No Spare Tire or Alternative Mounting?

@WormSquirts Considering you don't think you need it, why not get a roof rack and throw it up there?
Wouldn't be the easiest to access solo but at least you'll have one. From your buddies and your experience you probably won't ever need to take it down. It would be out of the way.

 

That isn't a bad idea. I had always thought "ugh it would be such a pain" but you're right, I can deal with that in the unlikely event that I have to!

My only concern with the roof was that it would be a lot of additional weight up high along with my roof top tent. I want to get a roof rack eventually any way, so I could at least try it.

 

You can run a mismatched spare on the front or rear it doesn't matter as long as you don't do it for extended periods of time. It is a spare and is only meant to get you to a place to repair or replace the blown tire.

There are millions of cars on the road using smaller spare tires and they work just fine for their intended purpose.

 

I'm considering bumper options and trying to keep things light what rear bumper is that?

 

never mind I just saw this post that you made yours. that's kinda the direction I'm heading I just need a tubing bender

 

It's a Trail Gear, I made the swingouts.

 

Casper - No prob

eccracer- I just want to have the closest spare without doing any hammering. Got tires from DDT and they have the replacement warranty.

I alway heard you couldnt run a smaller tire as spare but i have done it.
On my 98 Taco was driving some light trails and went through water came out with huge gash through the treads.
My tires where 31"s and my spare was alot shorter. Drove home on the parkway about 100mile no probs

 

I've never figured out why they say no smaller spare when cars get space savers all the time

 

Mines a swingout. Love it

 

We got a virus or something here with our trucks. The trucks all have something that protrudes from the front

 

Fortune favors the prepared. I like that saying.

 

@Wile what size tires are on those Trail Teams? Any mods/chops?

Bumper looks great BTW.

 

You're correct, but if he has a locking rear diff he would need to unlock it to run the spare on the rear. If he has a LSD idk how that would work, beyond my scope of knowledge.

I didn't need to cut or bend anything to fit a 285 under the bed of my truck. I'm not 100% if every 2nd gen out there is identical for the spare tire brackets but you should be able to fit up to a 285 without modification in the stock spare location.

All those cars are open differentials which allows for the wheels/tires to rotate at different speeds without damaging the differential.

 

Glad folks agree.

Carry the spare. Especially off road! Shit goes wrong, fact of life. Etc.

If you can swing a 4lb hammer for 5 minutes, those tabs will be history. Super easy. It was mandatory for me to fit mine under there.

 

The tires are LT255-85-R16. No mods. I had a slight rub on the mudflap before I had my Icon UCAs adjusted forward. Now no rub what so ever.

 

Pizza cutters - nice That'll be my next tire when my 265/75 Coopers wear out. I have the same wheels so I was curious...

 

You are correct that any differential locker should be disengaged when using a smaller spare.

Tacoma's have an open differentials too, unless you have a locker, which should be disengaged for a smaller spare. And a True LSD would not make any difference except for maybe a little wear on the clutch plates. The electronic auto LSD has no effect at all.

So yes a smaller spare tire would be just fine for what it is intended.

 

Got it. Thank you

So as long as the diff is open could you put the smaller spare on the front or rear and still use 4x4?

 

Guys -
Thanks for al the great info
Let ya know what I do

 

Yes.