Here's a question. I'll be rolling on 15" wheels and I have my old set of 14" steelies. Would it be better to replace the small spare tire/wheel with a full size 14" wheel?


In other words; is it safer to drive with three 15 inch wheels and one 14 inch wheel, instead of three 15 inch wheels and the small spare doughnut?

 

I'd think it's a no-brainer... those mini-spares aren't supposed to be driven over 50mph or for very long. They are ridiculously narrow and incredibly heavy for their size. A full-sized spare, even a 14" steelie would definitely offer a better safety margin and extended use. The only drawback would be the space it takes up (the trunk/hatch panel might not sit as low/flush anymore).

 

Makes sense. I hate driving on the small spare tire, it feels so unstable. So (knock on wood) if in the future I need a spare, I'll just use my old 14 inch steelie, it should be more stable.

 

supposedly the donut is a lot more sturdy that most people think. apparently a magazine did some tests with cornering, accelerating, etc. and found it could handle quite a load. the warning about going less than 50mph is an overly precautionary measure apparently. the only reason i mention this is that i asked this same question last year sometime and someone posted up the information. i was quite surprised...

 

yes

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by dFreezy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">supposedly the donut is a lot more sturdy that most people think. apparently a magazine did some tests with cornering, accelerating, etc. and found it could handle quite a load. the warning about going less than 50mph is an overly precautionary measure apparently. the only reason i mention this is that i asked this same question last year sometime and someone posted up the information. i was quite surprised...</TD></TR></TABLE>

You know I'd believe that, since one of the reasons why I think they are so heavy for their size is the ratio of rubber to void. They almost seem like solid rubber sometimes. And I'd assume they would be somewhat overbuilt given their purpose.

I think the speed warning partially comes from the limitations of any ~3" wide tire @ highway speeds. Then factor in the mismatch with the other three tires that are probably at least 2" wider and not knowing which corner someone put it on (worst case scenario FF car).