Replace the spare tire, or not?

[Gary Fowler]

One of the Wife's cars is a 2003 and spare has never been on the ground, air has never been checked other than whacking with a hammer to see if it has air. The SUV has an onboard air compressor for emergency use and could be use to air up the spare if needed. My 2007 Chevy has never been on the ground either. I have never had a flat on the road on any of my vehicles. I (actually wife )have ran over a nail or two and caused a slow leak that I have always been able to air up a bit and go to a tire repair place. When I changed out my trucks tires at 48K miles they had never had a repair so I feel it would be a total waste to buy an new spare tire. What with cell phones and roadside assistance so readily available, there isn't much need to even have a spare except for really dire emergencies and then a 10 year old tire should get you to a tire shop.

 

[deepNdirt]

On my old F-150, when I replaced four tires, I would keep the best one and stick it on the spare rim. I always replaced tires before they were completely shot, and they were never more than 3 or 4 years old.

This is the way I do as well, No need to buy a new tire just to have as a spare never getting use and only to dryrot over time, Using "the best tire left from a new tire change " or even buying a good used 1/2 worn none dry rotted tire will work for a spare, After-all a spare is to get us back on the move and into a service station, right!

It use to say in most owners manuals, when rotating tires/wheels to install the spare as part of the tire rotation process, However this doesn't work for those of us who run another brand of tread design or oversize tires,or after- market wheels, so the spare never makes it onto the vehicle, thus being dry-roted when it is needed,
On another note: Every now and then when gas prices go sky-high, the Talk comes up of how consumers can get the most mpg from their cars, and can you believe someone mentioned by removing the spare eliminating the extra weight would help save on gas, Said that most people would not change their own tire anyway, and that they are members of AAA and will have them come get the car,
So if you are one of the AAA members no need to even have a spare tire

 

[jwstewar]

I'm going to go through this same dilemma next year. My truck is a '99 with the original spare underneath still with approx. 250 miles on it as I had a tire go down on me once on my way to work and it took me a couple of days to get to the shop. Any way, the tires on the truck are about 7 years old and needing to be replaced, when I did it the first time I went from Load Range C to D. I will probably stay with D again as I'm not sure my wheels will handle E. Since we tow the camper (and other trailers as well) that weighs in close to 10k and 1400 lb tongue weight, if I were to have a flat I don't think the C would handle the trailer - let alone being old and down a weight range. So I really think I will have to be replacing all 5 tires when I do it this time. Like others have said, it may be a used or take-off if I can find the right tire/size for the right price for the spare.

 

[David_Kb7uns]

This is the way I do as well, No need to buy a new tire just to have as a spare never getting use and only to dryrot over time, Using "the best tire left from a new tire change " or even buying a good used 1/2 worn none dry rotted tire will work for a spare, After-all a spare is to get us back on the move and into a service station, right!

Not around here, see them driving around for weeks on one of those tiny temp spares, at least put it on a non drive wheel so your now hard on the differential

David Kb7uns

 

[cockeyedMFer]

I tend NOT to run over ladders, broken bottles, steel beams, crash parts and other hazards in the road when I drive. I tend to not wander onto the shoulder, either. (That means I don't drive impaired or text and twitter when traveling).

I've taken it one step further and leave the radio off, refuse to engage in conversation with passengers and ignore billboards and those wacky inflatable waving arm advertising signs as well.

 

[aczlan]

I'm going to go through this same dilemma next year. My truck is a '99 with the original spare underneath still with approx. 250 miles on it as I had a tire go down on me once on my way to work and it took me a couple of days to get to the shop. Any way, the tires on the truck are about 7 years old and needing to be replaced, when I did it the first time I went from Load Range C to D. I will probably stay with D again as I'm not sure my wheels will handle E. Since we tow the camper (and other trailers as well) that weighs in close to 10k and 1400 lb tongue weight, if I were to have a flat I don't think the C would handle the trailer - let alone being old and down a weight range. So I really think I will have to be replacing all 5 tires when I do it this time. Like others have said, it may be a used or take-off if I can find the right tire/size for the right price for the spare.

I would swap the best one to the spare (or install a takeoff).
Worst case if you get a flat on the back while loaded, put the spare on the front and put the current front onto the back that blew.

Aaron Z