My 01 Grand Marquis has the original Michelin Primacy spare. I need to replace it ASAP. I should order a cheap Chinese tire to throw on
Well... I plan on some long road trips and nothing sucks more than getting stuck in the middle of nowhere! Even a new "functional and working" mini-spare gives me heebie-geebies... Finding a tire store and driving 20-30 miles on those things makes me queasy. Look at the construction of the blown tire... this was not a used spare! It's old... and it did this by age... 60psi vs. 35psi... larger footprint. My only hurdle is the trunk space. I suppose if the car was just driven locally... then the mini would be the answer... Otherwise... in the middle of the desert.... 50+ miles to a tire dealer.... hmmm....In all honesty, why would the junkyard one be any better than this one? Same age. Same storage conditions.
Put some air pressure in that junkyard tire, or the weight of a car, and it will likely end up just like this one.
If the OP wants something that will get him, or the owner, home, I would really go new.
Don’t bother with 20 year old tires.
That's old!! Really though... your Cavalier's tires may appear to be fine, but they are definitely NOT. The tires on my Buick were 14-years old and looked fine also.. Maybe had 2-3k on them since they were purchased and sat in the garage for years. When I drove the car around the neighborhood and inspected them in broad daylight, I could see mini-cracks and spider-webbing in the sidewalls. AGE does degrade the rubber and once they start moving again, cold/heat cycles are going to bring this out.I have a car with Montgomery Ward Grappler II tires on it. I haven't looked at the date code but seeing as how Montgomery Ward went out of business in 2001, the tires are at least that old if not older.
This car, a 1984 Chevy Cavalier, had been sitting parked in the garage at my dad's house since 2010. I've driven it about 6 miles since I got it running (had to get it out of the garage since the house was sold).
The tires on this car look fine, though I will replace them since they're at least 20 years old. They've also developed flat spots from sitting in the same place for that long.
Oh, and the spare tire, now almost 40 years old, also looks fine. Nothing like the photo above.
I would wonder if that tire was exposed to some chemicals or something that made it break down like that.
Good deal on the tires... Yeah it sucks because these tires have no "usage" on them. Yes, the spare just exploded like that by sitting in the trunk. (There wasn't an "explosion" per say, it just expanded over time and was found like this...)The tires on the Cavalier will be replaced.
Why is all of the damage on the spare in the same area? Did that happen just from sitting in the trunk or did that happen when the spare was driven on? Or was it being filled with air when that happened?
Thanks for the link! I may end-up going this route!Search local junk yards: https://car-part.com/
Good deal on the tires... Yeah it sucks because these tires have no "usage" on them. Yes, the spare just exploded like that by sitting in the trunk. (There wasn't an "explosion" per say, it just expanded over time and was found like this...)
That's why I'm debating purchasing another mini-spare like this... If I can find a "regular" tire that will fit... I would do this in a heartbeat. I really dislike these little space-savers...
They aren't very well constructed as you can see... They are certainly a compromise for size and placement, weight etc.
Yes, you have options when it comes to tires.... the "185" should be fine. Yeah, I'm with you on the air... I'm guessing there was just a weak spot and constant pressure forced it open... Just like when tires have a sidewall "bubble". Does not happen often as tire construction has improved over the decades, but those mini spares... sigh.... Probably the cheapest tire GM could find....Well, problem on the Cavalier is that it takes 175/80R13 which only Milestar makes a replacement for now. But it looks like I can use 185/70R13 tires instead, there is more selection of those.
I would've thought the air would have leaked out of the spare before it "expanded" or whatever happened to it.
165/65r14 are always available, (2 modern cars still spec them OEM)Well, problem on the Cavalier is that it takes 175/80R13 which only Milestar makes a replacement for now. But it looks like I can use 185/70R13 tires instead, there is more selection of those.
I would've thought the air would have leaked out of the spare before it "expanded" or whatever happened to it.
Thank you! Yes....Yes.... this choice would certainly put an end to my dilemma. Not off the table yet... Just having a hard time as I want to improve my odds should a failure occur.
Wait... is this for just the spare only? I can't imagine the Cavalier having OEM 13" tires. Maybe 14"... Probably 15".... but 13"???165/65r14 are always available, (2 modern cars still spec them OEM)
might be time to upsize to 14” treads
Wait... is this for just the spare only? I can't imagine the Cavalier having OEM 13" tires. Maybe 14"... Probably 15".... but 13"???
Yes, you have options when it comes to tires.... the "185" should be fine. Yeah, I'm with you on the air... I'm guessing there was just a weak spot and constant pressure forced it open... Just like when tires have a sidewall "bubble". Does not happen often as tire construction has improved over the decades, but those mini spares... sigh.... Probably the cheapest tire GM could find....
165/65r14 are always available, (2 modern cars still spec them OEM)
might be time to upsize to 14” treads
Wow... 13" tires! That just blows my mind....