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Full sized spares


NMurray

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My '14 Subaru Outback does not come with a full sized spare. (BS I know) Looking for input on a decent solution. I've poked around and I've seen a few solutions, spare in a roof basket, spare lashed down in the trunk, custom swing out spare carrier. As it's my daily driver and family car that lives on the street in Brooklyn, none of those solutions really work for me. The donut that comes with the care lives in a well in the trunk. One solution I saw was to get a full sized wheel and tire and either deflate it or have it shaved to squeeze it in the well. I don't like the idea of keeping it deflated as my wife uses the car too. What are thoughts on shaving down a tire to fit in the well? It's not going to match the other tires which are only a couple of months old but after a while with wear could match up and be rotated in. Regardless it's better than the donut.

 

 

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Not sure of your objection to the doughnut spare? If it really bothers you get a full size tire and rim and stick it in the garage. Change it as soon as you must, or if your going on a road trip toss it in the cargo area.

BLM - Bass Lives Matter 

Race - human like everyone else

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A full size spare just barely fit in my 2017 forester with all of the foam removed.  I test fitted one of the original wheels/tires before buying to confirm fit.  I bought a steel wheel and cheap tire which all came in around $100 mounted and balanced. 

 

Regarding carrying a deflated tire and concern for your wife, would she actually change out a flat...or call you to do it. If this is to be used as a buggy, you should invest in an air pump anyway such as the Viair 300.  It inflates our small tires super quick for a portable unit.

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Get a real tire/wheel for a spare that does fit from the junkyard. As long as the bolt pattern is the same, what difference will it make if it is not the same size as the other 4. The donut is useless in the sand but even a bald full size tire that's not quite the same size as the others will negate the need to carry it externally, it will pass inspection and it will work on the sand and get you off the beach. 

 

Shaving? Sounds like money wasted when you can get a used and worn one for free or next to free. 

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57 mins ago, z-man said:

You should try to find a spare tire that’s diameter is close to the size of the other tires. A big difference could cause issues because it’s AWD. 

On the pavement perhaps if used for an extended period but aren't all donuts smaller in diameter? Isn't what this is all about?

On loose sand it is a non-starter. Manufacturers say right in the owners manual that the donut is for emergency purposes only and they even put speed restrictions in there too. Doesn't stop them from providing them though. 

A larger wheel than the donut has to be a better choice all around. I don't see a downside to it. 

Edited by J
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2 mins ago, J said:

On the pavement perhaps if used for an extended period but aren't all donuts smaller in diameter? Isn't what this is all about?

On loose sand it is a non-starter. Manufacturers say right in the owners manual that the donut is for emergency purposes only and they even put speed restrictions in there too. Doesn't stop them from providing them though. 

A larger wheel than the donut has to be a better choice all around. I don't see a downside to it. 

I think the Subaru donut is the same diameter as the others it’s just much skinnier. 
I like to swap the donut for a full size just in case you get a flat while on a road trip, ski trip, vacation, etc where you want to just swap it and carry on. 

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18 hours ago, z-man said:

I think the Subaru donut is the same diameter as the others it’s just much skinnier. 
I like to swap the donut for a full size just in case you get a flat while on a road trip, ski trip, vacation, etc where you want to just swap it and carry on. 

 My wife has a Forester. I'll have to take a look when the weather is better. 

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I don't think it is the same diameter, hence the reason many people say a full sized won't fit in the spare well. I started down this path because to get a permit you need a full sized spare and in doing research on this it dawned on me that the donut, especially if it's smaller is just completely inadequate, for anything other than limping along. I know for AWD vehicles they say you shouldn't even ride on tires of different brands. I assume that is because of the potential height differential and the stress that puts on the transfer case(?)

I'm aware that there is a spec that Subaru says you risk damage if the tires differ by so much, not sure the actual measurement. I'm wondering if it's a matter of degrees. Is a full sized spare that is slightly off sized from the other tires going to produce the same kind of stress as a donut that is much more undersize or is it going to stress the system regardless of how much they are off?

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5 hours ago, NMurray said:

I don't think it is the same diameter, hence the reason many people say a full sized won't fit in the spare well. I started down this path because to get a permit you need a full sized spare and in doing research on this it dawned on me that the donut, especially if it's smaller is just completely inadequate, for anything other than limping along. I know for AWD vehicles they say you shouldn't even ride on tires of different brands. I assume that is because of the potential height differential and the stress that puts on the transfer case(?)

I'm aware that there is a spec that Subaru says you risk damage if the tires differ by so much, not sure the actual measurement. I'm wondering if it's a matter of degrees. Is a full sized spare that is slightly off sized from the other tires going to produce the same kind of stress as a donut that is much more undersize or is it going to stress the system regardless of how much they are off?

In my experience the depth of the spare tire well was the problem not the diameter. You should check the diameter of the spare and the regular tires and also the manual. If it is a different size spare then you are probably supposed to disable the AWD when using it. Probably have to pull a fuse. 

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