Spare Tire orientation

[Wrenchin' on it]

Hey everybody this is my first post, so go easy on me.
Just wondering if anybody has changed the way the spare is mounted under the truck by flipping it over to allow easy access to the tire valve so you can check and adjust the pressure. I just did this today. I have done that on all my previous trucks and that makes it very to check the spare.
I also found out that Ford in their infinite wisdom installs a spare that is smaller than the other tires. Who is the genius that came up with that idea?
Just give me a tire that can be used for a while until the other one is fixed without me having to worry about drivability issues and what kind of stress and wear the different size is doing to my vehicle.

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[Big Dog Daddy]

I did try flipping the tire over on my last Ford truck, for the exact reason you're describing. The problem I found was that the little winch that hoists the tire up didn't lock in, in the stored position as it does when the tire is stored valve up. I was worried it was going to creep down over time, so I gave up on the idea.
The spare tire on my truck has a 17" steel wheel and the truck came with 18" alloys. Although the rim size is different the size of the tire on the spare has the same rolling diameter as the road wheels.

 

[Wrenchin' on it]

The tires on my truck are 275/65/R18 while the spare is 245/75/R17, not the same height or rolling diameter. I don't care about it being a 17", but it should have been 255/75/R17 to match the size and diameter.

 

[Michael1955]

I’ve always flipped mine over so I can check spare tire pressure….never had one loosen up…all you need is to happen upon a spare with 18 psi when you need one….I always air to the max pressure to compensate for eventual air loss.

 

[SALEEN961]

If you have a dual head tire inflator, you can check the air pressure with the spare tire fully stowed in the factory orientation. I use a Milton S-506 at work, and I'm able to check the air pressure on 90% of the spare tires that are mounted underneath vehicles without lowering them to gain access to the valve stem. That being said, it is a good idea to periodically exercise the spare tire mechanism to prevent it from seizing up.

 

[Aron]

I'm guessing that Ford decided to mount them that way to minimize the chances of damage to the comparatively fragile valve stem from road debris or off-road misadventures.

 

[RickBullotta]

I don't bother checking the spare - I carry an inflator with me and would check prior to installation if needed. An inflator is generally a good thing to have with you anyway.

 

[Ziggy73]

Hey everybody this is my first post, so go easy on me.
Just wondering if anybody has changed the way the spare is mounted under the truck by flipping it over to allow easy access to the tire valve so you can check and adjust the pressure. I just did this today. I have done that on all my previous trucks and that makes it very to check the spare.
I also found out that Ford in their infinite wisdom installs a spare that is smaller than the other tires. Who is the genius that came up with that idea?
Just give me a tire that can be used for a while until the other one is fixed without me having to worry about drivability issues and what kind of stress and wear the different size is doing to my vehicle.

I hadn't noticed that, I did notice that the tread pattern was obviously different, but not looked at the size yet. I guess in theory if you don't have it in 4x4 it might be okay for a few miles. Just another way they're saving money I imagine.

 

[Sapphire]

Will a full size spare fit in there? I just checked my door sticker, and it looks like my spare is 32.6" (265/70R18) whereas the rest are 33" (275/60R20), which is annoying. I'm considering picking up a matching wheel for the spare, or maybe going up to a set of five 35"s.

 

[Pedaldude]

Depending on configuration, you get either a matching spare tire with a matching alloy wheel, a matching tire with a non-matching steel wheel, a non-matching tire with a steel 17” or 18” wheel and then you might also get the non-matching alloy spare wheel.

Some of the temporary use only tires also have speed or payload limitations too. So check the sidewall specs.

At this point, Ford is expecting everyone to feel lucky to get any kind of spare. It’s increasingly common to have new vehicles with no spare tire of any kind at all. Years ago, I watched a couple pull into a parking with a flat tire in a Mazda RX8 and tear the entire car apart while looking for a spare and arguing with each other before waiting around for a flatbed to tow them.

 

[snapper9601]

I hope I don't jinx myself here, but I do not remember when the last time was that I got a flat and had to use the spare tire on any vehicle. And that goes for my work trucks, wife's car and two kids cars as well. On the order of 25+ years at least. I do admit I am a bit of a planner, though. I check air and tire conditions regularly.

My truck has 275/65/18 tires, I too found my spare was a 17" temporary use tire. I guess I understand the cost cutting reasons when considering all the different potential OEM set ups, but I don't have to live with it on my truck. I looked hard for an 18" steel wheel, spent a few hours on line, even went to the dealer. I know they make an 18" steel wheel, and so does the dealer, but they could not find a part number. They said they could order a matching alloy wheel for my truck, but the price was like $900. That was a big no. I searched for a matching size OEM alloy wheel on-line and the cheapest I could find was around $150. I think it was off a Navigator. Since it was not a match to my OEM wheels, only just a spare for temporary use, I decided to go to my local tire store and ask for some help. The answer was, yes, I can help you. Within an hour he had installed a used 17" regular non-temporary use tire sized closely to the circumference of the 275/65/18 tires on the truck. All for $48.80.
The rule of thumb is stay within 3% of the diameter of the original tire diameter.
OEM tire size = 275/65/18, diameter is 32.1"
OEM spare tire size = 245/75/17, diameter is 31.5"
Difference in diameter = OEM spare is -1.9% (smaller). Also, +12 revolutions per mile.
Replacement spare tire size = 265/70/17, diameter is 31.6"
Difference in diameter = new spare is -1.6% (smaller). Also, +9 revolutions per mile.
Since the replacement tire size is a tad closer than the spare tire size that Ford engineered as acceptable, I'm not worried about the 4x4 system on the truck should I ever have to use the spare.

 

[Buyer2021]

I also found out that Ford in their infinite wisdom installs a spare that is smaller than the other tires.

That varies based on trim and wheel / tire options.

My 2022 Lariat came standard with 275/65R18 Goodyear Wrangler Territory AT on all 4 corners + the spare; the spare wheel is of course steel, not alloy.
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Nope, I don't flip mine 'stem down', always have an inflator in the truck for adjusting cold pressure and (knock on wood) haven't needed a spare in many years. 'YMMV'.

 

[RickBullotta]

Will a full size spare fit in there? I just checked my door sticker, and it looks like my spare is 32.6" (265/70R18) whereas the rest are 33" (275/60R20), which is annoying. I'm considering picking up a matching wheel for the spare, or maybe going up to a set of five 35"s.

It's just a spare. What's the concern?

 

[Sapphire]

It's just a spare. What's the concern?

The concern is that I'm looking to understand if a full sized wheel fits in the recess or not.

 

[Wrenchin' on it]

Looks like to me a full size tire, at least the size I have would fit with no problem. The 18" on my truck are Michelin Primacy All Terrain.
At least the spare is not a temporary use and is a real tire. It is a Maxxis Bravo AT-771. Which is basically a lower end tire, so it would not cost much more to install the same size as the regular ones.

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