Flat while Offroading

[jbmccul]

Went out offroading today with a buddy of mine and punctured a tire, had to drive on the flat for about 15 minutes to get back to pavement to change it,it was raining and the clay was too soft to jack up the car. My spare is the original Dunlop that came with the car 4 years ago.

1. Before I mount a new tire on the rim should I check to make sure that it is still sructurally stable, and if so how do I go about doing this.

2. The spare has two impressions on the tire. It appears that these are from where it was resting up under the car. Since I'm only home for the weekend I have to drive 300 miles back to school Monday. Should I be worried about making the trip?

Thanks

 

[Bamf_CT2004]

Look for any cracks on the rim. If you dont have any cracks you should be good to go. Rim should be fine since you were in soft clay.

as for the spare you should be ok. Drive around on it for the weekend and look for any bubbles on the sidewall if you are concerned about the impressions. If everything looks ok and its holding air, you should be ok for the trip back.

 

[techno]

I agree, the spare should be fine. I've had similar marks on my spare and driven it with no issues.

I carry a 12"x12"x.75" piece of plywood tucked under the back seats to use as a base plate for jacking when offroad. It distributes the weight better and reduces sinking on soft ground. Perhaps something like this would make a good edition to your offroad gear.