Does anyone not carry a spare tire on a daily basis?

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

MattH

MattH

10 Year
Joined
Jun 13, 2014
Threads
6
Messages
68
Location
SC
I am searching for new, bigger, and better tires. The tires I am looking at are much more heavy duty than the Michelin Tour HP I have at the moment that came on the truck when I got it. I plan to step up to a 275/70/18 when I make the switch. This means more weight and the need for a 5th tire for a spare (again more weight). I have been thinking about my daily routine vs my outdoor camping time. I am going back and forth to work 90% of the time and have thought about not running with the spare under the truck unless I head off into the wilderness. I am close enough to home that if I have a flat during a normal week it would be no big deal to either plug it on the side of the road and get going again or go home and get the spare if I need it.

I have had heavy duty E rated tires on my last 3 Toyotas (Nitto TG, Cooper Zeon, Toyo ATII) and never had a problem. By my estimation, skipping the spare tire on a normal basis would make up for the extra weight of the larger tires. Yes, there is the sprung vs unsprung weight issue in play for the tire weight vs spare weight.

I would like to hear others opinions on this. The weight of E rated tires vs what I have now is 20-22 pounds per corner depending on which tire I go with (ATII, TG2, S/TMaxx, AT3).
 
I considered going spare-less on my CJ - a 35" tire hanging off the swing-away, rattling, tough to see around, etc. - with the same rationale, e.g. usually not far from home, have roadside assistance insurance, carry a compressor and tire plug kit (faster than swapping a spare).

But with the 100... the spare tucks away so neatly and out of the way, it's very low (COG); and the spare is in the neighborhood of 1% of the weight of the truck. Do you have the 3rd row in the 100? That weighs more than the spare, is up higher, takes up valuable space...

Punchline: I think, with the 100, carrying the spare comes with such a small "penalty", that I'd keep it.
 
Third row removal was the first mod :).

I guess how I look at it, several small penalties start to add up over time. I keep clutter out at all costs.
 
Why are you so worried about the weight? Your not going to gain any mileage by not carrying it, and your ride isn't really going to effected by it. And if your last three Toyotas were find with it, why worry now?

I ran Toyota split wheels on mine forever with the heavy tubed Bridgestone U-Traction Tyres... with the spare. and never had a problem. And splits are heavy!

Now I run with a D-rated LT285/75R16 with my spare on my roof... and the RTT... and the drawer system in the back... and recovery gear... and camping gear... always in the truck.
 
Do you fill your tank? That's 130 pounds. Do you screen your friends? I mean, two average American male adults will carry more excess poundage than the weight of that spare. Now, if you and your buddies are all hipsters - tipping the scales at 120-135 pounds... ;-)

I think you're sweating the weight thing too much.
 
I'm more interested in trying to keep my mileage that I currently have when I upgrade the tires. I'm averaging 17 mpg currently and I can live with that. The downside for me on this whole idea is putting the spare back when I go on trips. I think that would get old after about the first time!!!

I guess the spare stays!
 
I took the super light weight approach to my 80 series build. I weighed everything that came off and weighed all the armor that went on. My 80 WITH sliders, custom tube bumper front and rear, and 35's weighed 40lbs lighter than stock. That made a HUGE difference compared to the 80 build I did before it where I was almost 800lbs heavier than stock. I did not run a 35" spare until I went wheelin. I pay for AAA so I figured I might as well get my money out of it. If I have a flat driving around town then AAA can tow my butt home where I can swap out the good tire. I ran that way for a few years but never actually had a flat.
 
I only consider weight in the sense that I don't have a bull bar or swing-out carrier. I try to pack the minimum for camping. And it all helps.

The main reason I keep all the camping supplies/gear and spares, recovery gear, etc. is I really don't want to load/unload every time I go out.
 
What did you do away with to end up 40 pounds lighter with all those add-ons?
 
stinkyfj60 said:
I only consider weight in the sense that I don't have a bull bar or swing-out carrier. I try to pack the minimum for camping. And it all helps.

The main reason I keep all the camping supplies/gear and spares, recovery gear, etc. is I really don't want to load/unload every time I go out.
Click to expand...

I am pretty minimalistic camping, but I wouldn't keep mine stored in the truck due to heat and possible theft. I would hate to have to replace all my gear. I am the "buy once cry once" type when it comes to buying quality camping gear.
 
MattH said:
I am pretty minimalistic camping, but I wouldn't keep mine stored in the truck due to heat and possible theft. I would hate to have to replace all my gear. I am the "buy once cry once" type when it comes to buying quality camping gear.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't do it if it weren't for the fact that my truck sits in the commercial garage of our business, locked up, and watched by cameras.
 
Your mpg penalty with the new tires is due to rotational mass and increased weight of the new tires. I would bet money that you will not recover .00001% of your mpg by removing your spare since it's totally unrelated to the rotational mass/unsprung weight. Like stated above, you'd probably save more weight by only running around town with 1/4 to 1/2 tank of gas all the time instead or not taking a very light passenger, and it would be less work. Speaking from the perspective of someone who used to remove the spare for dd and put it back on the rear bumper (Jeep) for wheeling trips, it gets extremely old after you do it about 2x, and you'll be less likely to put it back on the truck when you go wheeling.
 
You average 17 mpg? Please, young Jedi, teach me the ways....
 
jhanley said:
You average 17 mpg? Please, young Jedi, teach me the ways....
Click to expand...
I drive like an old man. My commute is all at a 50 mph limit. Very little city driving. Keep it cleaned out. Removed third row. Just me inside 90% of the time. And I am still on passenger tires.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom