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Full Size Spare. Worth it?

CherBear

CherBear

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Indiana
How many of you have a full size spare on your Jeep?

How many of you have ever had to use it while out on trails?

I am debating buying one, but it seems hard to justify.
Thoughts?
 
I have a fullsize spare for my old smaller tires... I've used it even on-road, some idiot left a beer bottle sitting on a street corner near my house and it was a while before I could afford a new tire (had to wait for a paycheck.)

Think about it this way - if you gash a sidewall you're probably screwed without a fullsize spare.

EDIT: my preference is to get a fullsize spare but not spend as much money on it - i.e. get the cheapest 31 inch you can find with similar characteristics, or buy one with some dry rot / low tread in the classified forums here. Hell, I just got my set of 32s for $150 including rims... NAXJA ftw!
 
A different size tire will put deadly strain on your 4WD drive components. Even if you get a cheap tire and steel rimi its worth it.Better to have then not when your on the
trail cursing yourself saying i should have.
 
If you are comparing the donut vs. a full size, then yes, absolutely worth it. Get a cheap steel wheel and tire. If you already have a full size and are asking about a matching size spare, that in my opinion would depend on what you use your jeep for. If for extreme trail riding, then a matching size spare would be necessary. If you use it I like I do, only for hunting etc. A temporary downsize spare would be fine. As long as the size difference isn't too extreme a couple of inches would be fine.
If you are locked, then it is requried to have a matching spare tire.
 
if you do end up needing one when you get on the trail you'll be kicking yourself! donuts aren't worth a damn. go to a junk yard pull one if 25% tread and use that
 
You really want a same-sized spare if you've got any traction aids in your differentials. Mandatory if you're locked, and still really a good idea if you've got limited slip differentials. Any difference in rolling diameters (even a difference in air pressure between identical tires) will cause some pretty undesirable handling.

If you're running open diffs and stay on the street, there's really nothing fundamentally wrong with a donut spare. Deadly strain? On an NP231 tcase in 4wd, sure (front & rear driveshafts have to turn at the same rate.) It's not as bad on a full time 4wd tcase, but it'll put some wear on the viscous diff, as well as wanting to push one way or the other. Nothing wrong with using a donut with an NP231 in 2wd, especially if the donut is on the front end.
 
You definitely want a full-size spare if you are going offroad. The little donut spare isn't meant to last long on the road, let alone a trail. Also, if you have a one smaller tire while in 4wd, you will get some binding in your driveline. You'll hear and feel it when it happens.
 
Markos said:
You definitely want a full-size spare if you are going offroad. The little donut spare isn't meant to last long on the road, let alone a trail. Also, if you have a one smaller tire while in 4wd, you will get some binding in your driveline. You'll hear and feel it when it happens.
Click to expand...

If you only have one smaller tire per axle with open diffs, then it's not a big deal as the spider gears will take care of the difference.

If you have lockers or two smaller/larger tires on an axle in 4wd on the other hand, whole different story.
 
most clubs that I am familar with wont let you on a trail ride without one, unless there are special circumstances.
 
MrShaft696 said:
most clubs that I am familar with wont let you on a trail ride without one, unless there are special circumstances.
Click to expand...

Word.

I will not leave the driveway without one, much less go on a trail. I've destroyed 3 sidewalls in 2 days before, so now whenever I go to an event I bring my matching sized spare as well as a couple mounted 235's. Of course it dosn't need to be the same type of tire as the others, just save one from an old set or buy some proper-sized crap tire, it only needs to get you off the trail and somewhere to replace it. I just saved one of my old POS worthless tires for the spare, it makes me nervous relying on a BFGat to save me, but in reality the remaining tread might last to the nearest tire shop so it is better than nothing.
 
Last edited:
I'm a big proponent of keeping a matching full size spare - I don't look at it as a waste of rubber
and dead weight for 2 reasons..

A) Chances are its gonna come in handy

B) I number my wheels and keep all 5 of my tires in a constant rotation so that my spare wears
evenly just as the rest of them do, my spare changes every 2500 miles or so, that also helps
the tread last longer... I'm not a mathematician but maybe around 20% longer or so...

I agree with the above posts and I'd say your set-up is the biggest factor...
 
MoparManiac said:
If you only have one smaller tire per axle with open diffs, then it's not a big deal as the spider gears will take care of the difference.

If you have lockers or two smaller/larger tires on an axle in 4wd on the other hand, whole different story.
Click to expand...

It's not a big deal, but you will still hear and feel the binding. Ask me how I know. :) I run 30's with an OEM 28" spare and you can definitely tell the difference while in 4wd.
 
If nothing else, keep an air compressor and a plug kit in the Jeep so you can fix a flat unless it's real bad.
 
I run 31x10.50 MTRs with a 30 inch spare...non MTR.

I have had it on 2 times and I am a fairly mild wheeler.
I cut a valve stem in the mud once and pulled the bead from the rim once.
 
I'd recommend it. If you wheel, you're not just likely to get a flat but severe sidewall damage. It happens. It's the price of having fun!!!

That being said, on my big jeep I run Q78 TSLs and I wheel with a bunch of guys with the same size tires, same bolt pattern, etc. And so sometimes I'll leave the spare home if someone else is going to have one in the jeep. If I was running a BFG or some weak sidewalled tire, I wouldn't be so confident doing this, but with the TSLs, I've burped all of the air out of them before and just aired them right back up no problem.

Oh, and it goes without saying, you need air to wheel!! Back when I ran BFGs I once got a sidewall leak and got a flat. Instead of taking the time to change, I just aired it back up and didn't have to hold everyone up.
 
No reason not to carry one.

It took me 3 years of wheeling but I finally sliced a sidewall on the trail. I was glad to have it.

I bought a used 31" from a shop for my spare for 10 bucks, no sense in spending $200 on a tire you'll rarely use.
 
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