How long could you/would you drive on a donut spare?

[Rafs-T-Type]

I thought those suckers were good for 500 miles, but now everything I'm reading is saying 50 miles. How could any sort of tire only last 50 miles? Or are they just trying to say get that thing fixed ASAP?

 

[John Larkin]

I thought it was 50 MPH for safety reasons. I see people running them for weeks at all speeds. I guess it comes down to economics. Personally if I was that hard up, I'd go buy a used tire for $10 and run that for a while.

 

[Rafs-T-Type]

I thought it was 50 MPH for safety reasons. I see people running them for weeks at all speeds. I guess it comes down to economics. Personally if I was that hard up, I'd go buy a used tire for $10 and run that for a while.

It's on my GF's car. The tires are 185/45/16. I'm not even sure i could find a used one in that crazy size. She really needs all 4, but can't even afford one. To work for her it's all 40MPH limits and about 10 miles. I told her she would be ok for a week until she figured something out, but then I started reading all this about 50 miles.

 

[WIKEDV6]

I wouldn't advice driving on it for a long time that being said back in the day I drove an 86 Ford Taurus wagon for 4K+ miles before the tire became out of round, it had a funky bulge on one side. I drove it any where and every where.

Prasad

 

[charlief1]

The donut spares are good to drive as long as you keep it below 50 MPH. They don't disperse heat well so higher than 50 and you risk a blow out. I personally don't like driving on them and you don't want them on a drive position since it will make the spider gears work over time. If you're FWD then you want it on a rear, and if you're RWD you want it on the front, but it will cause a pull to one side since it's usually smaller than the original one.

 

[bison]

I know a guy that drove a Chevette with 4 spare tires on it. He drove it like this for a long time. No insurance, no registration. The car leaked water in and had no carpet. It was like a wave pool when you hit the brakes. 10 gallons of water would slosh around the floor at all times. He drilled drain holes in the floor. He got away with it for almost 2 years. Then a friend borrowed it and got stopped because he failed to signal at a traffic light. It was the biggest piece of shit car I've ever seen.

 

[John Larkin]

http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/pts/3301954581.html

This guy is selling used tires in Chicago, 4 mounted for $100. Drop a Benjamin for her and she'll love you forever. He shows a 195/55/16 which is 24" diameter tire. The ones you listed are 22.5" so they aren't much bigger and really should not rub, they are only 3/4" larger in radius and alot more common.

 

[Rafs-T-Type]

http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/pts/3301954581.html

This guy is selling used tires in Chicago, 4 mounted for $100. Drop a Benjamin for her and she'll love you forever. He shows a 195/55/16 which is 24" diameter tire. The ones you listed are 22.5" so they aren't much bigger and really should not rub, they are only 3/4" larger in radius and alot more common.

Oops...the tires are actually 205/45/16. I google earthed that place and it doesn't look like a place that has tires, or could install them, but thanks for trying.

 

[novaderrik]

I know a guy that drove a Chevette with 4 spare tires on it. He drove it like this for a long time. No insurance, no registration. The car leaked water in and had no carpet. It was like a wave pool when you hit the brakes. 10 gallons of water would slosh around the floor at all times. He drilled drain holes in the floor. He got away with it for almost 2 years. Then a friend borrowed it and got stopped because he failed to signal at a traffic light. It was the biggest piece of shit car I've ever seen.

that "piece of shit" ran for 2 years without probably so much as an oil change, and someone had to use it because their car must have died... seems pretty reliable to me..

 

[bison]

that "piece of shit" ran for 2 years without probably so much as an oil change, and someone had to use it because their car must have died... seems pretty reliable to me..

That's correct. He only added oil. Never changed it

 

[dr_frankenstein]

you should be letting the ol'lady drive your buick and you driving her doughnut machine....

wheres the chivalry?

 

[Rafs-T-Type]

you should be letting the ol'lady drive your buick and you driving her doughnut machine....

wheres the chivalry?

For one, hell no she is not driving my Buick. It's not chivalry when you send your GF to her death. For 2 the buick is in pieces. 3 the buick doesn't go out in the rain. 4 I use the highway to go to work, she does not. 5 Hell no, she is not driving my Buick.

 

[dr_frankenstein]

For one, hell no she is not driving my Buick. It's not chivalry when you send your GF to her death. For 2 the buick is in pieces. 3 the buick doesn't go out in the rain. 4 I use the highway to go to work, she does not. 5 Hell no, she is not driving my Buick.

lmao thats hilarious brother.......... I can dig that.... I made that mistake, I let the GF drive my toy..... we ended up getting married a week later...

 

[DavzGN]

I always try to stay away from the ones doing 75+ on the freeway.

 

[DR BOOST]

if the other three are bad, whats going to happen when one decides to go and you have no spare. Change them out for her, if she has another flat with no spare its going to cost you more.

 

[ttaowner]

My ex girlfriend once drove 3 months on a donut probably 50 miles a day at least at probably 70 mph . She didn't want to spend the money and it wasn't my problem til it went flat

 

[futten]

lmao thats hilarious brother.......... I can dig that.... I made that mistake, I let the GF drive my toy..... we ended up getting married a week later...

brave brave man

 

[MeanBuicks]

Back in the mid-'90s I was out at the GM Milford Proving Grounds and witnessed a tester take a mid-size, FWD car out on the black lake and proceed to toss it all around & do donuts with space savers on all four wheels. No blowouts.

 

[Rafs-T-Type]

Back in the mid-'90s I was out at the GM Milford Proving Grounds and witnessed a tester take a mid-size, FWD car out on the black lake and proceed to toss it all around & do donuts with space savers on all four wheels. No blowouts.

What is the black lake?

 

[dr_frankenstein]

brave brave man

cant break it any worse then i can...