Rotating Spare

[volklflip88]

How many of you guys are rotating the spare into service? I do a 5 tire rotation with my FJ cruiser but it's easier since it sits on the rear door...
Planning on getting FN trd style 17" wheels at some point and I'm going back and forth on getting a 5th matching or just snagging a cheap 17" 4Runner wheel to keep as spare.

 

[r2m]

How many of you guys are rotating the spare into service? I do a 5 tire rotation with my FJ cruiser but it's easier since it sits on the rear door...
Planning on getting FN trd style 17" wheels at some point and I'm going back and forth on getting a 5th matching or just snagging a cheap 17" 4Runner wheel to keep as spare.

Getting a 5th wheel usually depends upon if you 5th is hanging out the rear for everyone to see, or tucked under.
Personally I prefer having them all be the same in case I have to use the spare shortly after having new tires installed, I don't have to keep swapping, I can just leave the spare, patch the dinged tire and that becomes the spare.
Also, if you don't have a matching spare, you'll want the steelie spare (or whatever) to have the same dimensions as your other tires, e.g.: of course diameter, width and also off-spacing. AND don't forget to ensure the spare is the same diameter as all your other tires!

 

[Rednexus]

I don't bother. Too much of a pain to pull out the tool kit, drop the spare, crawl under the rig to remove the hanger, then perform the reverse. I also like my spare being a basically new/un-used tire and not something with 30-40K on it due to going through my tire rotation. The last thing you'd ever want is to have your spare have a flat on it - it should be your best tire IMO.

OEM Toyota takeoff steelies are pretty heap on eBay. I bought one and added a new Kenda Klever 255/75R17 tire on it as my spare. I'm assuming the FN wheels use conical lug nuts and not lug-centric nuts like the OEM Toyota wheels. The steelies use basic conical lug nuts (but I think they'll also accept the lug-centric nuts), which is another advantage as I had carried an extra set of lug-centric nuts to allow for use of my previous OEM Lexus spare. They also used a different lug nut hex socket size - so there are lots of advantages to sticking with a single style of wheel/tire.

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[MotoDave]

I've always done 5 tire rotations on my 4x4's for years, I figure I paid for 5 tires, its a shame to never use one of them. Then again I always run OEM take-off wheels that are cheap and easy to find.

Lately its become frustrating to get the dealer or tire shop to actually do a 5 tire rotation, the service writers don't know what that is or why you'd want it, and more often than not the technicians don't bother even if I've gotten a note added to the work order.

 

[MotoDave]

I don't bother. Too much of a pain to pull out the tool kit, drop the spare, crawl under the rig to remove the hanger, then perform the reverse. I also like my spare being a basically new/un-used tire and not something with 30-40K on it due to going through my tire rotation. The last thing you'd ever want is to have your spare have a flat on it - it should be your best tire IMO.

On the other hand it forces you to make sure the spare is in good shape and has air in it - I remember stopping to help someone with a flat on a trail only to find out their spare tire had a dry rotted out valve stem and no air in it.

 

[Rednexus]

On the other hand it forces you to make sure the spare is in good shape and has air in it - I remember stopping to help someone with a flat on a trail only to find out their spare tire had a dry rotted out valve stem and no air in it.

The GX TPMS also monitors the spare . You should absolutely replace the spare every ~5-8 years; mine spare was 2007 production date spare when I purchased my rig. It was constantly losing air and making the TPMS light up, which is why I bought a new spare. I've also gone thru the effort to replace old spares on other high-mileage vehicles I've owned too.

I just don't totally see the point of a 5-tire rotation relative to the required effort (I DIY rotate my tires at every 5K mile oil change). I also don't drive that many miles on my rig, my tires are usually getting up to the 4-5 year mark when they start getting worn down, in which case it's a good idea to replace them anyway due to age. If I puncture a tire in the middle of nowhere I'd much rather have a spare that is 5 years old with 0 miles on it compared to one that is 5 years old with 30-40K miles on it.

 

[Cold Iron]

I've always done a 5 tire rotation. Well I did once non bias tires became readily available. If you go to a shop with vibrations, shake or shimmy the first thing a good shop will tell you is to come back when all 4 tires are the same diameter. You could always shave one down but shaving down a perfectly good tire doesn't make sense to me.

I rotate tires at oil change every 5K. It requires relabeling them in obdlink mx+ fusion.

Have to drop the spare in the Fall to oil the undercarriage anyhow. I've seen spare tire carriers so rusted up you couldn't drop it if you had to.

5x TRD Pro alloy black wheels PTR56-89210-F2
4x TRD Pro Center cap, new red ring PT280-89210-F2
4x Lug nuts black PT076-60200-02

Worked for me.

