OT - Full Size Spare - Or Is It?

I rented a car this weekend. The tire pressure indicator came on. At my next stop I checked the tires and it turned out to be that the left front tire was low. I filled it up and decided to check the spare to make sure it was full of air just in case I needed it. When I opened the trunk, I initially thought that the spare was a full size spare, because it sure wasn't a donut.

After closer inspection I noticed that the tires on the car were Bridgestones, 205/55-16, while the spare was a Pirelli 195/65-15. Under the numbers it had the words "Standard load" OK, so it's not quite a full size spare when compared to the tires on the car, but at least it's a real tire. Then I noticed that the rim had the familiar "donut labels" on it. Limited Use, Do Not Exceed 50 MPH, etc.

So what's the deal? Why would a full size tire, even if it was slightly smaller than the original tires, have the Limited Use, reduced speed labels on it? Granted, the smaller tire might make the handling a little weird. Could that be the reason they label the spare as "limited use", etc?

Reply to
DerbyDad03
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My concern would be the hub.

Will the hub even fit on the car?

If so, then the 15" tire would certainly be better than one of those mini-spares...but of course it would not be for long term use as it is the wrong size for the car.

Reply to
philo 

Why wouldn't the hub fit? Are you speculating that the spare that came with the rental car is unusable?

Reply to
DerbyDad03

If the spare was a factory original, I'm sure it's OK.

If it's something the rental agency just threw in there, I'd compare the hub size.

Reply to
philo 

I 'heard' manufactures finally realized compact spares were impacting sales... decided they wanted something that at a quick glance in the showroom looks like a full size spare, but still cheaper & lighter than providing an actual 'real' tire/wheel assembly. A compromise...

Anti lock brakes, traction control and some other stuff also don't play well with compact spares.

More here:

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An (unreliable) acquaintance said he'd herd at least one mfg is about to, or maybe already is selling cars sans spare altogether. Don't know which one/s, and it may in fact not be factual.

Erik

Reply to
Erik

My last truck had a "full size" spare but it wasn't the same size as the other tires (15" vs. 16"). It was a real wheel but couldn't be rotated with the other tires.

Wouldn't surprise me. I don't remember the last time I used the spare. I think it was on my '78 Granada (in perhaps '84). The spare on my last truck never left its mount. It couldn't have, for the last eight years, or more. The whole assembly was rusted into one big glop. It would have had to have been torched out.

Reply to
krw

I 'heard' manufactures finally realized compact spares were impacting sales... decided they wanted something that at a quick glance in the showroom looks like a full size spare, but still cheaper & lighter than providing an actual 'real' tire/wheel assembly. A compromise...

Anti lock brakes, traction control and some other stuff also don't play well with compact spares.

More here:

formatting link

An (unreliable) acquaintance said he'd herd at least one mfg is about to, or maybe already is selling cars sans spare altogether. Don't know which one/s, and it may in fact not be factual.

Erik

A friend bought a Toyota (minivan?) I do not recall what it is called. Had "run flat tires" on it and no spare came with it. WW

Reply to
WW

Newer Volvos with larger (18"+) factory tires definitely do not have spare tires. They come with kit of a pump & sealant. Basically a fancy Fix-A-Flat kit. Even the donut spares of that size do not fit in the trunk storage well. IIRC Jaguars also do this.

Read this article from Edmunds

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where they say "Edmunds has only been tracking the use of repair kits since 2009, but the list of cars with no spare tire is growing. According to Edmunds.com data, 47 more models now have repair kits. That's a 204 percent increase in cars that use them as a spare tire substitute. Repair kits are standard in 21 percent of the current vehicles available and outnumber the cars that come with run-flat tires."

Reply to
Retired

The vehicles I've had for the last few years, tire problems are a real concern. They go flat, and one time I had the lugs loosen and cause trouble a couple days after doing some brake work. I'd sure prefer to have a full size spare if possible.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Since it's not the same exact rating as the OEM tires it will not perform the same way. The warning is to cover their own ass in case you lose control of the car by going too fast.

