Where are you putting your 33" spare.

255/80/17 looks like a good option! I hadn't been able to find an option that was so close in diameter and significantly thinner. Something to consider. Thank you!

 

Thanks for the info, I'm considering stuffing a full size down there as well now.

Side note, what retractable cover are you running?

 

I have the Retrax Pro XR. I really like it. It does take up some room in the front of the bed but it's very secure and smooth to operate. I also plan to make up for the loss of bed space by putting a rack on with the t-slots.

 

It is a little taller than the 285s so you should check the clearance again first.

 

Roof rack mounted

 

That's what I plan to get, limited options in 3 peak mountain snowflake.

 

Really weighing the benefit of having a 33" spare. I don't want to shoehorn one into the bottom because I think it will kill clearance on the long bed, and carrying one elsewhere is just awkward. So why not just take the risk of using a smaller 32" spare just for a short mileage emergency? Kind of a quandary.

 

That's not a bad idea but I think you'd want a full-size spare for off-road use. My current thoughts are:
Get a 245/75/17 with some actual tread on it to replace the temporary spare and keep it underneath the bed.
If/when I get bigger tires then get 5. Keep one in the garage and put it in the bed for offroad trips. That would give me 2 spares.

 

That's what I did ages ago on my Scout. Eventually built a swing-out mount for the back.

 

I carry two spares when we travel through Central America- 235/85r16 (2004 xtracab 4WD.) One underneath, one on the roof. I have a scar on my face from trying to lift the wheel off the roof rack in the Panama heat and taking it to the face. Its a great place to put it, but be strong. Also, I've more than once come back with two raggedy blown out tires (or just the wheels once) from these trips. For us, it's never just to the next tire place, as they almost never have a matching tire, and Mexican side of the road tires don't take overweighted trucks like american tires do. I had a set of two mexican tires last about 7K, and had to keep buying new ones on the way up.

Edit: with a rotation of 6 tires, I regularly get 85k miles to a set of 6. I'm on my third set of the same tires. (Firestone Destination X/T)

 

Don’t both tires on a set of connected axles need to be the same size to prevent damage from occurring?

like if you had a smaller spare, and a flat on the back, you’d need to swap in one of the front tires and then drive in 2wd with the small spare on the front?

seems to me that the more rotations per mile on the smaller tire would create a bind on the differential?

Am I overthinking here?

 

My 33 spare seemed dangerously close to the exhaust. I have 35s now with a fullsize on the swingout. I had it in the bed for a while but it took up too much room. My buddy @rhetto carries a 35 on his swingout with a stock spare under the bed (just an idea if you need to carry two).

 

An open differential will allow the wheels to turn at different speeds, that’s why they can make corners without spinning one of the wheels. Now a limited slip differential or an automatic locking diff like the Eaton G80 on my Sierra won’t like a difference in speed for prolonged periods.

Since I have an electric locker on the Taco, it’s an open diff when unlocked, so safe. I think some have LSD though.

Worse case Ontario, put the spare in the front, 2 identical in the rear and stay in 2wd.

 

Swingout tire gate

 

Hard to tell from the photos, but: 1) how close is the nearest point of the exhaust to the tire rubber? 2) Can we get some actual ground clearance measurements from the lowest point of the tire?

 

I measured it at approx 10.5 inches from the pavement at the lowest point. With the new 33 inch tires the diff sits at about 10 inches above the pavement, so the tire sits about 1/2 inch higher than the differential. You can see that the diff hangs lower than the tire in this pic. I don't think ground clearance is going to be impacted. However, departure angle might be.

 

Yeah, I think that's probably the best solution. Did you keep that original spare underneath?

 

The stock spare? No

 

OK, the ground clearance is better than it looks. I can't imagine that close proximity of the exhaust is good for the tire.

 

I have already ordered the OEM axle dump exhaust but it is back ordered. I am sure that will improve the situation