Snow Tire as a Spare?

[RockSki]

Big dump of SNOW here in Calgary has prompted me and lots of others to make an appointment to have all-season tires taken off and snow tires put on.

I've been wondering how safe it would be to use an all-seaslon spare with snow tires in real winter driving conditions i.e., one of these tires is not like the others...

I brought this up with a garage last year and the guy actually laughed out loud. But then, I'm guessing he probably doesn't drive on slick mountain roads like the ones leading to and from ski hills.

I'm not yearning to spend even more money on tires, but I don't want to cheap out either, for safety's sake.

Has anyone purchased an extra snow tire as a spare?
i.e., 5 all-seasons, and 5 snow tires, so there's a matching spare at any time of year

We have a Suburu Forester (so all-wheel-drive), which we are planning on keeping, if that makes any difference.

Thanks!

 

[Jilly]

In the years that you have been driving when did you last use your spare? I can say that with over 36 years of driving I've only used a spare once. So chances of needed it are slim. Depending on the make of car/truck, the spare may be a compact spare and not even close to your regular tire.

So, I wouldn't spend the money.

 

[altagirl]

I agree - most cars don't have a full sized spare anyway, let alone one that matches the other tires on the car.

I know if you're doing serious off-roading, it only makes sense to have a full sized spare in good condition, but personally I wouldn't waste the money to match the exact brand and model. If you have a full sized spare tire, you're already well ahead of the game.


Hey - and I'd be happy your salesman didn't just think "cha-ching!" and sell you one whether you need it or not!

 

[Gloria]

Check your owners manual. I know with Subarus, you need to take the car out of AWD when you use a spare. If the tread etc are diffferent between the tires it throws the system off, it doesn't recognize the difference between a tire being on ice or a different tread responding differently, it just knows three tires are doing one thing and one isn't. They say not only can it make the car unpredictable but can also burn up your transmission, which is why you need to disengage the system. Your manual will tell you how to do this. On the flip side, will a full size tire even fit in the spare compartment?

 

[altagirl]

Check your owners manual. I know with Subarus, you need to take the car out of AWD when you use a spare. If the tread etc are diffferent between the tires it throws the system off, it doesn't recognize the difference between a tire being on ice or a different tread responding differently, it just knows three tires are doing one thing and one isn't. They say not only can it make the car unpredictable but can also burn up your transmission, which is why you need to disengage the system. Your manual will tell you how to do this. On the flip side, will a full size tire even fit in the spare compartment?

I don't own a Subaru anymore, but how do you take a full-time AWD car out of AWD?

Edit: sorry - you just said it says in the manual, it just sounds... odd, I guess.

 

[VTskiDiva]

We have a Subaru and I know its a big deal when replacing tires. After a certain mileage they all have to be replaced. So Im sure there may be an issue with having one spare that is different from all of the other tires but Im not sure. You should call a Subaru dealership and ask the service department what they recommend.

 

[geargrrl]

I don't own a Subaru anymore, but how do you take a full-time AWD car out of AWD?

Edit: sorry - you just said it says in the manual, it just sounds... odd, I guess.

Maybe on the new ones? on my '95 there was no such option.

 

[altagirl]

Maybe on the new ones? on my '95 there was no such option.

Okay - here's the deal: on '00 and newer models, you can pull a fuse marked AWD in the fuse box and it puts it in front wheel drive mode for this purpose. BUT - this only works in automatic transmission Subarus. Manual transmission can't be taken out of AWD mode. (I only owned manual transmission Subarus.)

What I'm seeing is that this is to compensate for driving on a donut tire. I don't think the difference between a full size snow tire and a full size all season tire is going to affect it. If that was the case, you'd have to constantly be rotating your spare tire so make sure it wears evenly with the rest of your tires. Just having it match the same brand/model wouldn't be enough.

Whatever you do - you can't just throw on your spare and leave it that way - unless all 5 tires have the exact same usage somehow, you need to go to a tire place and either replace all 4 tires or get the new replacement tire shaved to match the others (or hopefully just get the flat patched and that's all that's needed). The spare is generally just a temporary fix to get you to the shop. For that reason, I wouldn't worry about having your spare be an exact match. I mean, follow what's in your owner's manual, but your spare is just there to limp you to a shop, not for performance driving.

 

[Jilly]

And to add to this discussion this is why I have CAA Plus (AAA)!

They'll tow it 200km free!

 

[RockSki]

Thanks, Divas!

I should have mentioned that my Subie has a standard transmission. Also, the Forester can accommodate a full-size spare in the slot under the cargo area -- so the donut factor is out.

Jilly, I'm impressed at your record of spare-less driving. Since moving to Calgary six years ago, I've had to use a spare at least once a year, it seems. The streets are cleaned annually here, except for major routes. In fact, when I take the vehicle in next week, I have to have tire repaired due to a nail puncture. (Thankfully, I shouldn't need it to be replaced -- this time.) My worst experience so far is a flat that could have been a blow-out in the Roger's Pass due to rock debris on the road -- a long way from any garage. I've been wondering, what if that had happened in winter?

It sounds like I'm probably just fine with an all-season spare, as long as I never had to drive very far, in which case I'd should call for a tow. I'll double check the owner's manual (duh!).

 

[RockSki]

And as VTSkiDiva observes, check with the dealer -- where I'm headed next week in any case.

thanks again!

 

[Gloria]

From Subaru
https://www.subaru.com/my-subaru/my-account/car-care-tips.html


Oh and um I had to replace my tranny this is how I know. Costs alot.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Oh and um I had to replace my tranny this is how I know. Costs alot.

