Everything You Need To Know About Spare Tires For Lifted Pickup Trucks
Getting a flat tire is bad enough, but when we talk about trucks, especially those that are lifted, the process to go about it changes quite drastically.
The same size probably won’t work
The first thing you have to know about keeping a spare tire on your lifted truck is that it probably won’t be of the same size.
For example, if the pickup has 35 inch tires on, chances are that if you got a spare of the same diameter, it wouldn’t fit in the designed mount, which is under the vehicle.
That isn’t always true, though – oftentimes larger trucks can indeed fit larger than stock tires there, but the results can differ depending on the manufacturer, so make sure to measure first.
Even if the pickup truck is of the lighter duty, it can still be possible to wiggle in a tire of such magnitude in there, albeit it will probably require some sort of modifications to be done, like angle grinding a part or two.
You can still use the smaller spare, but…
If you indeed think of utilizing the smaller spare when time comes, only install it in the front, and make sure to be in 2WD mode; even if you do end up getting a flat in one of the rear wheels, change it with a good tire that’s in the front, and install the spare there.
Doing otherwise can result in damage to the drivetrain, and we definitely do not want to go that way!
The problem with this approach though is that not always can the standard replacement wheel, which comes with the pickup, work on one that has been lifted – wheels on lifted trucks, more often than not, are also wider, so they budge to the outside more for enough space.
This means that if you put on a wheel that is not only shorter, but also doesn’t sit as wide, it can make driving safely pretty much impossible.
In case you find yourself in the same situation, there is really no other way to tackle it rather than by buying a new tire altogether.
In the perfect world, you should get one which is closest to the size of the tires the pickup truck already has, but that doesn’t always has to be the case, as long as it matches the level of offset.
Warning: a spare tire, that is, one which is clearly different in size than all of the other three, should not be used for prolonged time. Even if it’s just a couple inch difference, you should only use it to get back home safely, even if it takes just a month to get a proper replacement, for your own safety.
There are still ways to carry a full-size spare
Not everyone fancies having to drive even a couple of miles to safety with a smaller replacement, as there are still ways to carry the same sized wheels as all of the other four.
One of the obvious is by using the bed. You can buy a specifically designed mount for this purpose (get one on Amazon (requires drilling)), or just fasten it however you like, as long as it’s secure from accidental take off or theft.
This isn’t really an option for most of the owners, as there are still those who need the bed space, although this isn’t much of a problem either as you can mount it on the roof, if you have the rack.
There are people who do without it
Having a tire plug kit with yourself at all times and knowing how to use it can prevent the need to carry a spare in the first place, though this only works if the flat is caused by a puncture.
To be honest, how likely are you to get a flat tire, especially if you’re just using the pickup as a daily driver? As long as you run high quality tires, the chance of that happening is truly slim, and even then, i heard more than a person telling me that they’d rather call roadside assistance than deal with all of this stuff.