Spare tire problem

Hey everyone,

Been lurking a while using the site and search function to help make my decision on buying my Tacoma.
I bought a 09 DC 4x4 TRD Off Road in December.

I mostly use it for commuting to work but it also has found a good share of mud, snow and dirt.

While doing a really thorough cleaning on it today I decided to turn over the spare tire to get better access to the valve stem.
There are 8 deep wear grooves on the tire side wall about 1/16" deep from where it rests against the truck.
I haven't seen this mentioned before and wondering if it was common or if it wasn't set tight enough creating the wear.

 

hmmmm ill have to look at mine.BUT i have seen this before on other trucks/cars.

 

I'd say the spare must have been a little loose to cause that wear. Otherwise it would have been able to move.

 

This is common. Every Tacoma spare tire that gets secured underneath takes this impression over time from the steel rails underneath. When the tire gradually loses air, I think the rubber become more easy to mark. Shouldn't be a problem functionally because it's not a cut but whether this is a noticeable vibration when put to use...I wouldn't know.

 

Thanks! ! I'll have to look at mine and by the way Welcome to TW! ! !!

 

I had 2 spares (my original and I bought another) and both have these marks. The cheap/easy mod (from another site) was to place a bicycle intertube between the tire and the mount.

 

I got a flat last weekend and had the same thing on my spare when I brought it down, didn't make any difference in how the tire road though. The guy at the tire shop said the tire carrier must not have been tight enough, either way as long as the spare doesn't go flat from it, it doesn't bother me.

 

Good to know its not just on mine.
Anyways took it to the dealer for them to see it. They also thought the tire may not have been set tight enough and agreed to replace it after realizing it had worn through 2 layers and well on its way in to a 3rd layer in only 3 months.