Back in March of this year, I had quite an adventure and struggle with my car tires. You see, I was out on a Friday night and had a flat. I changed the tire and went about my way. I was enroute home, about 20 minutes away when all of a sudden, my spare blew out. And blowout I mean! The rubber and tread came completely off the tire, and there was smoke coming from the area. Not having a spare, I had to call AAA to tow me and my car home.
This would only be the beginning of my tire struggles. I knew I not only needed a tire, but also a spare. First off, I hate the small spares, or doughnuts, that come with smaller vehicles like mine. It turns out no one sells these small tires, at least not for cheap. Therefore I bought a used tire that fit my vehicle rims and eventually found a generic rim within my budget.
My hope in giving these seven tips is that you will not have to experience the headache I did a couple of short months ago.
1. If you have a doughnut, replace it ASAP.
These types of tires are horrible and are just a cheap way for dealerships to sell cars. They can even mess with your alignment and axles since they sit so much lower than your other tires. Therefore, buy the car, but also set aside some money for a spare tire and a proper rim.
2. Research thoroughly, via the Internet, and through calling places.
The web is another given. You can view and peruse the selection of tires and rims if the company has a website. Places such as Sears and Discount Tire offer this feature. However, many of the smaller tire and rim places do not have websites. Therefore, you must call them to see what they have. Also, check your local junkyards. You may find some gems there.
3. Have a budget ($100 or less)
Many places will try and get you to buy a nice rim, or set of rims for the automobile. That's all good, but we're talking about the spare tire. Go for the lowest priced and most basic rim you can find. You still want quality, but paying $200 for a spare rim just doesn't make a lot of sense.
4. Know tire sizes, spokes, and what you will need.
Many of the newer vehicles require the 5 spoke wheels. Some use 4. Also, know the size of your tires. Mine for example are 225/45/17. I can also use a 205 but I don't like to go smaller. Some places and websites prefer if you know the sizes right away. This makes searching and pricing easy and quicker.
5. Get a used tire for your spare.
I had to indulge in used tires for a period in my life. I've found you can get a year or longer out of a used one. Also, you can get one for $20-40. Therefore it doesn't make sense to buy a $100 tire that you will rarely, if ever, use.
6. Have ample trunk space for your larger tire.
I'm still cleaning out my trunk, although the spare fits fine. Typically, the space allotted for the spare tire will only fit the doughnut. Therefore, your trunk will need to have room for the spare. You could even use the doughnut space to place other items.
7. Check your spare, and other tires regularly.
This is where I really went wrong: not checking my spare, or even my tires like I should. I usually buy new tires every two years or less, and I wouldn't recommend keeping a spare longer than five years. Also, if your vehicle is rattling and you're experiencing too many flats, it may be time for an alignment.
I hope this can be of help to someone and that they can care for their spare as they would the other tires. Being stuck on a Friday night in a dark convenience store parking lot is no fun at all.
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