Is it ok for spare tire to be 1" smaller in diameter?

Hello TW, serious question.

Im running 265/70/17s and my spare is the stock 265/65/17 Firestone tire. Will it hurt anything if I have a flat and drive with my spare tire? I will get a same size AT spare tire eventually though, just curious if its ok for now.

Thank you.

 

If you have to drive on a miss matched tire, make sure you put it on a non-drive wheel. So in our case, if you get a flat, make sure your spare goes up front. So if you get a rear tire flat, you need to swap a front tire to the rear, then put the spare on the front.

 

Anything is fine in an emergency. Cars don't generally have full size spares and they're significantly smaller. Just don't have 4x4 on

 

That’s how I am too. I’m running 265/75/16 and my spare is a 265/65/17 lol


Will probably get the same size wheel and tire some time soon idk

 

What if I’m in 4x4?

 

Then you'll want it in the rear till you can get out of 4wd. The rear diff will handle the difference in size better than the front diff will.

 

I thought about that too, just wondering if there might be extra wear on the diff.

 

Thanks.

 

I read somewhere that it can alter the alignment, but I’m sure that’s applicable for any stock spare whether it’s the same size or not since most spares are thinner than stock tires

 

Haha!

Yeah I go off-road quite often in the summers, pretty remote places. Good idea to get same size proper AT tire.

 

It's only the same size when they're new anyway. Let's say you need your spare at 50k miles - well, now your spare is larger because it has 50k less miles

 

I need to go find a used tire place and maybe they will make a deal with me if I trade my Firestone to them.

 

True yeah, maybe not an inch but still.

 

I might go ahead and buy a spare wheel before RRW discontinues the one I have now lol

 

sexy!

 

I've got General 235/85/16 on my truck. I bought the same size tire at Walmart as a spare. Got a Hankook for $86. on sale with a $5. mount charge(no weights).

 

^same. I bought new set of Trac Grip MT 265/75/16 and bought a 5th tire as a full size matching spare.

 

From my experience, this is not a good idea. Many years ago I had a 81 Celica Supra. I for some reason ran a larger tire on the right rear of the car. It was such a difference that the axle would bind up. The rear tires were running at different revolutions and not working together. Not long after, something broke in the rear end of the car. Not sure what it was. The car still moved on it own (slowly) but it made a terrible noise while doing it.

 

That celica probably had an LSD. These trucks have open diffs. Having a different size spare is the same as going through a turn as far as the differential is concerned.

I bought the same size and offset steel wheel for the spare. If I have to use it, no worries of rubbing it interference. No silly swapping tires around. Keep it simple

 

I did it for about 6 days a 100 miles each day. No issues. Like stated I had to rotate it to the front. Probably safer to use the same size tire but, if you have to you for sure can.