5 tires obviously last longer than 4 when rotated. And when 4 are wore out you can pretty much rest assured that they will no longer be available when you need new ones, if you didn't rotate the spare it will not match. I went with 5 265/70r17 AT3W Wildpeaks 2 months ago and the AT4W are already out. And they are different diameters. Same thing happened with my Taco, the original KO tires were replaced with KO2's soon after I got it.

Personal preference and mine is 5 identical tires and wheels. In rotation.

 

[ericm979]

I've always done four tire rotation but I'm trying five on the GX. I do my own oil changes and rotations.

 

[MountainGXplore]

I run 5 matching wheels and tires and perform 5 tire rotations. I like that if I ever need the spare, it will be pretty close to matching the other tread depths. It will also give you a little more time between needing new tires.

I ended up buying an extra matching rim on my Tundra too so when I get new tires, I can 5 tire rotate. I feel its worth it.

 

[Washingtontaco]

I'm all about the 5 tire rotation. With my tires running $350 a tire I am using that thing up.

 

[HVLA]

If you do a 5 tire rotation wouldnt the last tire you move to the spare location have more miles than any other tire? Or am I missing something?

 

[Washingtontaco]

If you do a 5 tire rotation wouldnt the last tire you move to the spare location have more miles than any other tire? Or am I missing something?

After 25,000 miles or 5 rotations they all have the same mileage.

 

[r2m]

If you do a 5 tire rotation wouldnt the last tire you move to the spare location have more miles than any other tire? Or am I missing something?

Rotating your tires every 5-7k miles (as most manufacturers recommend) would be negligible. It won't matter. There really isn't much wear at 5k miles unless you're hard on your tires, like chunking out bits of tires from off roading, burn outs (in a GX? ha-ha-ha!), or hard braking and corning.

 

[suzuguru]

I don't bother doing the 5 tire rotation. Yes, they do last longer that way. However, when you buy new tires, you have to buy 5 instead of 4. I think it works out about the same. I'm pretty good about keeping an eye on the condition of my spare. I couldn't care less if it matches, as long as it gets me home.

 

[HVLA]

I don't bother doing the 5 tire rotation. Yes, they do last longer that way. However, when you buy new tires, you have to buy 5 instead of 4. I think it works out about the same. I'm pretty good about keeping an eye on the condition of my spare. I couldn't care less if it matches, as long as it gets me home.

Good point.

 

[ericm979]

It works out the same except in the four wheel rotation, when the spare ages out it's got tread on it that didn't get used.

 

[suzuguru]

My spare is underneath the vehicle. When they aren't in the sun, they will last much, much longer. My spare has been underneath for 20+ years, and I promise it would last as long as I need it to. No dry rot at all on it.

 

[WBrown999]

I've always done a 5 tire rotation. Well I did once non bias tires became readily available. If you go to a shop with vibrations, shake or shimmy the first thing a good shop will tell you is to come back when all 4 tires are the same diameter. You could always shave one down but shaving down a perfectly good tire doesn't make sense to me.

I rotate tires at oil change every 5K. It requires relabeling them in obdlink mx+ fusion.

Have to drop the spare in the Fall to oil the undercarriage anyhow. I've seen spare tire carriers so rusted up you couldn't drop it if you had to.

5x TRD Pro alloy black wheels PTR56-89210-F2
4x TRD Pro Center cap, new red ring PT280-89210-F2
4x Lug nuts black PT076-60200-02

Worked for me.

5 tires obviously last longer than 4 when rotated. And when 4 are wore out you can pretty much rest assured that they will no longer be available when you need new ones, if you didn't rotate the spare it will not match. I went with 5 265/70r17 AT3W Wildpeaks 2 months ago and the AT4W are already out. And they are different diameters. Same thing happened with my Taco, the original KO tires were replaced with KO2's soon after I got it.

Personal preference and mine is 5 identical tires and wheels. In rotation.

This is my exact setup and my exact philosophy. Only difference is I have the AT4W tires. I can’t even get the AT3W any more.

 

[Washingtontaco]

My spare is underneath the vehicle. When they aren't in the sun, they will last much, much longer. My spare has been underneath for 20+ years, and I promise it would last as long as I need it to. No dry rot at all on it.

Except tires age out, the rubber gets hard. With full time 4 wheel drive If you have say 25,000 or more miles on the set of 4 and you use the spare with like new tread depth you have potential to cause drivetrain damage.

I'll stick with 5 tire rotation. When I'm a day or two away from a tire shop that may or may not have my size, make and model Ill have peace of mind knowing I have fairly decent tires of the same size, make, and model.

You do you.

 

[suzuguru]

You do you.

I never told you what to do. However, it's laughable that you actually think 1/4" of tread difference is going to ruin your drivetrain.