4 tires not 5, temporary spare, PO'ed

I have a '09 4x4 access cab with styled steel wheels (silver),. Went to rotate my tires tonite only to find out that the spare is a plain black wheel for temporary use. I thought I was buying a truck with 5 tires and wheels, essentially I have only 4 and a spare spare. Now because I can't rotate the tires without the truck looking odd with one black wheel, Toyota has essentially cut 20% off the life of my tires. This really annoys me. Toyota Cust Serv. says all trucks get the same spare regardless of the type of wheel installed on the truck. I thought maybe they gave me the wrong spare. Anyone else annoyed by this? I asked Toy. if I can't use the spare for full time use, why should I carry this heavy spare around, should have given me a lightweight donut, so I wouldn't waste gas.

 

whoah im completely lost.... yes the spare has a black wheel, but is the same as ur other stock ones... my sport came with 5 dunlops... also rotate ur 4 driving tires, dont throw ur spare into the mix

 

i think this change was implemented in late '09 models
i was lucky enough to get a full size spare though
dumb move on toyota's part if you ask me

 

If it bothers you that much, spray paint it silver and run it.

 

if i got flat while i was off roading i wouldnt want to put a little donut spare tire on, i want a full size so i can get out of the woods. jmo

 

Wow who cares its not the end of the world. Toyota only includes the same wheel for a spare on some models. Example the Fj, avalon.

 

Is the spare a "doughnut" spare, or is it the same size tire as the other 4, just on a black steel rim? Mine has the same size tire on a black rim.

 

agreed!

 

same tire just has a black steel rim, but its a different steel rim then what the 4 main ones are.
looks like this

 

Buy a rim to match your four, swap the rubber, and sell the original spare rim. My '07 spare doesn't match either.

 

my 09 has a full size spare..same dunlop tire that is on my other 4 wheels, except on the black spare rim.

 

The OP is saying (if i read it right) that he has the fill size spare on a black steel rim with 4 other silver steel rims. He's PO'd because the 5th rim isn't the same as the 4 regular rims.

Even tho many books say to rotate the spare in- It doesn't make sense to me. Just leave your fill size spare up under there and rotate the other 4 amongst themselves. It's a spare- Made to get you out of the situation you are in and to a store to get a new tire as needed.

And they haven't cut 20% off the life of your tires- The tires will still last X miles...you'll jsut have to replace them a touch sooner time-wise because you don't have the 5th tire in the mix.

 

hmm, i thought i read somewhere that new ones were only getting temporary 'doughnut' spares.
ahh well...

 

Same as you, full size tire on plain jane black rim.

 

He is driving a 4 cycl 2.7 L.. its a little truck.. thus a little spare


disreguard... above statement.. i thought he was complaining about a Doughnut... I say pain all tires black to match the spare..

 

well if its a full size tire then its not 'temporary'
they just use plain ugly black rims to cut costs most likely

 

I used to always put my spare into the tire rotation mix. Now I can't because of the bonehead move by Toyota. Now for the life of the truck I will look a pretty Dunlop tire under my bed that I will never use.

I could understand Toyota not wanting to put a nice expensive aluminum wheel spare on the truck, but how much are they really saving by not using the same steel wheel for the spare as the other 4 on the truck?

 

look at it this way, probably saves you a grand off the sticker price to have the steel rim

 

Its labeled "for Temporary use" and I guess they consider it temporary because it does not have a tire pressure monitor on it therefore if used continuously the warning light will stay on.