You might not consider your tires unsung road heroes when considering all the components that need regular maintenance. However, you’ll quickly see the importance of having a fully functional and well-maintained spare tire under your suspension or in your trunk when a tire suddenly stops working.

Excellent Tips for Spare Tires

Although your spare tire is only used to rescue you in rare situations like blowouts or other emergencies, it’s essential to give it the attention it needs if you want it to be as valuable as possible. These are four smart tips for your spare tire.

Buy the right tire and tools

There are many types of spare tires. You should purchase a full-sized, identical tire and make it to your other tires. As a rule of thumb, you should buy your tires five at once to ensure they match perfectly.

You can use a non-matching tire to meet your vehicle compatibility and dimensions. This action is a cost-effective option for those who need a spare tire. A temporary spare tire called a donut may be necessary if you don’t have enough space to fit a full-sized spare.

Make sure you have all the tools you will need to use your spare tire in an emergency. For example, keeping a spare tire, a lug wrench, work gloves, and a set of reflective warning triangles or road flares would be best.

Take a donut drive with caution

Although donuts are easier to carry and change than full-sized spare tires, you cannot use them as long-term replacements. Donuts are designed to last for 100 miles. You can even reduce your donut’s lifespan if you drive faster than 50 mph.

Your donut should be considered a temporary solution that needs to be taken with care. It would be best if you did not drive donuts on highways or roads that require you to travel at speeds exceeding 50 mph. So technicians can change your tire with a full-sized, safer, and more durable one, take your car to the auto shop immediately.

Maintain your spare tire properly

Even though a spare tire may not see much use, it is still vital to maintain it. Make it a habit to check your spare tire’s pressure every time you check your active tires. If necessary, add air to ensure the tire is ready for action.

As with other tires, a spare tire can damage its tread, sidewalls, or other structures. Therefore, you should inspect your spare tire after you have driven for a considerable distance on it. Replace the spare tire if your technician warns of the low tread.

Do not rotate your tires with a non-matching spare tire

You can leave your spare tire on your vehicle if it matches your other tires better than yours. Make sure to replace the tire with the correct one and keep it on your car. It would help if you didn’t do this with non-matching tires.

Due to minor but significant differences in the tread, structural strength, and traction, non-matching tires can cause uneven wear to all four tires. This uneven wear can lead to tire replacements more frequently and may cause transmission, suspension, or ABS problems.

If you need assistance or want to look for any services for tire changes near me or you, contact a trusted tire contractor. They will help you select the correct spare tire for your vehicle, advise on maintaining it, and replace any damaged tires as necessary.