Just a quick question. I'm a ways from new tires. But do you guys use the factory spare and buy 3 or just leave it under the truck and buy 4? I've got a brand new Goodyear HP under the back of the truck in the right size. But don't know how close 3 of the same tire from Goodyear will actually match it.

 

Typically I see my customers asking for a set of 4 because of a few reasons. Sometimes, it's because they don't realize that their full size spare uses the same tire that the rest of their wheels do. Another is because the tire gets old and dryrot from not being used. Another would be that they're worried about disturbing the rusty tire hoist. Or perhaps because they want to change tire preformance grades/brands/size/style etc.

On my own vehicles, I personally just get a set of 4. When my spare looks cruddy enough, I'll take the nicest of my good driving tires and swap it out with the spare tire, then replace the driving tires again.

 

I was just wondering. How these wranglers perform this winter will determine a lot. They are less aggressively threaded than I normally like.

 

It's a 2012, I wouldn't worry about it haha...

I got a flat in my 92 that had the original spare and it was obvious the jack had never been used. It was dry rotted and cracked but still got me 10 miles to a tire store.

IMO, a dry rotted full size spare is just as good or better than one of those ridiculous donuts on passenger cars.

Fun fact- our 14' Cruze doesn't have a spare at all, which is fine, because my girlfriend wouldn't even know where to find it!

 

Yeah the lack of spares is a major concern for me these days. I was looking a Jeep Cherokees at one time, and found myself lifting the cargo floor on every one to see if they even had a spare. Not a problem with my truck though. I don't know if I can even find Goodyear HP's anywhere close to me.