Full size spare or no

So just a random question here, what do you do with your stock spare tire and wheel when you buy a 5th matching set? Is there a market for them?

 

There's a market for the 17" spare steelies that came off of the sport models, but as for the 16"s, I wouldn't say theres much of a market for them. Although you may get lucky and find someone that wants to run all steelies on their trucks. It's the luck of the draw with 16s from what I've seen, but if you have a sport model with the 17, people want them because they're harder to find

 

Thanks. As my luck would have it, I'm going to a 17" wheel on my OR so I'll be stuck with 16" steelie and a never used tire.

 

Wonderful and that's your opinion, 1st time I have heard that since it's been on about 2 years.

 

Yep definitely why I added “imo”. Everyone has their own tastes

 

Yes, I've always ran the same tire on an identical 5th rim. My spare is worked into the rotation. This roughly gives me 25% longer tire life. So, it does cost more when I buy tires, but I buy them less often.

I travel far from home way too often not to have a matching spare, not that I've ever actually needed it.

 

Sorry, this is long winded.

I’ve ran a 5 wheel rotation on stock OR wheels since new, currently sitting at 25,000 and just completed 5th rotation. Dealing with programming of a new TPMS plus the ridiculous price kept me from putting one in the new wheel. I do the same as @peteri. The tire positions are mixed up on the tire information screen and 4 out of 5 rotations one sensor is in the spare position. You’ve still got better than Vegas odds you’ll get a flat on a tire with a sensor. If not, you’ll “feel” the flat just like we did 10 years ago, before these sensors were around.

Pros:
• Spare Tire Hoist gets some use and inspection every tire rotation.
• Spare wheel is inspected and tire inflated every rotation.
• Matching tread depth on spare in the event you are a long ways from repair shop and you’ll be running 4wd or spare is in rear.
• Spare is just as dependable as the other three tires still on the truck.

Cons:
• Paying for the 5th tire and wheel (Personally I think it’s worth the insurance. I don’t think you’ll actually see 25% longer time between tire purchases. That’s silly. If you got all 5 tires on the ground the same amount of time and there was no additional wear on the ever so slightly larger spare, then maybe? For Example: If a set of 4 tires lasted 50,000 there’s no way you could get 62,500 on the same set by adding in a 5th tire.)
• If you do your own rotations then you have the added time dropping the old spare and hoisting up the new spare.
• TPMS information center isn’t 100% accurate. But, it won’t throw a light.

Neither pro nor con: If the spare has a sensor it may have slightly different psi due to no weight of truck on it. I see this as a good identifier of which is the spare on the screen. Those with OCD will hate seeing one tire with different PSI.

Now that’s all just my opinion, not science.

 

Well, then you are doing the rotation wrong. I only have 4 of the 5 tires on the ground at any one time. When I buy a set of 4 tires, let say I get 50K miles before buying new. When I have 5 tires and rotate all 5 (again, only 4 on the ground at a time), I go well over 60K miles before buying a new set. See how that works? I never said each tire magically is worn less, I said I get more miles between buying a new set.

In other words, if you rotate every 5K, each tire takes a break of 5K every 25K the truck travels. So, if you drive 50K, each tire has 40K on it. If the tires wear out at 50K, the truck will travel 60K before any tire has 50K on it.

If you are buying a new set of 5 as often as a set of 4, you are doing something wrong.

 

For the difference between a 265/7016 and a 265/75/16 don't worry if you plan on just using the spare for occasional use as a spare. If I were going to buy 5 aftermarket wheels and do a 5 way rotation then all need to be the same size.

As tires wear down the get smaller in diameter. When new a 265/75/16 is about 1" taller than a 265/70/16. But when near the end of it's useful life it will be smaller, roughly the same size as a 265/70/16 when new. If the 4 tires on the ground were significantly larger than the spare, I'd upgrade the spare, but not in this case.

For occasional use for a spare you'll never notice, especially in 2wd. Even in 4X4 it shouldn't be a problem as long as you're driving on a surface that has poor traction.

FWIW, I have been keeping plugs, tools, and an air compressor in my vehicles for years. I've plugged probably 20 tires in 20 years for myself and others without having to resort to the spare. It is a lot easier, quicker, and safer than messing with the spare. It won't always be a permanent fix, but I've gotten it to hold air long enough to get to a tire store and a proper fix. Only resorted to the spare once in the last 20 years when a hole was too big to plug.

 

A set of 5 tires should last 20% more than a set of 4 tires because each one will be in the spare position 20% of the time.

 

Sorry mate, didn’t mean to disrespect. You did say longer tire life, though. I think we both agree that it is longer times between purchases.

 

Sure, I guess I knew what I meant
Longer between purchases, more miles on the truck between purchases, etc.

 

What’s the largest tire we can fit underneath without any heavy modification of anything ?

 

I've got a 265/75/16 cooper stt w/ a little less than half tread tucked in the spare location. It's tight, I don't think you'd get any bigger under there

* was put under the truck just because I had it laying around

 

255/75/17 fit easy enough, but I don't think much bigger would fit.

 

Yep, always imho.

 

Probably should order two full sized spares.... that way you would be prepared for a trip up the Dalton highway if the need arises.

 

I run a 5 wheel/tire rotation with a full size spare. One of the reasons I do it - I know my spare is serviceable and it gets looked at every 5k miles.

Here in AZ it just bugs me to waste money on a spare tire that just sits underneath, never getting used and dry rotting away. One day you'll need it and it'll be shot.

 

33"

 

Have a read here....https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/put-255-85-16s-on-stock-or-wheels-and-suspension.491079/page-51