How do you guys handle the spare tire when getting new tires?

Getting ready to buy all four new tires, but not sure how to deal with the spare tire. It still looks to be in good condition, but I'm thinking about replacing it anyway.

• Does it make sense to get all 5 tires the same?
• Since it's a 4x4, how do you guys deal with rotating the tires? What pattern? How often should they be rotated?
  

 

I leave it, the spare is spare only, I dont do 5 tire rotations.

Tires eventually get too old to use safely, think it is like 8 or 9 years, and I replace it when it gets that old.

 

and for rotations

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...86427243793!!!g!!&gclsrc=aw.ds&&affiliate=HM5

 

So you don't worry about the spare being same brand/model/size? I'm guessing you think about it only as a temporary thing to get you out of emergency situations, and then immediately fix the 4 main tires?

Sorry if these are obvious/elementary questions; I'm an idiot who grew up in the city, with no knowledge passed down to me regarding 4x4s.

 

I just bought four AT3W's in a size different than my spare. My plan is to buy five wheels and a fifth tire w/in the next couple of thousand miles then start a five tire rotation. I'd rather not have a different sized spare, but will need to run that way till I can buy the wheels/fifth tire. I'll sell the stock spare afterwards.

 

I don't do anything with the spare and do a 4 tire rotation, front to back. I consider the spare just emergency to get me home. I will be at the tire store fixing the problem tire the next day anyway. I do however run the same size tire circumference which doesn't cause any issues. But even if they were different sizes, I don't think it would cause any harm if used short term.

 

That all makes sense; thank you all for the input

 

if you're running larger tires than stock, you should make sure your spare is the same size, I have 35" mud tires, my spare isn't the same brand, but it is also a 35" tire, if you run a bigger tire on one side and a smaller spare, you can cause the differential to heat up and fail due to the imbalance between sides

also, my spare is just one of my used 35" mud tires (from a previous set of 4), no real reason to buy a brand new tire (in my case since its larger) and just have it sitting waiting to be used, all the tire needs to do is get me off the trail onto the main road, or to the tire shop to get a patch etc

 

Digging up an older thread here. I totally hear what you’re saying about the differential heating up due to the size difference. If you’re just looking to limp it to the nearest town, or the nearest shop I would think you could get away with that. What I’m curious about is the traction control sensors. I wonder if they would freak out, or if turning them off or unplugging them would be an option? Can someone who understands the electronics on these trucks weigh in?

 

Imagine you got your truck on an oval racetrack. Probably wouldn’t be much different.

 

If the difference is big enough (maybe 35” vs 31”?) I would imagine traction control would freak out on turns, you could just pull the red ABS fuse and it wouldn’t freak out. But I’d be very careful about driving with different sizes, IE get onto a main road for a tow truck and get it towed to a tire shop; if I didn’t have a full size spare I’d get off whatever trail I’m on and then to a main road, and then tow truck is getting called