Learn All About Car Spare Tire

A fat or spare tyre (or stepney) is an extra tire which is carried in a motor vehicle as a replacement for one that would go flat, contains a blowout, or has another emergency. Spare tire is mostly a name, as the majority vehicles really carry a complete wheel with a tire mounted thereon as a spare instead of simply a tire, as fitting a tire to a wheel would need a motorist to hold further, specialised instrumentation. However, some spare tires ("space-saver" and "donut" types) aren't generally meant to be driven long distances. Space-savers have a most speed of around fifty mph (80 km/h).

The spare tire is generally situated with your car jack, in the trunk. If you want to access the spare tire, then you have to open the trunk, and then the luggage floor cover should be removed.

Are you searching for the different types of spare tire? Then don’t worry! All you have to do is to have a look below and then all your doubts regarding its types would be cleared.

• Full-Size Matching Spare Tire
• Full-Size Non-Matching Spare Tire
• Full-Size Temporary Spare Tire
• Compact Temporary Spare Tire
• Folding Temporary Spare Tire

The main purpose of a spare wheel is to help in proving a replacement in the event of a flat tyre or some other tyre defects.

Do you want to know some frequent problems which might start occurring in the spare tire? Take a look below to know some frequent problems with the spare tire:

The spare tires in the automobiles are many times overlooked, but they can cause some serious challenges when they would be needed. Have a look at some of the frequent problems with spare tire:

• There might be some common issues with spare tires
• Issues with the spare tire rotation and inflation tips
• Special care for spare tires which have been mounted outside

Apart from the spare wheel, you will need the following:

• Wrench – for removing the wheel nuts
• Jack – for lifting the car off the ground
• Wheel chock – to stop the car from rolling when jacked up (bricks can be used instead)
• Wheel nut key – if locking nuts are fitted
• Car handbook – for reference (e.g. on jacking points)
• Torch – for working at night (check batteries regularly)
• Gloves – wheels will be dirty
• Reflective jacket – to make you visible
• Warning triangle – to alert other drivers to a hazard/obstruction
• Short plank of wood – as a flat surface to steady the jack
• Tyre pressure gauge – for checking the new tyre is fully inflated

You won’t have to think a lot while purchasing if you are already using a particular car part brand and are fully satisfied with it. There are a lot of people which trust a specific brand and would go with it once again with a minimum of thought. Here we have the best Spare Tire brands to help you out in choosing your favourite one in case you don’t have any. So what are you waiting for? Have a look below and choose the best brand for your Spare Tire.

There might be a big-picture overview of Spare Tire in your mind, and now it’s time to look at its related components.

• Spare Tires & Component
• Spare Tire Hardware 

If you are looking for Spare Tire Replacement Cost”, Spare Tire Replacement Labor Cost”, “Average Cost Of “Spare Tire Swap” or “How Much Does It Cost To Replace A Car Spare Tire”, then keep on reading further! If you are seeing blown Spare Tire signs from your vehicle, then it means that a repair bill is coming. More than other failures on a car, there is nothing that is like a faulty Spare Tire. Now if your car Spare Tire goes bad, then it would cause a lot of issues in the functioning of your car and it would turn into an abandoned home. Don’t worry and just think about the happiness when an empty shell would become whole again and much better than it was earlier through quality Spare Tire replacement. Keep in mind that the Spare Tire replacement cost would depend upon the type of automobile, brand, as well as various other factors. Spare tire costs vary greatly reckoning on the kind of spare you get, and infrequently begin at $100 and go up. A large matching spare typically prices quite doubly that of a compact temporary. There are some donut tires which can be often purchased on-line for as low as $50, however can be costlier at a tire distributor.

Do you want to change your spare tire on your own? Then have a look at the steps of changing the spare tire below:

Step 1 - Just make sure that you have a spare tire and all the tools which are required to install it.

