Spare Tyre - What It Is And What You Need To Know About It
Imagine driving around, and you feel that one of the car’s tyres is making a weird noise. You get out and realize that you have gotten a flat tire. To make matters worse, you open the trunk of your car and find out that there is no spare tire! Unfortunately, such situations are prevalent as people do not give enough importance to a spare tire.
Therefore, it is always advised to carry a spare tire in the car to avoid getting into such unwanted situations. Along with a spare tire, you must also carry a spare tire kit which you will be needing to replace the tire properly.
WHAT IS A SPARE TYRE?
As the name suggests, a spare tire is an extra tire that you carry around in your car and use in case one of your tire is punctured, damaged, or unable to drive anymore. A car spare tyre is known by other names as well. A famous alternative name for it is 'Stepney’.
In other areas, drivers simply refer to it as the spare wheel. Despite the various names, the importance of a car’s spare tire remains the same and cannot be stressed enough. Besides its usefulness, drivers need to understand various essential things about the spare tire.
Things You Need To Know About Your Spare Tire
Type of Spare Tire
If you are thinking about what type of spare tire you need then we got you covered. There are different types of spare tire options available which include, full-size, donut, and run-flat tyres.
- Full-size Spare Tire: A matched full-size spare tyre is identical to your vehicle's other tyres.
- Donut Spare Tire: Donut spare tyres are made to fit in the car's trunk since they are small and narrow. Donut spare tires shouldn't be driven at high speeds when utilizing them because they normally only last 50 to 70 miles.
- Run-flat Tires: Run-flat tyres are frequently tougher and more resilient. If a run-flat tyre gets punctured it can keep you going for roughly 50 miles before you need to acquire a new tyre.
How Fast Can You Drive with a Spare Tyre?
If you are using a doughnut, you cannot drive more than 60-80 km/h. Highways and motorways must be avoided while using a temporary tire. If you are using an actual tire as the spare tire, you can drive within the legal speed limit without any fear.
How Long Can A Spare Tyre Be Driven?
A doughnut is not meant for long-distance driving and must not be pushed beyond its limits. Therefore, it is better to drive not more than 60-80 km. However, depending on the tire, the distance can vary. Consult the owner's manual for more information. On the other hand, the actual spare tire has no such limitations.
Air Pressure for A Spare Tire
A spare tire is used only in case of emergencies. Therefore, the tire pressure for a spare is 60 PSI. The reason behind such a high PSI is that tires lose air pressure over time. Since a car spare tire remains unused over long periods, it is better to have more air pressure in them. Otherwise, you might come across a situation where the spare tire cannot be used as the air pressure in it is too low.
How Often Should A Spare Tire Be Replaced?
Even if you have never utilized a spare tyre, it could still need to be replaced. Typically, the spare tire on a car needs to be replaced every eight years. You may find information about how often to replace your car's spare tire in the owner's manual.
Periodically, you should check your spare tire for cracks or dry rot. While you're checking the tire pressure, you can complete this activity.
At PitStopArabia, we never recommend our customers to buy used tires. Used tyres can be punctured, driven at high speeds, exposed to harsh weather conditions, or internally damaged from curbs or potholes.
The best tires to buy are fresh ones for reliability and safety. To keep you safe on the road, it's crucial to have high-quality, dependable tyres as they're the only component of your car that comes into touch with the asphalt.
Conclusion
Before you get curious about where to buy a spare tire, the answer is that a spare tire can be purchased from any shop selling regular tires. We at PitStopArabia recommend car drivers always keep a spare tire and regularly check its air pressure.
Moreover, if you own a spare tire like your actual tires, do not forget to include it in the tire rotation. How often should you rotate your car tires? It will help ensure that the spare tire does not wear out unevenly.