Question about a donut spare

Joined
Mar 1, 2012
Messages
836
Location
HUdson Valley, NY
2006 Sentra. Original tire size 195/55/16.

I had to change the wheels. The new wheels I got required 205/55/16. But the donut size is 115/70/14

If I am to get a flat and must use a donut, is it safe to put in the front or I should put it in the rear, or the size difference will cause some major issue?

Thanks in advance.
 
Won't make any difference at all.

That said, on a FWD car, having the donut on the rear would be preferred but considering it's only for short-term emergency use to get you to a tire shop, it really doesn't matter.

Where from in NY?
 
It's better in the rear because the transaxle won't really like the difference in speed. Some cars have weak differential pins that will spin out from the uneven sizing. It's already uneven from the factory but you made it slightly more so.

But as a crutch to get you to a tire store it'll be fine if you don't drive like a maniac.
 
Just buy a full size wheel and mount the proper tire into it.
That is what I would do, IMO.

Cheap insurance.
Maybe for some circumstances. But this isn't the 70s and 80s where it seems flats were more common.

Unless you live 50 miles from a tire shop, a temp spare is likely good enough to get you there.
 
It's not ideal because there's a 4 inch difference in the diameter between the donut and your tires. Drive slow and to the nearest store to replace your flat if you have to use it.
 
I;ve driven 80 or 90 miles on a donut limited to 50MPH on two occasions to get me home to my regular tire shop, no issues.
 
yeah, no reason to waste the money or space on a full size spare. Flats are so rare and a full sized spare probably won't even fit in the spare tire well in the trunk, plus it's heavier. If you ever need to change it, it's much easier to put a temporary spare on than a full sized one for most people. Temp spares are designed to get you to the nearest tire store and for that they work just fine.
 
The few times I've had to use the donut I've noticed that on the front the steering doesn't seem to center itself the same way, like I have to help it back to center. Ex-wife's Subaru had specific instructions for installing (not removing) a spare fuse in the fuse block to disable the AWD when using the donut. My Pilot supposedly senses that the donut is installed and it disables the AWD automatically. There's also a warning NOT to try putting the flat full-sized tire in the spare tire storage underneath; it has to be carried in the cargo until it can be repaired.

I think I can count on one hand the number of times I've had flat, and only once did I have a blowout that required changing the tire on the side of the road.
 
Why do the new wheels require 205 instead of 195? Wheels that fit your car of the same diameter should be using the same size, shouldn't they? :unsure:

To keep the same diameter as 195/55-16, maybe you should use 215/50-16

You could always get a full-size wheel from the junkyard or on eBay

But if you insist on keeping the stupid donut, it would go on the rear of a FWD car. Also, the spare tire size you listed is not correct according to the 2006 Sentra owner's manual. See page 209.
Your donut should be either 125/70-15 or 135/90-15


Just buy a full size wheel and mount the proper tire into it.
That is what I would do, IMO.

Cheap insurance.
This. Get a real spare
 
Thank you, folks.

I had to use donut only once in 13 years of car ownership. Since the car is so old, I am not in favor of getting a full spare.

The reason I asked, as of late, ConEd is digging our streets for gas line work. The roads are littered with metal plates. I found the nails holding those metal plates down rather pointed. Already noticed many flat tires. So I asked just in case, I happen to end up in that unfortunate motorist territory.

Where from in NY?
Lower Hudson Valley/Westchester county
 
There is a lady at work that has had a donut on her car for a couple years, unless it's a different one but I doubt it.

My Lucerne OM says the spare is good for 3k miles and is good up to 65 mph, it doesn't say anything about the location.

In the fifty years I've been driving I have never had a flat away from home, I've come out a few times to find a flat tire but I've never had to change one on the side of the road. I'm also not sure I want to either, just to dangerous unless it's on a side street or residential area and even then there are just to many stupid people behind the wheel these days.
 
The stock tire size is about 4" bigger in diameter than the donut spare. The new tire size is less than half an inch bigger than the stock size. Obviously the 4" difference is the biggest concern, but Nissan apparently thinks it's fine, so 🤷‍♂️. I highly doubt an extra 0.4" is going to push it over the edge into the unacceptable range.
 
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