Reply to
badgolferman

What did the rental agency say when you asked?

Reply to
Don Phillipson

They were closed when I returned the vehicle, so I didn't ask them. I left a note for them to call me about the "inconvenience" of having to top off the tire (twice). I'm hoping they'll credit me for some amount, although they already gave me a pretty good deal - a one day rental credit if I paid for the insurance coverage, which was less than the one day rental. In other words, I got the coverage but still paid less than I would have if I had declined the coverage and paid the full rental cost. I'm assuming they make more money on the insurance than the rental, so we all made out on the deal.

Anyway, when they call me, I"ll ask about the spare. Of course, I'm sure I can already tell you what he'll say. "If the spare says stay under 50, then I recommend you stay under 50.? What else could he say? It's not like he's going to tell me to ignore the warning and drive at whatever speed I want.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

I've changed one tire since 1986 (it may be longer than that).

I think the advantage of a spare tire is overrated.

YMMV, if you drive a lot of miles over bad roads.

Reply to
TimR

Many cars have no spare. Chevy Cruz and possibly others, Hyundai Accent and probably others. They have a kit with fix a flat type stuff to get you going.

Can't recall the last time I used the spare, but I'd feel more secure on a long trip having one. Around my normal works, shopping, not so much.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

I've lost track of how many tires I've changed just in the past year.

On my daughter's car alone I've had the spare on at least 6 times since we bought the car (used) in April.

In the first month, 3 of the 4 tires went low because of the aluminum wheels. I'd throw the spare on, drop the low tire off at a local shop, have them clean the wheel and fill it up. Over the summer she ran over a nail and a screw with a week of each other. She doesn't drive any place "bad" - just normal roads and parking lots. She works at a YMCA, so it's not like she parking in industrial areas with trucks, construction vehicles, etc.

We bought her new tires for winter and she hit a pothole within the first week, damaging a sidewall. It was covered under the road hazard warranty, so I threw the spare on, drove it over to the shop and they put a new tire on the rim without making me wait. If I had left it on the car I would have had to wait my turn until a bay was open.

With a floor jack, my cordless drill and a pipe to use as leverage, I can put the spare on in under 15 minutes, less than half hour total on and off. If I leave the tires on the vehicles when they need service, it's hours of waiting to get into a bay. I don't have that kind of patience.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

does that mean you had no flats or that you had someone else change the tire?

Reply to
Malcom "Mal" Reynolds

the fundie guide to vehicle maintenance: do nothing, blame others when it breaks

Reply to
Malcom "Mal" Reynolds

I met up with my brother on the road trip that I rented the car for. When the tire went low he lent me the portable air compressor he carries. It's just like the kit you described. You can use it to top off a tire with air, or you can hook up a different hose and put the included "slime" in the tire if it's flat.

His van has a spare, but he carries the kit just in case. All he's ever needed was the pump, but he's got the sealant if need be.

Regarding the "trunk storage", the donut for my Odyssey is stored inside the vehicle, under the floor mat behind the front seats. I've had vans where the spare hangs from the bottom the vehicle on a cable. That just sucks.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Who did the brake work? Lug nuts don't typically "loosen" on their own. It usually starts with a incorrect tightening procedure, such as not enough torque or not using the "crisscross" tightening pattern.

What "trouble" did the loose lugs cause that would have made a full size spare desirable?

Reply to
DerbyDad03

It was 1987 when I last changed a tire. But my wife called Saturday evening that a tire was flat when shopping with my son. Spare was flat too, even though it was checked in the spring. Son bought a foot pump and left it in the trunk. Went to nearby Midas and had the tire plugged. Picked up a nail. I don't tolerate old tires or leakers. When one loses pressure I take it to the shop and have it remounted. I replace them with new tire every few years too. But then you have the luck factor. Can't see the nail/screw you pick up.

Reply to
Vic Smith

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