I had a tire replaced on a road hazard guarantee so now it's less worn than the other 3. I'll need new tires this fall so I thought I'd replace my "donut" spare with that tire. My tires are 245/70R16's and I know won't fit of the spare's rim. I checked my spare wheel and it's a 17 X 4.5! WTF!!

I guess that's to match diameter as much as possible? The closest wheel I can find without buying an aluminum one is a new steel wheel that's 16 X 6.5 and costs $75! I checked my local yards and stock wheels are the first thing to go. I am NOT paying $200+ for a spare! At that cost, I think I'll just keep my donut.

Any better ideas? I'll keep the tire anyhow.

 

I have the same tire size and a full size spare with a steel wheel. Funny that yours is a different size. I may just remove the spare to save on weight. Isn't that what AAA is for lol. Bonus extra storage!!

 

You have a good point about the storage space. Right now I have a set of jumper cables, 2 tiedown straps, and a tow strap laying on top of my donut and if I replaced it with a full size tire, I wouldn't have any place to put them except under the back seat, which is full of stuff already.

AAA is good, but when you have had to wait on the side of the road, in the snow, for 3 hours, you might change your mind! After That little episode, I carry a couple of "space" blankets in my vehicles.

 

I weighed the spare and it came in at 54lbs. Steel wheel and a Goodyear Wrangler RSA. Same tire been there since 2004.

 

Yeah, but the WJ weighs 4000 lbs so what are you saving, maybe a little over 1%?

 

AAA doesn't always pickup on highways unless they are authorized too. They wont get you of you are off road. And I'm pretty sure they only tow you for such a distance. So at night, no spare, miles from home, not sure how much they'll be of help lol. But yes they are useful

 

I am a AAA member and it depends on what level of service you payed for. They will tow you out of a ditch or field if you left the highway, but not in the boonies. They will tow you for whatever distance your coverage allows, after that, you pay by the mile. They will not tow you off a toll road like the NYS Thruway, but any Interstate is fine. The Thruway has it's own towing service, but they'll only take you to the service area. AAA is allowed to ****** you from the service area if they have a license with the Thruway Authority. I've found you have a better chance of getting help on the Thruway because the State Police will find you quicker and they'll call the tow truck. They also will allow you to warm up in the cruiser until the truck arrives. A tow off the Thruway is EXPENSIVE!

Been there, done that! When my truck broke down ONE mile from home and my AAA had expired, it cost me $75 for the 1 mile tow!

 

Lol, isn't just a toll road. Some roads, a tow company bids on to actively service that area. Like the BQE, iirc Knights had the rights for it. Any other company would have issues if they step foot on the BQE. And these tow companies take that seriously. And yes about the level but seriously, its cheaper to have a functioning spare and have a regular membership for those just in case instances.

 

I pay $8 a year for roadside assistance. Not sure what the limitations are. The ins. did reimburse me for a tow years ago. The Jeep has never been towed. Knock on wood

 

It's funny you should mention the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. That's like Mad Max's Glory Road! I've never driven a rougher, uglier, scarier section of highway ANYWHERE in my life!
The first time I went to Brooklyn from Syracuse, there were burnt out cars on the shoulder in places. At least the Belt Parkway made me feel I was back in reality. I was driving my ZJ at the time and the BQE just about beat me to death. All that elevated steel looked like it dated from the 20's and I prayed it would stay together better than my jeep. Right then I made up my mind to get my wife's entire family out of NYC.

This discussion is not for you, but for the other people on this forum. Oh, yeah! and my ZJ had a full size spare.

 

Bwahahhahaa. I haven't been on the BQE in months but last time I was on it, they still doing construction. And as for the belt parkway, parts of that is going to hell too with potholes and the lanes are too small to avoid them. Those were the days.

 

IDK if the compact spare tire's steel rim will fit onto a full-sized tire... your best bet is to at least get the factory full-sized spare tire with matching rim. My '02 WJ came with 2 spares, both full-sized, but one had a mismatched alloy rim and one had the factory steel rim. Even though they look identical, I'm not sure if it'll fit, or even be suitable for extended driving (past the mileage you're supposed to drive on a compact spare tire for).

 

I don't understand the reasoning behind my "compact" spare because it's not compact by any means. I think the reason it's a 17 is to match the diameter of the normal 16's as close as possible and a standard road tire fits the well perfectly. My standard road wheels are 7", but the spare is only 4.5" wide. The tire is rated for 50 miles at 50 mph max.

On the other hand, my '67 Camaro had a full sized spare, but you had a hell of a time getting it into and out of the trunk and it left no room for luggage at all. In '68, they started with the "compact" spare but it still took up a lot of room. When my girlfriend (later wife) and I decided to go camping, I put the spare in the back seat and got all the gear in the tiny trunk except for the clothes. That trunk was so small you couldn't get 2 full size suitcases into it. When I packed for camping, I put the tent in LAST!

 

Your spare rim is probably 4.5" wide then, so it's 16"x4.5" instead of 16"x7". You'll probably need a more "conventional" 16"x7" spare rim.

 

You're missing the point! My wheels are 16x7 and my spare is 17X4.5! The difference of 1 inch diameter is what I was upset about.

I can get a new steel wheel at 16X6.5 for $75 but I was looking for the cheap way out. Aluminum wheels at junkyards are usually gone as soon as the junk is parked! My local P&P said $35 "if I could find one."