It would be best to do it this way especially if you would be driving a car which has been used. You can always consult the car manufacturer’s website or driver’s manual if you want to find out the location of the spare, jack and lug wrench or you can always take a quick peek under the floor of the trunk where they are generally stored. It would be a perfect time to check if your automobile would come equipped with run-flat tires. Now if it does, there would be no need to perform a tire change as this technology would allow you to drive with a flat at reduced speeds and for specific distances until you would be able to make it to the garage. The run flats would differ, so it would be a great idea to inspect with the tire manufacturer or your car dealership to so that the maximum distance and speed can be decided.

Step 2 - Pull over in an area which would be hard, flat, and free of traffic

You should avoid trying changing a tire on the shoulder of a highway unless it would be wide enough and designed for that specific role. The correct place for installing a spare would be a parking lot with a concrete surface, level ground and no traffic. If your car is an automatic, then you should put it in “Park” and then the parking brake should be applied. Now if it would be a standard transmission, then it should be put in first gear and then carefully apply the parking brake. It is very essential that your car should not move during the tire change, so that’s why you should place a heavy object in front of and behind all four tires to stabilize them.

Step 3 - The spare tire and tools should then be taken out, and get started

Now before you remove the hubcap with the help of a flat screwdriver or similar tool, then you should make sure that all the items which you require - spare, jack and lug wrench – are within easy reach.

Step 4 - The tire’s lug nuts should be loosened and make sure that you do not remove them

A wrench should be used to loosen the lug nuts so that they can be removed by hand once your car has been jacked up. The wrench should then be put firmly in place and then it should be turned counter clockwise. If you want maximum efficiency and at the same time want to avoid utilizing the unnecessary force, place the arm of the wrench in the 10 o’clock position, push it down by utilizing the weight of your body, and then you should start again once the arm would reach at the 6 o’clock position. It might take quite a lot of force to break your lug nuts free, so there would be no advantage in trying to turn the wrench around fully in one shot. Just remember that you have to loosen them but do not remove them.

Step 5 - The jack should then be installed

If your car is of the latest model, then sometimes it can turn out to be tricky to figure out the position of the jack. If it would not be placed in the right spot under the frame, then it would crack the moulded stick along the bottom of the car when you start lifting. The owner’s manual should then be consulted to find the right spot. It can be helpful to know that on a lot of cars there would be a small mark situated just behind the front wheel or just in front of the rear wheel which would tell you where to position the jack. The car should then be lifted approximately 15 centimeters (six inches) off the ground. If you would observe that the jack is leaning forward, then the car should be lowered right away and then the jack should be repositioned. It would be better to try a few times rather than risk getting hurt if the jack gives way under the weight of the automobile.

Step 6 - The lug nuts should be removed and then off the tire

The lug nuts should be removed and then you should make sure to keep them together. You can always store them in the hubcap or your pocket. The flat tire should then be removed and then lay it under the car. Now in this way if the jack would give out, then there would be shorter distance for your car to fall. Rust or dust might sometimes make it tricky to get the tire off the car, so there might be a need to work a little to pry it off.

Step 7 - The spare tire should then be installed and replace the lug nuts (without tightening them)

You should then position the spare tire so that you can put the lug nuts in place and then they should be turned by hand, but there is no need to use the wrench to tighten them!

Step 8 - The car should then be lowered and tighten the lug nuts

The jack should be lowered until the spare tire would touch the ground. Now once your car would be back on the ground, then a wrench should be used to tighten the lug nuts. Just make sure that they should be tightened securely, so there might be a need to use your body weight again for additional force.

Step 9 - Then you should pack up your things and be on your way!

Then it is the time to gather up your things, including the flat tire, and drive away carefully. The spare tires are generally smaller than standard tires and are not suitable for high speeds. You should then inspect your owner’s manual to decide the maximum allowable speed, or don’t exceed 80 km per hour. If you would be driving on the highway or country roads where the speed limit would be 90, then you should turn on your hazard lights to make sure that you would be readily visible to other cars.