Lessons learned after the fact are hard lessons

I learned a hard lesson today.... after owning several Toyota trucks and 2 previous Tundras.I finally had the opportunity to lift the truck and actually upgrade rims and tires. I bought 4 FUEL 20in SLEDGE RIMS and 5 BF Goodrich Baja champions 285/65/20s only to come to find out the DAMN SPARE IS AN 18?????? AND apparently, this is the normal practice as I crawled under several Toyota at the dealership after finding out I can not mount this fifth tire without now buying another rim..... So freaking annoyed

 

I'd prob be a bit grumpy too then

 

Definitely sucks for you, but something that is pretty common across the board of manufacturers (GM, Ford, etc.). The door sticker tells you the size of your spare without having to crawl under the truck.

 

Name checks out Doc. Mending a SgtMajor and not one single Vitamin M was dispensed.I bet you walk on water too.

 

Ya, i have never had to crawl under to check the size, or look at the door- previously the spare rim was a doughnut of equal diameter or the full-size has been of equal size.to the other 4 tires even the sales guy was bedazzled when I asked him. It might be common knowledge to most people on here but certainly not everyone.


apparently, the spare is on an 18 but the tire itself is a larger size so it still is similar in height for driving purposes???


original 4 tires were 275/55/r20
the spare is 255/70/18---


i just don't understand It

 

If you want to get a 20" wheel, go hit up a salvage yard, pawn shop, or hell....maybe even a dealership. I've seen times where you can buy 3 wheels or less cuz 1 got damaged in an accident, hit a curb, or something.

 

Not sure what this is supposed to mean...so yeah whatever.

I'm not saying it is common knowledge, I'm saying it's common for all manufacturers to make the spare a different rim size but make the tire equal in size to the 4 others. An 18 inch steel rim is cheaper and easier to produce for a spare that's gonna just sit under your truck, than a 20 inch alloy.

And by saying "sucks for you" means just that. It sucks you had to learn the hard way. I by no means was rubbing it in your face...

 

ya I plan on it- I guess my confusion is why is the spare different? its not cost as the dealer/manufacturer pass the cost on to us, the buyers.... it can't be the size, as to their stock tires are of relativity equal size,,,

 

It definitely is cost driven. There are very few people out there that would want to pay extra for a 20" alloy wheel as a spare. The vast majority of of buyers don't want to pay extra for a wheel and tire that is going to sit under the truck unseen for the majority of its life.

 

Do you have a buyer for your wheels?! You could use one of your 1794 wheels as your new spare...

 

No i do not have a buyer yet but I wanted to try and sell rims and tires as a set in hopes to get more money as well as a quicker sale. the tires also come with the TMPS sensor as well... i will just try to find a shitty 20 or see if I can return the 20in tire and order the same one for an 18 rim

 

My 11 Raptor had an almost matching spare under it, same wheel but instead of being gray in the middle it’s black. Have no idea why it matches right down the same BFG tire but different color. OP I never looked at the spare in the Tundra and probably would have not thought about the door tag.

 

As far as I can tell Vitamin M wasn t neccessary.

 

I got a take off 20 inch rim/tire from ebay that matches my current setup for $200 shipped. Texas tire shop or something like that....

 

To be honest, I wouldn't expect to have a 20" rim as a spare. If my factory ones were smaller, say an 18" then I would expect to have an 18". 20" just seems excessive for a spare. With that said, I never looked underneath or at my door sticker. Sucks that this is how you found out though. Hopefully you can find a 20" spare pretty cheap though.

 

That's what I would do. A reasonable tire shop would understand your problem and swap the tire - especially as it has never been mounted.

I think Toyota still uses a 18"spare, as most of the Tundras seem to come with 18" wheels even when alloy - the TRD off roads and TRD Pro's all run 18" wheels.

 

True. No limbs lost or fatal wounds.

 

Meh. It is what it is.

My TSS package received 20" TSS wheels and premium tires at Gulf States. I'm pretty sure my spare is the same old 18" Bridgestone that came on it. Haven't checked, don't care. I plan to use the spare only until I can have the 20" tire repaired or replaced. The Tundra's 18" spare tire/wheel is huge compared to most current temporary spares.

If you want to run/rotate five wheels, then my plan would be to get an identical fifth wheel and tire. One advantage of running/rotating five wheels is that every tire rotation you'll be forced to check the spare's air pressure. Dropping that spare to put it on the ground every 5K miles will be a ROYAL pita.

 

If you rotate your spare into service you'll want the same rims IMO, otherwise the offset will be off as well not just the other dimensions and attributes.

Shakes fist at @JohnLakeman for getting "ninja'd"

 

This. Only time I've ever run a 5 tire rotation was with my FJ.

 

Cheapest, easiest, best solution for me: Chinee portable compressor + TireJect sealant (if needed). No worries about rotating or even checking spare.

$30 TireJect Automotive Full-Size Truck/SUV 2-in-1 Tire Sealant & Bead Sealer Kit for tire Repair of leaks and punctures

https://www.amazon.com/TireJect-Aut...uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

$35 FORTEM Tire Inflator Portable Air Compressor 150 PSI, 12V Electric Bike Pump for Car Tires and Bicycles w/LED Light, Digital Tire Pressure Gauge w/Auto Pump/Shut Off, Carrying Case (Red)

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Tire...uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

 

Never used that brand of sealer. Does it stick to the wheel/rims like the foams do?

 

I have Mesquite trees. I discovered TireJect trying to keep all the tires on my John Deere riding mower up. I tried that green Slime (****), then inner tubes, only to be severely disappointed in both cases.

That green slime liquifies after a couple of years and loses it's sealing ability. Then you've got a mess inside your tire, and adding more Slime won't help. The tire store guys hate you when you bring in a tire with that ****. I got where I would rather dismount and repair my own tires rather than listen to their bitchin'.

TireJect is a rubber-based product. After installation, it seals the hole then distributes all over the tire interior as a thin blue rubber film. The tire guys may not be any happier with TireJect, but at least I won't need them to repair the tires.

 

what you should have learned is to never buy 20" FUELs

 

In all seriousness, what is wrong with them?

 

Thanks for introducing me to a new product I will be using. Thats good gouge.

 

A couple of points I forgot to mention.

After a couple of years, the TireJect inside the tire will completely "plate out" on the interior of the tire and dry up. The old punctures will remain sealed, but eventually, any new punctures (mesquites never sleep) may begin to leak. At that time, you simply re-treat the tire again for another couple of years. It's a continuous, not inexpensive, repair process, but better than other alternatives.

The other thing is my experience on dismounting one of my TireJect-treated mower tires, and having to clean out the TireJect. The TireJect film was a dry, light blue, rubber film that was easily scrubbed off the interior of the tire, compared that greasy liquid mess from Slime. It's like a thin rubber balloon film that rolls and balls up when you scrub it, leaving the tire and wheel clean. I discovered too late that the secret to cleaning up Slime is not petroleum-based solvents, but WATER...it's highly water soluble and washes fairly clean.

 

I threw my spare in the pile and sold them within several moments of posting on FB market place. Paid for my 5th wheel and tire.

FWIW, many cars don't even have a spare

 

they're for the bros