Stock Spare with larger Tires??

[SnowLizard]

the spare is a spare... a just in case...

I've read quite a few google forums about this, and it always comes down to that particular vehicle. so for our beloved 3rd gen 4runners...

Can we run a stock spare tire with 3 larger tires IF needed? - yes, off road the gravel/dirt gives nicely... but on road I really don't think we should...

Lets pic stock 265/70r16 (30.6) and the 285/75/16 32.8) as our new tires... they are common and I'm headed that direction.

downside to running mis-matched in rear... the dif roll's constantly around a corner... horror stories on google from this..

downside on front... the smaller tire will 'brake' differently causing a pull...

Now, granted this is a temporary situation, so it's not every day, lets say we have to drive 100 miles (part off road to get back to the freeway to get to town to get to tire shop) to fix your flat... what if it was further... lets say I blew it 500 miles from the shop that has one in stock (same brand) what's the downside of going 500 miles on stock spare with your 3 larger tires?

one other thing to think... you can 'over-inflate' the spare, and deflate the others... but I think either one is a bad idea (unless spare is safe for 60+psi)

I'm looking for a discussion...

I have read the thread on VSC/a-trac and ABS possible issues, I don't think they would pose an issue, and I'm wanting to know if you would run a stock spare or just get the right sized spare...

Edit:
If running larger tires, what would happen IF we used a spare tire that is 2+inches smaller?

 

[unrealii]

I can't directly answer your question, but I did think about it when I upgraded to 17" TE wheels w/duratracs (soon will do the tundra brake upgrade). I picked up a 5th gen spare and used an 5th gen bridgestone tire on it. Its a fullsize spare and I think won't be limited by speed or distance. I figured if anything happens the spare is just there to get me on my way even if less aggressive tread and slightly smaller diameter due to lower tread than my load C duratracs. The ideal brakedown scenario is that I can put the spare on the front and run the car in 2wd if 4wd isn't needed. The clearance under the car went from over an inch away from the suspension to 1/4" by adding a wheel and tire 1" larger in diameter.

The take away here is there isn't much room to put a larger tire down there.

 

[Scramble]

I cant answer your poll either. In the stock location I have a 265/70R17 tire on a 4th Gen wheel. It fits in there nice & tight & I'll use that to get me off the trail & to a gas station. In the NE you dont have to drive 500 or even 100 miles to buy a tire or get it fixed.

 

[BrianSD_42]

I'm pretty sure if you engage 4WD with a 2" different sized tire for a prolonged amount of time you will F*CK you transfer case up, even if you drive in a straight line and never make a turn.

 

[kurticus91]

Yeah the stock spare is what I'll use because it's what I have. But when I go up to 33's and get the rear swing-out you better believe it's getting replaced with a matching-size tire

 

[JRZEE2000TR4LTD]

I cant answer your poll either. In the stock location I have a 265/70R17 tire on a 4th Gen wheel. It fits in there nice & tight & I'll use that to get me off the trail & to a gas station. In the NE you dont have to drive 500 or even 100 miles to buy a tire or get it fixed.

Do you have a stock tow bar? I asked a similar question to the poll and a someone said if you had a stock tow bar it would not fit

 

[Scramble]

Do you have a stock tow bar? I asked a similar question to the poll and a someone said if you had a stock tow bar it would not fit

Yes I have the stock trailer hitch.

 

[TXLX1]

It beats having nothing. Stick it on the front and get to a tire shop if needed. I need to mess with mine and see if a 285/16 tire will fit, which I'm pretty sure it will.

 

[DK327]

I voted no even though when I purchased new tires I also replaced the stock to match the new 265/75/16's... What I don't trust now is the stock spare rim with my tundra calipers. If I get a flat in the front, I'd have to replace 2 tires, so just bought a used 5 spoke OEM rim on ebay from a 99 T4R LTD.

 

[TXLX1]

I voted no even though when I purchased new tires I also replaced the stock to match the new 265/75/16's... What I don't trust now is the stock spare rim with my tundra calipers. If I get a flat in the front, I'd have to replace 2 tires, so just bought a used 5 spoke OEM rim on ebay from a 99 T4R LTD.

