Spare Tire Fit
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leftyguns21
New member
I am curious too. I am running 275/65/18, I'm pretty sure it wont fit in the spare tire location.
poor design by Toyota not allowing much room for larger sized tires
poor design by Toyota not allowing much room for larger sized tires
SunPilot
New member
I remember reading somewhere that a 32" tire will fit in the area under the 4runner. If that is true, your 265-70-17 should fit, I think it is under 32"... another option for larger tires is letting some air out to fit it in, and then refilling it when needed if you have a compressor.
03v8raleigh
New member
Should fit fine. My 03 (with the v6 hitch on it) fits a 265/70r17 with 50% tread without issue.
My last 05 V8 required that I deflate and compress the tire with tie-downs to fit though, but that's because it was a salvage car that I had to have a new rear frame cross-member welded on, which limited the space back there lol
I do recommend that you don't buy a brand new matching spare though. If you go to a used tire shop they may have a used version of the same tire, which would save you ~$150. Or maybe I'm just cheap...
My last 05 V8 required that I deflate and compress the tire with tie-downs to fit though, but that's because it was a salvage car that I had to have a new rear frame cross-member welded on, which limited the space back there lol
I do recommend that you don't buy a brand new matching spare though. If you go to a used tire shop they may have a used version of the same tire, which would save you ~$150. Or maybe I'm just cheap...
BlackWorksInc
New member
Not much they can do about it, between the tow hitch/frame tie at the end under the rear bumper and the panhard bar you just don't have much room to fit anything larger than about 32" without it rubbing on the panhard or smashing against the tow hitch/frame tie. It's a midsized SUV with a full-sized spare tire, it's the best they could do; be thankful they gave you a full-sized 5th wheel rather than a tiny doughnut like I have seen on some "SUVs".
I would say it depends...
Realistically most spare tires on vehicles older than about 6~7yrs are technically on the other side of the "safe" line. Rubber deteriorates and degrades, additionally owners don't bother being responsible and checking their spare tires and so they go flat. Most used tires are probably borderline in the age department.
I've seen spare tires so dry rotted I've been afraid to air them up because I don't want it blowing up with me standing under it (I actually try and stand exactly under the wheel for this reason when I fill spare tires up due to paranoia).
So in many cases I would cringe at the thought of a flat, old, worn out tire being used as a spare because that's probably just asking for trouble.
Additionally if you're doing a 5 tire rotation (which technically is the ideal pattern for our vehicles) having 5 new tires is a better choice.
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03v8raleigh
New member
I think you missed the point. A used tire you buy from a used tire shop will not be at that age where it is unsafe to use. Yes, using old, dry rotted tires is bad. But you aren't buying someone else's old spare, you are buying a reasonably used tire. Many people's spares are probably old enough to be considered unsafe, since they are not touched for years and years. But if you go to a used tire shop and buy a matching tire, it will not be THAT old. Decent used tire shops don't sell shitty dangerous tires. They sell used tires. And unless you plan to put 50,000 miles on your spare, I think it's totally reasonable to buy one a few years old with half tread for a 75% savings. You can always check the date stamp.
But hey I'm just poor haha feel free to buy a brand new $250 tire and then put 20 miles on it over the next 5 years, if you've got the money to burn. :dancin:
BlackWorksInc
New member
My old dealership used to buy used tires from local tire shops for used cars until corporate or CA law (not entirely sure which one) forced them to stop. They were often 4~5yrs old, very slick looking (like the rubber had been washed with something) with often no more than the minimum 6/32" they were allowed to get away with. At 4~5yrs old those tires are already on their way out as dry rot can set in by then and the tire compound starts becoming harder and the tire performance and safety is reduced.
Look I'm not dismissing the benefits of getting a cheap used tire, but in my experience it's usually been tires that are not unsafe per say; but will be edging up on the end of their life fairly soon (i.e. buying a tire that in a year or so will be edging up on that 7yr mark.)
Also I totally agree with you on the spare tire thing regarding people running old, rotted, hard, and probably very unsafe spares. It's a bit of a cringe-inducing thing when you think about. That is before you realize some people are rocking 1~4 spare doughnuts as their main set of tires.
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Also I totally agree with you on the spare tire thing regarding people running old, rotted, hard, and probably very unsafe spares. It's a bit of a cringe-inducing thing when you think about. That is before you realize some people are rocking 1~4 spare doughnuts as their main set of tires.
Sorry to butt in on an old thread. The subject of maximum spare size is currently of interest to me.
Regardless, I agree with you completely BlackWorks... However, I want to point out that some of the most dangerous tires are the old tires that look fine. Never been run on, but have sat for 10+ years without being used. The glues that hold the various components of the tire together have never been exercised, the belts have never been stretched, and the rubber barely (if at all) heat cycled. While I'm sure a guy may be fine to limp home on an old timer that's been stashed under the truck for more than a decade... be vary wary of getting it hot or driving it in extreme heat.
Old tires + Hot day + High speed = unrecoverable tire failure roll over.
Anyway, I wanted to throw that out there; that an old looking tire is easy. Anyone with eyes and a smidge of knowledge knows it's not a great idea. Yet the real danger lurks on old tires that have never been run.
Gotta read them DOT stamps!
On topic, my 265/70R17 Grabber AT2s (brand new) did not fit at all. I am switching to an 18x9" wheel, likely -12 offset. Can anyone recommend a spare size that they have successfully fit under an '05 Limited?
Mbiker_101
Member
Alphi, the 275/70/17 bfg ko2 or original bfg? I'm running 275/70/17 ko2s and was getting ready to try a full size spare.
NinjaOne
New member
This ^ That is why I threw out my spare.
Jk, I use the OE spare tire as a wheel chock. But I did purchase a new full size matching spare
Krayziekid
New member
Not Alpinhi, but I have an '03 V8 with the Tow Package. Aired down to about 20PSI I got a 275/70R17 KO2 (brand new) in the stock location. Is it tight as hell with the hitch and panhard bar? Absolutely. But it fits and I probably have a couple of millimeters of space.
Mbiker_101
Member
Thanks crazykid, thats exactly what I wanted to know.
That may leave hope for my 275/65R18... same dia/section width.
maybe...
thanks for posting.