+1. And rear differential. Last Feb. Ow. "No ski vacation for you!" (make that "me," actually....paraphrasing the soup line...) But with 140k, hey, something had to go, after the head gasket 2 years prior NOT giving up on it. Just turned 150k. (97)

 

[Jilly]

Since moving to Calgary six years ago, I've had to use a spare at least once a year, it seems.

Wow - and I thought Quebec had the worst roads!

 

[altagirl]

Wow - and I thought Quebec had the worst roads!

Wow X2! I've never driven on a spare tire in 20 years of driving and several hundred thousand miles. (knock on wood). I've had a couple flats, but have just driven the couple blocks to the tire shop on the flat and had it fixed...

 

[cyn]

Funny you should all be talking about Subarus and tires. I went to my Subaru this morning and found I had a flat. So AAA came and mounted my spare, which, in the 2005 Forester is a full-sized regular tire.
But it turns out that not only can the flat not be repaired, I need to buy 4 new tires, because they have 40,000 miles on them and they're worn.
It seems to be very important with these AWD vehicles that all the tires match in terms of wear and type.

So I'm about to spend over $600 on new tires. :(

 

[Gloria]

yup, that's kind of what happened to me only my tires were only a couple months old. DH went to get the bad one fixed, couldn't and came home with one that had similiar mileage, same tread depth and nearly identical tread pattern. Off, of course someone elses Subaru that ruined a single tire also that were just a couple months old. I argued with him for about an hour that we couldn't get away with it and gave up. About four months later I was at a red light and went to push on the gas when it turned green and no dice. Done. There was one corner that all winter we would slide into the bank on everytime it was snowy or icy ( irregardless of which one of us was driving the car just understeered ), we argued all winter about it being that tire or not and now that I have all four the same, never slid there again. The other weird thing was my backend would fishtail a little when I hit the part on a particular bridge where the highway ends and the bridge begins. Once again, doesn't do it anymore. It's definately a PIA and the one thing I don't like about Subarus.

 

[RockSki]

I've been wondering where my hesitation about the all-season spare has been coming from. The Roger's Pass could-have-been-a-blowout is one.

But now that I've had the day to think about it, and ponder your comments, things have come into focus.

In the recesses of what passes for my mind lies memories from last December, on a ski vacation in the Kootney region of British Columbia. We drove from Nelson to ski at Red Mountain on 25 December in SNOW, and had a great time. Now if we had tire trouble that day, we would have been absolutely hooped.

First of all, lots of garages in Western Canada were short on snow tires last year. (Winter tires became mandatory in Quebec last year, which led to a run on snow tires, as those Quebec residents who didn't already have them had to buy some, and lots of other Canucks realized that they probably should, too).

Second, driving in those conditions was already a bit insane, and would have been crazy without snow tires. I'm not sure what 1 all-season in the mix would have done, but it would have made me nervous for sure.

And missing any skiing whatsoever due to car trouble would have been, shall we say, bothersome.

Not to mention waiting for a tow...with a preschooler in tow.

So I'm planning to fork out for a spare snow tire after all. Amortized over the life of the car -- and we do plan to drive this vehicle until the proverbial wheels fall off -- I don't think I'll really miss the $ and I might gain some peace of mind, if nothing else.

p.s., One time I had to replace a tire because I bumped up against a curb at -20C. That was enough to split the rubber on the sidewall. Had to be junked. And that was most certainly my error! So I shouldn't put all the blame for my rather frequent recourse to a spare tire on Calgary or mountain road conditions.

 

[abc]

I'm impressed by those who had never had to use the spare! I've used mine a few times over the past decade or two...

But if you ask me, I must say 50% of them could have been avoided, if not by me:

- 1 hitting the curb. 100% of my own fault
- 1 fallen into the gutter when I tried to squeeze through the stopped traffic, at night. I'd put 50% of the blame on myself, for not seeing the gutter in the dark. .
- A block of wood fallen off from the truck in front. I couldn't get around it fast enough. TWO tired and 1 rim busted! My share of the blame? Less than 10%. Someone with a very good reflex and driving skill might have been able to swivel around it. I know the majority of driver would end up in my situation. There were 4 cars sat by the side of the highway, all victim of that same block of wood.

The rest, I didn't know what hit me. It just went flat. :( Though luckily, one happen right at the exit. So I rolled 50 ft, into a service station!

 

[MaineSkiLady]

I just checked in with auto-guru/former tranny-transfer case design engineer DH. Although this may already be a done-deal with regard to RockSki, DH indicates that the full size snow spare is overkill. A limited service spare will get you to where you need to go (hopefully short!) in the event of a total flat - the majority of flat tires are caused by slow leaks from road nails, etc., so ALWAYS have an ACCURATE tire pressure gauge on board, ALWAYS be sure to briefly look at ALL your tires before taking off, pay attention to pressure. Running briefly on a limited service spare will create heat within the tranny's viscous coupling and differentials, but not enough to create huge damage. (we have a 97 outback 150k and going strong - for now?)

A lot happens when tires get remounted twice a year, some of it not good. A real source of slow leaks, etc. There is a space-consuming, not altogether cheap but effective way of dealing with this (provided you've got the $ and space): buy spare wheels and mount your snows on those wheels. Cheaper steel is okay. A lot of times, alloys can be found via salvage (my snow alloys came from a wrecked Subaru and are actually nicer than my originals!). There is way less likelihood of tire "injury" or mishap when tires remain mounted on the same wheel. Changing out a wheel is easy. Our switch from all-season to studded snow can happen in under a hour, twice a year, 11/1 and 5/1. (Lots of snow/ice/crud here as well.)