GlennSullivan
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Thanks!
FYI Spare tire Mounting
- Thread starter MTB2022
- Start date
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ROBERT BONNER
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I included the recommendation to remove, balance and flip the spares as one of the new vehicle to do's in a previous post. 20 years ago I was in charge of the chassis manufacturing engineering at Ford for Trucks and SUV's. As a rule we did not balance spares on any vehicles. As with most automotive manufacturing decisions it was all about cost and weight. After leaving Ford I had to drive a new F150 900 miles on an unbalanced spare one day. I'll never do that again.
GlennSullivan
Full Access Members
Robert. I have 2011 and 2017 Expy Limited's. Both are 20" wheels with 275/55 tires. I believe the spare wheels are 18" but don't remember the tire size. Can you confirm that the OD / runout of the spare matches the mounted tires and do you think there would be any issue installing a matching 20" wheel / 275 tire in the spare tire well of either / both vehicles?
ROBERT BONNER
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The spare sizes have likely varied by year, road wheel size, and by MY. Check the size on your spares, plug those into this diameter calculator for the answer to your question (https://www.tyresizecalculator.com/charts/tire-size-chart-metric-by-rim-wheel-diameter). Don't be surprised if the spare OD is smaller than your road tire OD, that would be typical. As for stowing a spare matching your road wheels, it should never be a problem, the stowing areas are designed to accommodate the road wheel/tires for stowage after a spare tire use event. But, keep in mind that the wheel will be exposed to dirt, stone pecking, etc.
GlennSullivan
Full Access Members
Robert, thank you for your response. My reasoning is I am now towing between our NY and FL house (1250mi) and would like the comfort of knowing if I get a flat, I can continue with a matching tire, avoiding stability issues caused by even a slightly mismatched tire / wheel combo. BTW too bad ford (and chevy) didnt provide a simple plastic cover for the wheel well. They could have eliminated the stupid one that needs to be removed to change the oil to balance cost. It would be a good aftermarket product.
ROBERT BONNER
Full Access Members
One trick I used to do when I lived in the rust belt to keep the steel spair wheels from getting rusted past the point of usefullness was to put two opposing elastic vinal spair tire covers over the tire. You have to cut a "door" into the upper one to allow clearance for the cable and to reach through to disconnect the spare from the cable system. Then you "seal" the door with duct tape. It's a hassle; but, it kept the spare wheels in prestine condition. I don't do it now that I no longer drive in salt.
Interesting. Making me wonder if I could just cost the wheel in some rust preventative spray paint or coating.
It’s only a spare so don’t intend on using it often but also don’t want too much hassle on the side of a road if I need it in winter.
