Considering a Temp Spare + Full Spare - Opinions?

[danrhiggins]

"What?", you say. If you have a full size spare, why would you want a temp spare? (I have a 2014 w/ the HD package.)

My situation is that the full size spare does not fit with the Curt bolt-on hitch receiver I put on my truck to tow our trailer. So the spare goes on top or in the back. During the winter I am not going off road. I also take the rack off the top and therefore the full size spare must go in the back. I am thinking that I might get one of those temp spares and put it underneath. When I expect to be going off road I'll have the rack back on top and will put the full size spare up there. I would then just leave the temp spare underneath as yet another emergency spare.

Does that make any sense?

 

[umbertob]

Only if the compact spare matches the circumference of your running wheels / tires, give or take a couple of percentage points, max. Otherwise you may be better off with a can of Fix-A-Flat in the back (and maybe a good quality tire repair kit, such as ARB Speedy Seal) whenever you don't carry your full size spare. If you have a flat tire on the road, my thinking is that a can of that stuff, or a well placed plug, are usually sufficient to patch the type of puncture you are most likely to sustain from a nail, a screw, and similar road hazards. Chances of you suffering a large tear or shredding a sidewall on pavement are pretty slim, just watch out for those pesky sidewalks . However, running a compact donut along with 3 substantially larger wheels in the other corners is not going to make your transmission, traction control and a variety of other systems - ABS and EAS included - very happy, unless it's a really short and low speed limp to a nearby tire shop.

 

[danrhiggins]

Thanks, Umberto. It would definitely only be used for "limping". (I once "limped" to a repair shop with one of the 4 cylinders on my Honda Civic wide open so I have done the limping drill. ) I will need to check my tires but I believe the snows and even the Dynapros (265/60 R18s) are about 30.5" I chose not to go to a 31+ tire IIRC. When I switch to the KO2's in a few months I plan to stick with the 265/60 size. So I think this will work should I ever need to "limp". The reality is that I don't expect to ever need it. During the winter I'm essentially always on pavement. When we go to Sedona in March I'll have my rack and full size spare on top as we'll be doing some exploring. I may even switch to the KO2s by then. I need to find out how they do in snow as I may encounter some between Denver and Sedona.

On a related topic, Umberto, I am wondering whether I could air down my full size spare and make it fit even with the bolt on hitch receiver. How much do you gain by airing down your spare and how far down do you go for your spare to fit. (I do know that you run with larger tires.) Maybe I go that route and keep my compressor in the car.

 

[umbertob]

I can fit my 31.5" dia. 285/60R18 down there (a stiff LT type to boot), aired down to about 18-20 PSI and with the useless heat shield between exhaust and spare tire removed. I don't have a hitch receiver installed though, so I am not sure how that would intrude with my setup. Airing down isn't a miracle cure, if your tire is larger than 31.6" or so you gotta put it elsewhere no matter what you try. But it does reduce diameter perhaps 1/4 to 1/2", making the tire a bit more "compliant" in the process, so it yields just enough in the right places as you winch it up or down, instead of getting stuck. Carrying a compressor or other air source at all times should be pretty much a given, most portable units take very little space. Mine is under the second row of seats.

 

[danrhiggins]

Thanks! If I can get my stock spare (19" Conti) to deflated enough to fit inside the bolt on hitch receiver - problem solved. I'll use that as my primary winter spare (which it already is although sitting in the back of the truck.) During off road season I'll just leave it there as a backup spare and I'll but my primary off road spare on top. I just need to be able to squeeze the deflated spare in the somewhat smaller space. I'll let you all know.

 

[jwest]

A rear bumper mounted tire carrier solves it better than crappy temp spare which requires you to stick with the stock sized tires.

 

[danrhiggins]

At this point I don't want to have the inconvenience of a bumper mounted tire carrier.

So I tried to deflate the tire - a stock Conti on a stock wheel - this afternoon and it wouldn't fit. The bolt on Curt hitch receiver protrudes back into the spare tire well about an extra inch or so. I need a tire that is 29" as most and I couldn't get the 30.5" conti to fit. I looked at removing the heat shield but it didn't look like it would work as there is other stuff directly behind it (in the center which is where the issue exists - the shields that angle out to the side are not the issue.)

So I am back to considering a toy spare. Or maybe a 255/50R19 tire with a 29" diameter. This is, after all, only for extreme situations because if I am off road then I will also be carrying an off road tire on the roof. So if off road this would be a backup spare. When I in in non-offload season (winter) I use 19" wheels with 255/55R19s and would nearly always be somewhere where I could call AAA. ;-) I would think the 29" 255/50R19 would be no worse than the "toy spare" to get me home.

 

[jaamrode]

Have you thought about getting the OEM hitch receiver or an after market one that does not interfere with the spare tire well? might be a easier solution and then you don't have to worry about mis-matched tire sizes.

 

[danrhiggins]

Fair question. I have the OEM receiver and yes that would have been easier. But I need to pull a 6500 lbs travel trailer with 700 lbs of tongue weight and I use a weight distribution hitch (Hensley). There were questions regarding whether the OEM receiver would do OK with that tongue weight and a WD hitch. I could not get an official or consistent statement out of Land Rover. So I installed the bolt on just to be safe. If they ever some out with an OEM version that they will stand behind for the full 7700 lbs and a tongue weight of 770 lbs and being OK with a Hensley hitch then I would switch back to the OEM version as that would be much easier. For now I am stuck with this work around.

 

[danrhiggins]

A rear bumper mounted tire carrier solves it better than crappy temp spare which requires you to stick with the stock sized tires.

I yield. Unless I want to carry my spare on top year round or in the cargo space or do the toy spare underneath I need to do a swing-away tire carrier. Now I need to figure out if there is one that would work for me. Anyone have experience with the Front Runner spare wheel carrier? Other options that don't require a bumper replacement?