• Hello Guest, welcome to the initial stages of our new platform!
    You can find some additional information about where we are in the process of migrating the board and setting up our new software here

    Thank you for being a part of our community!

Do spare tires need replacement?

bobxyz

bobxyz

Board Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2014
Location
Boulder CO
Months ago, I saw a 940 in the salvage yard with front end damage and a blown-out mini/high-pressure spare on the front left. The front end damage looked like it came from a guard rail/concrete barrier but the damage didn't quite make it all the way to the wheel well. I'm guessing the tire blew first and caused the accident (bummer, flat tire and then later boom+crunch). So, how do I tell if my high-pressure mini-spare needs replacement? I'm guessing it's original.
 
If the rubber is more than 10 years old i'd replace it just in case, but that's me. Like Cwazywazy said I just keep one of the full size 14" steelies as a spare
 
This article @ Tire Rack suggests 10 years max and 6 years for unused tires since "environmental conditions like exposure to sunlight and coastal climates, as well as poor storage and infrequent use, accelerate the aging process".
 
aendrody said:
About 80% of the 7/9 space savers I?ve seen are rotted, including my personal one.
Click to expand...

I had the unfortunate experience two yrs ago when i had a flat.My spare in my wagon was the original,and it was rotten and flat. Get a wheel from the JY and get a full size tire. It fits perfectly in my wagon.
 
Tuff240 said:
I've seen several of the 7/9 series space saver spare tires seperate. Even while just being stored.
Click to expand...

This. They all do it. I've had about 40 of them that were separating having never been in daylight since the car was built. They are built by Firestone and every single one of them is a ticking time bomb.
 
When I bought my 94 model 940 a few years back, I check the spare (Donut) and it had exploded inside the trunk.....not from use, just from age I suppose.
I always swap the donut spare for a regular size street tire, so it wasn't a problem.
I have a lot of spare rims.

I know that it exploded inside the spare tire well because there were pieces of rubber all around it.
The one and only time I've seen this.

So yes.....the spares can fail with or without use.
 
2manyturbos said:
This. They all do it. I've had about 40 of them that were separating having never been in daylight since the car was built. They are built by Firestone and every single one of them is a ticking time bomb.
Click to expand...

Good to know. This is one of those things that will bite me in the azz one day when I'm faced with a flat.
 
I guess I'll be taking that firestone time bomb outta the trunk....tire looks brand new but I'll defer to those more experienced than I.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
A 945t of mine came with what looks like the factory donut spare. Still holds air to this day, even after sitting in a barn for 2 years installed on a project car. I would never trust one of those things driving on the road, but I keep them for spares if the car needs to sit for awhile. Full size spare is just too cheap to not have. I shudder everytime I see a car on a tiny little donut wheel driving down the freeway...
 
I got stabbed by my failed space saver spare tire. The tread had separated and I had to reach by it to grab something and I touched the steel belt sticking out by accident. I think I want some compensation from Firestone for these dangerous failures. :-P
 
So do the later model Volvos use the same lug pattern as my '89 245? Thinking of grabbing the donut spare from a late model car at the PNP.
 
Last edited:
The space saver spare in my car popped one day when I was in the car. I have a wagon, so it was especially loud. I think age, plus being properly inflated, plus baking in the heat here in South Carolina made it dry rot and fail. I put a standard steel wheel with a decent tire in there as a spare.

I also replaced the space saver with a full size steel wheel in my wife's Crown Vic after the tire failed in my car. It was another junkyard special but it has a newer tire on it. Just to be safe you know.
 
thismachine13 said:
So do the later model Volvos use the same lug pattern as my '89 245? Thinking of grabbing the donut spare from a late model car at the PNP.
Click to expand...

A full sized tire and wheel will fit in the spare tire compartment. Get a RWD steelie or alloy - I snagged one with a tire in good condition out of the PNP. If you match sizes with your other wheels/tires you don't even have to limp after changing a flat.
 
I've been meaning to replace the original spare in my '68 142. I'm sure I won't, and that'll be what eventually totals it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top