That's a good point. I need to see if my spare steel will even fit the front with the tundra brake upgrade. Be more of an incentive to get a properly matched spare tire of it won't fit in the front.

 

[Scramble]

the steel wheel will not fit over the Tundra caliper. That why I went with a 17" spare wheel.

 

[TheHoneyBadger]

I run 265/70/17's and have a full size spare in the stock location with the stock trailer hitch. You could run a larger spare on the stock carrier, if you left it aired down. Just keep a small electric air pump in the truck to air it up. i always carry a electric pump with a bottle of slime anyways, you never know what will happen.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[JRZEE2000TR4LTD]

the steel wheel will not fit over the Tundra caliper. That why I went with a 17" spare wheel.

What vehicles would I look for to get the right size 17" spare wheel or at least the rim? I figure the 2007+ FJs would work because I have those rims on my truck. Any other trucks? Tacomas? later gen 4Runners? Sequoias?

 

[Rock_Rat]

What vehicles would I look for to get the right size 17" spare wheel or at least the rim? I figure the 2007+ FJs would work because I have those rims on my truck. Any other trucks? Tacomas? later gen 4Runners? Sequoias?

BFAD has put together a pretty extensive list of wheels that are compatible with the 231 caliper. It's somewhere in the following thread. That's a starting point for you. http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...ements-231mm-13wl-tundra-calipers-rotors.html

 

[ThorInc]

You can pick up a used spare of the same size or just install the stock spare in the front for the time it takes you to get the main tire fixed, just don't go into 4WD unless you have no choice.

EDIT: post may be moot if the rim will rub the Tundra caliper....

 

[IBallEngineer]

Not germane to your discussion, but for the record. The smaller tire would not cause a pull just based on the size.

And the rolling radius of the tire is not affected by inflation, it may look taller or shorter, but the tread still rolls the same amount.

 

[SnowLizard]

I guess I'm really after what would happen to our trucks if we run a spare tire 2+ inches smaller than our running tires.

2wd/4wd

I suspect 4wd offroad won't be as big of an issues, cause the tires can slip... but on road granade (would happen even with same size tires)

but 2wd...


I'm looking for justification to bring to my wife that we should replace all 5 tires to the same size. her idea to run a slightly smaller spare.

 

[slomatt]

I have a 265/75/16 on my spare, it's a bit tight but fits without a problem. You could fit a larger spare tire under there if you aired it down first, but of course this requires you to have an on board air supply to air it back up.

Personally I wouldn't run a smaller sized spare for any significant distance since it would cause your differential to constantly be compensating for the difference in rotational speeds. That said, a friend drove ~500mi home from a trip on a 1" shorter spare with no ill effects.

- Matt

 

[ajordan1975]

Buck up and get a full sized spare.... Don't be that Jeep guy we all see w/ 35's and a stock tire on the back.

 

[AntleredRuin]

I'm not an expert, but wouldn't it be fine on pavement as long as you don't run it locked? By default, our 4runners (both 2wd and 4wd) run 'unlocked' in the front and back. This allows you to go over potholes and what-not on pavement without screwing up the differentials. The wheels aren't 'bound together' and thus rotate at different speeds as necessary.
Locking would try to make both tires rotate the same speed which is the whole point of having the locker. You aren't supposed to run locked on pavement anyways (due to aforementioned on-road anomalies)

So even in normal 4wd (with the locker off) a normal sized spare should be fine, even if the other tires are 35s. There shouldn't be any pull at all as the axles aren't locked. It'll definitely make for a lopsided ride though, which is a safety issue in of itself. Off-roading should be fine also; you'd just have a better chance of flipping.

I wouldn't think you'd have to worry about brakes either. You're downsizing the tire, not the rotor/drum. The rotor/drum still rotate the same speed. I know you said you're specifically asking about 3rdGenT4Rs, but plenty of other vehicles run SIGNIFICANTLY smaller spares. If there was a known braking issue on these vehicles running the spare, it would be considered a safety issue, which would be easy cause for lawsuit. Auto manufacturers wouldn't (I would hope) be so stupid.

Am I wrong?