[A.Vandelay]

Hi folks, had a tps go off about 90 miles from home on my Getaway with 17” alloy 5 spoke and 235/55/r17 Contis over the weekend. Found a screw in the tire. No issues getting the spare down and on. It was a Goodyear 225/55/r17 on steel. But I wasn’t thrilled about the 50 mph label and/or 70 mile distance warning we got from a few sources (little fuzzy on those). Had a heck of a time finding a quick source for a replacement tire - but was lucky to find a place able to patch and I could zip home on the highway.

this got me to thinking about the long distance trips we take through remote areas and what a PITA it could be dealing with a flat… which led to the following question: is it possible to store a “matching” alloy wheel with 235/55/r17 under the van so I could do a straight swap and continue on our adventure and then get the damaged tire fixed / replaced once back in civilization?

understand the downsides of letting alloy hang out under the van and would take steps to protect - just wondering if it’s possible.

If so, then do I switch to 5 tire rotation?

also - per youtube (So consider the source) some - maybe pre- ‘21 models - have a plastic protector for the spare. This is wasn’t there on mine.

Anyone do something similar?

 

[pounce]

I carry a patch/plug kit and milwaukee m12 inflator. I've plugged screw and nail holes in less than 10 minutes on the side of the highway without jacking. Its not hard.

The spare is full size. Not sure where you saw limits.

 

[A.Vandelay]

Thanks. That’s an option too- might not work on sidewall issues, but something to think about. Here’s a pic of the spare.

And my expert service advisor….

I also found an early thread on here about limits and noting a potential concern about differential weight between alloy and steel even in full size tire.

spare tire speed limit?

My Metris spare tire is exactly the same brand, size and type as the other 4 tires on the vehicle. It is mounted on a steel wheel while the others are on alloy wheels. I was checking the tire pressure and noticed a sticker on the steel spare wheel that says to limit speed to 50 mph. Any reason...

www.metrisforum.com

 

[icerabbit]

I'm thinking that is a "cya" sticker and bupkus ...

We have a full size spare ... not a donut wheel. That is a standard steel rim as seen on countless vans + standard oem issue tire suitable for highway driving and properly rated.

 

[Vitovito]

Hi folks, had a tps go off about 90 miles from home on my Getaway with 17” alloy 5 spoke and 235/55/r17 Contis over the weekend. Found a screw in the tire. No issues getting the spare down and on. It was a Goodyear 225/55/r17 on steel. But I wasn’t thrilled about the 50 mph label and/or 70 mile distance warning we got from a few sources (little fuzzy on those). Had a heck of a time finding a quick source for a replacement tire - but was lucky to find a place able to patch and I could zip home on the highway.

this got me to thinking about the long distance trips we take through remote areas and what a PITA it could be dealing with a flat… which led to the following question: is it possible to store a “matching” alloy wheel with 235/55/r17 under the van so I could do a straight swap and continue on our adventure and then get the damaged tire fixed / replaced once back in civilization?

understand the downsides of letting alloy hang out under the van and would take steps to protect - just wondering if it’s possible.

If so, then do I switch to 5 tire rotation?

also - per youtube (So consider the source) some - maybe pre- ‘21 models - have a plastic protector for the spare. This is wasn’t there on mine.

Anyone do something similar?
[/QUO

Hi folks, had a tps go off about 90 miles from home on my Getaway with 17” alloy 5 spoke and 235/55/r17 Contis over the weekend. Found a screw in the tire. No issues getting the spare down and on. It was a Goodyear 225/55/r17 on steel. But I wasn’t thrilled about the 50 mph label and/or 70 mile distance warning we got from a few sources (little fuzzy on those). Had a heck of a time finding a quick source for a replacement tire - but was lucky to find a place able to patch and I could zip home on the highway.

this got me to thinking about the long distance trips we take through remote areas and what a PITA it could be dealing with a flat… which led to the following question: is it possible to store a “matching” alloy wheel with 235/55/r17 under the van so I could do a straight swap and continue on our adventure and then get the damaged tire fixed / replaced once back in civilization?

understand the downsides of letting alloy hang out under the van and would take steps to protect - just wondering if it’s possible.

If so, then do I switch to 5 tire rotation?

also - per youtube (So consider the source) some - maybe pre- ‘21 models - have a plastic protector for the spare. This is wasn’t there on mine.

Anyone do something similar?

I noted the 50 MPH sticker on my spare. Well, the spare is the same as the other 4 H-rated (130 MPH max) Continentals that came with Vito, and the steel wheel is standard without the aluminum wheel option, so the only thing that has a 50 MPH limit is the sticker. Ridiculous, maybe MB had extra "donut" spare stickers lying around.

 

[Vercingetorix]

Maybe the wheel itself is a generic part and is limited to 50 mph on other vehicles when a compact tire is fitted.

 

[KJT]

I had similar concerns when I've had flats with the same wheel/tire combinations. I concluded from my web surfing that the small differences between the alloy wheel and the steel spare could damage the drive train somehow over long distances at higher speeds. When I read that I slowed down but did not panic if I went over 50.

 

[A.Vandelay]

I had similar concerns when I've had flats with the same wheel/tire combinations. I concluded from my web surfing that the small differences between the alloy wheel and the steel spare could damage the drive train somehow over long distances at higher speeds. When I read that I slowed down but did not panic if I went over 50.

FYI - I bit the bullet and got the extra matching wheel. It is very, very tight with the van loaded but a dip in pavement got the clearance needed and then it tucked up nicely. I would guess a jack to raise left rear corner would work too. Just did a trip through remote areas which and was glad for the peace of mind. Of course, now that I have it I won’t need to use it!

 

[wimpy]

Maybe the wheel itself is a generic part and is limited to 50 mph on other vehicles when a compact tire is fitted.

Measure the OD of the spare vs the other tires. A wheel/tire that is designed to fit the hub with the proper offset will not damage the drivetrain. Different ODs will negatively impact the drive train ONLY if used on a drive axle. If you have 4 wheel drive, you would be limited to ~1/2 inch difference in OD with no issues. Otherwise, put the smaller tire on the steering axle.

Read this:

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=46

If the 2 tires have the same designations, there should be no problem using the spare normally. If the spare has a "T", then it's a temporary spare & you should adhere to the limitations specified.