A newbie question: Spare wheel and tire

I understand the spare tire provided is on an 18 inch steel wheel.

It may be adequate for emergency use I suppose, but have people done, or considered a same tire and wheel setup (i.e. a spare TRD 20 inch wheel with the same tire as on the four corners) to be used for a 5 tire rotation regime and not being concerned at a limit of xx miles to get a proper replacement in the middle of a journey? Or is that not a concern at all? What about the TPMS situation in this scenario?

(Please forgive me if there is a thread already on this. If so, a gentle pointer to that thread would be appreciated. Thanks.)

 

Ideally you do as you described, rotate the five tires and have them all be the same.

Manufacturers just go cheap on the spare and most/I don't want spend more coin on a spare. It's you choice.

 

my spare was the same manufacturer tire as the oem on the rims - only difference is the rim is steel and not alloy like the other four. No big deal and you don't have to drive it with speed or other limitation like the cheap spares most vehicles come with.

 

Not to high jack your thread, what’s the largest tire, on a 20” rim, that will fit in the spare tire space?

 

Not a hijack, since I would like to know that too. Maybe I will have a better idea once I get delivery. The waiting till the end of the month is not going to be easy I think.

 

this is what i do. bought a matching 5th rim / tire combo and run a 5 tire rotation.

run larger tires and like the idea of a same size spare, especially if far from home.

ordered the tpms & install kit from dealer.

follow the tpms relearn procedure in the user manual.

my tundra is a '19. YMMV on 22+

 

In general no, a different make/size/etc of tire doesn’t matter for a spare as long as the overall diameter is the same or close enough. This is applicable to 2wd especially, a AWD Subaru or similar can get angry if the tires are too different. If you were very worried you can put two matching tires on the rear wheels and the spare on the front.

I find 5 wheel rotations annoying since you have to lower the spare and remember to rotate and check the depths and they’re always a little off. On my vehicles I either put the winter/summer tire in the spare or get a 6th identical wheel and do a 6 wheel rotation so its more even. Side benefit to doing a 5th or 6th matching is you have extra rims incase you damage one.

 

Actually, lowering the spare every 5k miles or so is a great idea, at least up in areas with winter salt use, with lubing up the mechanism good preventative maintenance IMO. That ensures you can get to it when needed. Getting a second spare is not a bad idea either. Any thoughts on the best place to get a pair of TRD 20 inchers?

 

For the newest rims you can order them on a toyota dealer parts website, they’re should be some in your area (not all dealers have official parts websites). You can price show them against each other and physically pick up a brand new rim or two that way. For whole sets I have bought them on Offerup/Craigslist/Ebay with good results, often you can get a whole set for the price of a single rim at the dealer.

 

Hi all,

I'm getting ready for my first road trip to Texas in my Tundra and just prepping a tool bag should anything happen. I recall coming across a thread where it was questioned or brought up about the OEM lug nuts and being able to use them on the steel spare.
Are the OEM lug nuts that have the washer safe to use on the spare steel wheel?

I'm not sure but I think I remember you @Jim LE 1301 as part of that thread/conversation.

 

Yes the OEM aluminum rim lug nuts are meant to be used on the OEM steel wheels (temporarily) for this exact reason. The actual steel lut nuts have a different taper/design than the aluminum wheel lug nuts, but there is a special taper on the end that allows them to be used in a pinch. Not that you’d have a torque wrench out there but the steel wheels are 150ft lbs while the aluminum are 100, aka you can crank down hard on the steel rims.

 

Yes, then can be used.

 

Thank you for the answer. I am hopeful I don't get a flat where I'll need to use the spare but just prepping a tool bag to take with me and planning ahead.

 

Thanks Jim

 

Put this guy in your kit (or similar), lots of off-roaders swear by them, quick to use as well, faster than switching the spare usually.