Check your spare!

[Nick1994]

I top off my spare every 6 months or so, so I went to top it off today and the Genesis donut had tread separation in multiple spots. Has never been used, still has all the nubs on it. It still had 40 psi in it, which is about right for being 6 months since summer.

I guess don't assume your "new" spare is any good, look it over good.

 

[Vercingetorix]

How old is the tire?

 

[Kira]

Have you owned this vehicle for "6 months or so"? Have you checked it before?

 

[nwjones18]

I've had that happen to several spares, but they were all over 10 years old. Surprised to see a 5 year old (I assume) tire fail that way. Tirerack is the only place online that carries donuts I've found. I think discount tire may be able to get them as well.

 

[dishdude]

That had to be a manufacturing defect.

 

[Nick1994]

How old is the tire?

Date code 1514

Have you owned this vehicle for "6 months or so"? Have you checked it before?

1 year, filled it up then, 6 months ago, and went to do it now.

 

[Spyderman24_7]

That is by far the most impressive spare rim I've ever seen.

 

[AutoMechanic]

All my cars spares are original never have bothered to top them off my parents get angry when I move stuff in the trunk lol. The one on my truck is inflated but the rest I have no idea.

 

[Nick1994]

All my cars spares are original never have bothered to top them off my parents get angry when I move stuff in the trunk lol. The one on my truck is inflated but the rest I have no idea.

With our extreme climate they say 6 years max recommended life for tires. I let the spares get to 10 and then replace. Not worth being on a trip and having an old rock hard spare blown out too.

When I bought my Camry in 2015, it had the original full sized spare tire mounted on the car for some reason. I put the regular tire back on and put the spare in the back seat for the meantime and the next day, it smelled like horrible burned rubber in the car. It was that old original 15 year old spare.

 

[wings&wheels]

Is that from your 2015? If so, I'd lean toward a defect.

I have been thinking about the spares on the 2 P'cars in my sig. They both have space savers that are ~20 years old. I am debating whether to replace the tire or remove them and carry a modern 'mobility kit'......fix a flat and a compressor.

 

[AutoMechanic]

With our extreme climate they say 6 years max recommended life for tires. I let the spares get to 10 and then replace. Not worth being on a trip and having an old rock hard spare blown out too.

When I bought my Camry in 2015, it had the original full sized spare tire mounted on the car for some reason. I put the regular tire back on and put the spare in the back seat for the meantime and the next day, it smelled like horrible burned rubber in the car. It was that old original 15 year old spare.

Dang. Nowadays cars don’t even have spares lol. My family doesn’t believe in replacing spares our van has the original from 1994 never even had air put in it once since my family got it in 1998. My truck has the original since 1989 and the Beetle has been replaced once by the previous owner it has a date of 1993.

 

[4wd]

The Tahoe had a full sized fake tire … put a Cooper SRX on that rim …

 

[Tomioka]

I've got a 20 year old worn spare that was used on a 5 wheel tire rotation (when it was dealer serviced) on one truck and a too small spare tire and wheel that don't fit on my Chevy. Couple things to do when I'm at the mechanic next time.

 

[Gimpy1]

I hate those temp spares. When ever i see someone on the road with one I give the a wide berth. IMHO those spares give folks a false sense of security, kind of like a life jacket that really does not float. I bought slime plug/fill kits for each of my vehicles and would only use the temp spare as a last resort like a blow out.

 

[Jetronic]

I ordered a temp spare with my car. Better than not having it. Also got a jack of course. But unless it's a big leak I will try just pumping the tyre to get me home, and I can also fit a "safety seal/blackjack" self vulcanizing plug if I want to.

 

[meep]

Ditto to above... did anyone notice the wheel? what mfr pays that kind of attention to the spare. That’s pretty slick.

 

[02SE]

I've see a few spare donut tires like that. The similarity was that they had all been seriously over-inflated at some point.

 

[GaryMX5]

I bought a used 02 Nissan Frontier PU a little over a year ago. Last Sept. I got under the truck to change the shocks and noticed how bad the donut spare was. Sidewalls were badly cracked and the wheel was badly rusted. All those years hanging under the rear end took a toll on it. I was able to get a used full size used wheel on ebay and a new but cheap full size tire for less than the cost of a new space saver tire (let alone a new wheel). FWIW, the stock wheel for the donut was stamped from significantly thinner steel than a stock full size wheel.

 

[02SE]

I've see a few spare donut tires like that. The similarity was that they had all been seriously over-inflated at some point.

*seen

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Tirerack sells new donut tires FYI.

The Tahoe had a full sized fake tire … put a Cooper SRX on that rim …

I had a Jeep with a full sized donut. Wheel was the same as the others, too.

That is by far the most impressive spare rim I've ever seen.

I want a set!