are to use the supplied pump ( it does work without the foam ) to limp to a breakdown shop or give the foam a try !!

I supposedly have breakdown cover but whether they would deal with a flat am not sure, should probably look into that 🤔

Bung some black silicone in the hole?

On 8/12/2026 at 11:38 AM, carlyai said:

I do have a big cut in a rear tyre that the BYD mechanic said was fine,

I think that would come under what my mother would have called something " a blind man would be glad to see"

30 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Bung some black silicone in the hole?

I think that would come under what my mother would have called something " a blind man would be glad to see"

So you wouldn't be worried driving with that tyre?

It was on the front so I moved it to the back but every time I walk past the car, that cut seems to be at the top saying 'you'll be sorry'.

And again, what happens when I rotate my tyres, that tyre goes to the front again?

As Alfred E said "what me worry?"

22 minutes ago, carlyai said:

So you wouldn't be worried driving with that tyre?

It was on the front so I moved it to the back but every time I walk past the car, that cut seems to be at the top saying 'you'll be sorry'.

And again, what happens when I rotate my tyres, that tyre goes to the front again?

As Alfred E said "what me worry?"

If it is not cut deeper than the tread, I would not worry a bit.

But if I was worried, I'd just buy a new tire and be done with it. I would not buy a set.

On 8/12/2026 at 11:38 AM, carlyai said:

Been thinking for a while (no research just thinking) would it be a good idea to have a spare tire instead of that glue repair kit. Haven't looked if there are any jack points.

I do have a big cut in a rear tyre that the BYD mechanic said was fine, but it's a bit of a worry.

So I could buy a new tyre and rim and place it on the car then take this tyre and rim off and keep as a spare.

What think you?

I don't like foam repair and would much rather have a space saver rim/tyre. Keeping a full sized rim and tyre for an SUV in the car is impractical.

I don't know about the Sealion but in the Atto you can fit a space saver in the boot as long as you don't mind sacrificing a little space by keeping the floor panel in the position where it's flush with the boot lid.

I've checked and it's possible to get a suitable rim and it will fit quite comfortably: you will need to buy a jack. The foam inflation kit / granny charger etc I keep in the frunk.

Have not used it in the three years I've had it but had a space saver in another car and used that twice in five years after two blowouts that wouldn't have been fixable with foam.

I think where you live and drive makes a big difference as well. In Bangkok, you're not on the side of the road five minutes and someone is there to help. Out in the boonies, it could be quite different.

I've had two blow-out type flats in the last 25 years. The last one was at a Toyota dealer for service and my boy ran into a corner of a parking stop-block.

The first one was on the side of 304 in Prachinburi. I was in a suit on my way to Bangkok for a meeting. A kid on a motorbike stopped and changed it for me.

I came out to a flat in the driveway a couple years ago and just aired it up and drove it to the tire shop.

20 hours ago, carlyai said:

So you wouldn't be worried driving with that tyre?

It was on the front so I moved it to the back but every time I walk past the car, that cut seems to be at the top saying 'you'll be sorry'.

And again, what happens when I rotate my tyres, that tyre goes to the front again?

As Alfred E said "what me worry?"

I worked in the tyre industry in my last job.

Your picture isn't clear enough for me to comment so I'll tell you how what to look for when you inspect it: a cut in the rubber is potentially dangerous if you can see white or silver fabric plies, metal cords or wire threads. If the internal reinforcement structural mesh is exposed to the elements, moisture will rust the cords, causing structural failure or a sudden blowout.

If in doubt, just replace it.

On 8/13/2026 at 8:25 AM, Yellowtail said:

B-Quik has free roadside which is great for jumps and flats

Free roadside help? That's good to know.

5 minutes ago, IsaanT said:

Free roadside help? That's good to know.

I got a tire change once and the jump-start a few times.