Wear Gouges on Spare Tire? Check Yours.

I know this is an old thread but I didn't want to post something new after finding this search. If I need to make a new one let me know.

I just got a 2011 and was checking out the spare and teaching the wife how to lower it and have the same indentations and they look more like burns at first, but after reading this threat it makes sense.

My question is is this safe? Has anyone had any issues with a spare with these at all? My spare looks brand new, still has the spinys on it might be the factory one, in that case just as afraid as dry rot, had a 12 year old spare throw it's tread after being put into use. Didn't know a lot about cars, not saying I do now, but I like to be safe.

 

Tires have a shelf life of 8 years. End of story. As for the little grooves in the spare. Hate to break it to everybody but 99.99 percent of under mounted spares have these. It's a spare. You blow a tire, loosen the lugs, if you can't get them loose get a real man to help you. Lower the spare tire through the ignorant proprietary means the manufacturer provides you with. Jack the truck, remove blown tire, put spare on vehicle. Start lugs by hand. Snug them up, lower vehicle. Tighten lugs, throw bad tire in bed of truck. Take garbage bottle jack and throw it in the ditch after 1.5 hours of cursing. Don't be one of hose guys that puts the blown tire back under the truck. Be nice to the guy at discount tire that has to replace the neglected tire that blew out.

 

There are two threads on this site discussing the same topic so I am posting my response on both. Whoever it was that recommended the pool noodle - you are a genius.

 

I have found the best practice is to have a full size spare matching your other 4 tires that you can have rotated in about every two oil changes or so. Been doing this on a couple different trucks and SUVs and never had any issues with deformities or markings on the spare since they don't stay there long enough to get them.

 

^^ Those pool noodles will be paper thin in a few days. You need something like old tire pieces.

 

You also extend the mileage you get out of a set !