Buying a spare tire

Many people are intimidated when something on their car needs to be repaired or replaced. Buying a spare tire is no exception. The spare tire provides a great service when it is called upon and it needs to be up for that service. If it has been a while since you checked yours, it might be time to give it a look and be sure that if needed it will be in good shape. If it isn't, you will need to buy a new spare tire.

The first thing you need to do when you want to purchase a new spare tire is to locate where it is stored in your vehicle. There are quite a number of different locations where it might be. Some are stored on the back of the vehicle; these are most often SUV's. Some are in the trunk but where in there is often a mystery. Others are under the car. If you are unsure, refer to your owner’s manual.

Some vehicles have a full-size tire as their spare; others have what is referred to as a donut. A donut is a small tire that has very limited use and is consequently much less expensive than a full-size tire. You need to determine which type you have and the size of your rims. If your car is old and you don’t plan to keep if for many years, there is no need for the larger expense unless you do a lot of driving and have a lot of flat tires. A donut works fine for most people.

There are many places where you can buy a spare tire. You can try the big retailers like Sam's Club or BJ's. To buy it there you must know exactly what you want. If you are not sure, then you may want to go to a retailer who specializes in tires like Goodyear, Sears Automotive or Town Fair Tires. They will be able to tell you exactly what you need and tell you what options are available.

Before you consider buying a spare tire that is full sized, be sure that you have the room to store it in your car. It may seem like a good idea but you need to have enough space A donut spare is good for about 70 miles, give or take and if you only use it to get you to a service station for repair or to replace your flat then you will get several uses from it. It is both easy to store and cost effective. Always carry a can of fix a flat with you just in case your tire and your spare fail you.

When we rented a Toyota recently, it had puncture proof tires with no spare. It does take a little getting used to, I prefer knowing I have a spare.