What You Need To Know About Your Spare Tire (And When To Change It) - Freehold Tire - Tires in Freehold NJ, tire services in Monmouth County, NJ, alignments, brakes, New Jersey
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Many drivers forget to check the state of their spare tires until they actually need to use it. This is a mistake that is sadly common among all drivers.

As a general rule, you should always check your spare tire every morning before you drive. Whenever you carry out general checks on your car, the tire should not be ignored as you could be left frustrated later.

There are basically two types of spare tires that are either mounted at the back of your vehicle, underneath it, or hidden in the trunk. Full Size Spare Tires are regular tires that should be the same size and basically look the same as the other four tires.

Compact Spare Tire is much smaller than regular tires and is often referred to as a Space Saver or Donut Tire. These are lightweight tires are conveniently hidden inside your trunk as they do not occupy much space, but they are only designed to be used as a temporary fix so you can drive to the nearest tire shop.

Full Size Spare Tire

Caring for your Full Size Spare Tire is the same as your other tires. Whenever you have to gauge the air pressure of the other four tires, make sure to also gauge the air pressure of your Full-Size Spare Tire.

You should also be rotating your tires to ensure that they all wear at the same rate, which gives your car proper balance and improved performance. Switch one of your regular tires with the spare and do that for all the other tires after a period of use.

Compact Spare Tire

Similar to your Full-Size Spare Tire, you also need to regularly check the air pressure and inflate it when necessary. As an emergency spare tire, the Compact Spare Tire has limited tread depth which will wear quickly if subjected to long-distance or regular use, especially under tedious road and weather conditions.

How Long Does A Spare Tire Last?

Full Size Spare Tires generally last around 7 to 10 years, but this will depend on certain factors, such as the state of the spare tire when it was purchased. All of your tires should be brand new and not used or second-hand tires, and ideally you should purchase your spare tire at the same time as your other tires.

Regular tire rotation also affects how long they will last, as all of your tires including the spare age and wear evenly. If you do not rotate your tires regularly and correctly, you could end up with some tires wearing quicker than the others.

Compact Spare Tires have much less durability, so you should certainly not expect it to last as long as a Full Size Spare Tire. That’s because Compact Spare Tires cannot be used like regular tires, as they have only been designed for temporary, emergency use. That means they are not meant to handle the same wear and tear as a standard Full Size Spare Tire.

If you want to know more or need to get your spare tires checked, get in touch!

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