At what point do you HAVE to swap your spare?

I’ve read and read and the thought seems to vary. Guess I’m of the mindset that $300 is better than a whole new front of rear end, but at what point is it necessary?

Stock tire on my sport is 265/60/20, would 285/60/20 be too big to use the spare to get me to a shop? I’m leaning towards 275/60/20 or 285/65/20 but nothing bigger.

Thanks!

 

This is my thought process: you don’t want to use mismatched tires/wheels on the rear diff since it’ll cause it to overheat from the difference in weight and sizes

the front diff however isn’t engaged by both pass and driver side because of the ADD, since my spare isn’t a 100% match for my wheels and tires I would just swap it onto the front

not a perfect solution but should work for a good bit, might get uneven wear on the front but it’ll get you to a shop

 

Never

 

Yes, the spare is a different size, very minimal difference, especially with an open differential. I too had the concern of the different size wheel and tire when I first got my truck, not so much now. When my current tires wear or need changing I'll match it all then. Treat it as a spare donut to get you to your destination then get your regular tire fixed/replaced.

 

No big deal having different or smaller size for spare. They are temporary use. Most vehicles use space saver spares these days which are much smaller and speed limited.

As far as how long they last......tires do age out and should be replaced at 10 years, even for the spare. The rubber degrades with time, oxidation, rubber gets more brittle and loses strength.

 

I bought a set of takeoff wheels and tires from someone on OfferUp and took one of them to use as my spare tire. This way I don't have to worry about anything and can keep going. I recommend doing the same.

If any of you guys are in Orange County, CA and are interested in grabbing a stock 20" TRD Offroad wheel and tire from me, I have three to get rid of.