# Old "brand new" spare tire



## ZZZZZ (Oct 1, 2014)

I'm getting ready to put on 4 new tires, and I'm not sure what to do for the spare.

The existing spare is a brand new tire that has never hit the pavement. But it is 10 years old. It's a quality tire, but a different brand and tread pattern than the 4 that are coming off, and also different from the 4 new tires going on, which are the same

The 4 tires that are coming off are 4 years old, and down to 2/32nds tread. 

So I'm wondering if it makes sense to take one of 4 worn tires and use that as the spare, or just keep the old brand new tire for the spare.

The new tires come with free road hazard and free flat repair, so if the spare is ever put into use, it would just be temporary.

Any thoughts?


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## Mike Milam (Mar 3, 2017)

Personally I would keep the new "old" tire, lol. The spare on my truck came with it in 2003. It's never been out of the carrier (which may be an issue one day)


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## Half-fast eddie (Sep 19, 2020)

I would keep the best used tire. The spare has zero miles but lots of years, need to check the sidewalls for cracking.


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## Old Thomas (Nov 28, 2019)

Sunlight degrades tires. Unless the spare has been stored in the sun I would keep it as the spare. Be aware of its age and if you use it make it short term and don’t go 100 mph. If you do a lot of high speed road trips, get a low cost Walmart tire for a spare.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

I would keep the old spare.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

Z, your in arizona, you know how things age there. do "on the road" tires last 10 years (disregard mileage) ?
if it is not dry rotted, i would keep the spare.


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## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

I would keep one of the worn out 4-year-old tires. They may not have the best traction, but they're less likely to blow apart. 

On a sort-of side note, I recently found out (the hard way) that tires with the same size designations from different manufacturers aren't necessarily the same diameter.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

HotRodx10 said:


> On a sort-of side note, I recently found out (the hard way) that tires with the same size designations from different manufacturers aren't necessarily the same diameter.


years ago i found that out. the difference was so noticeable it was astounding.


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

It probably doesn't matter a lot, and retaining the original spare is probably the cleanest and easiest path, but at a minimum I would remove the spare, check the pressure to make sure it's holding air, and inspect the sidewalls all the way around for any checking. If it's a space saver, one of the tires off the car may or may not fit the wheel for the spare not the space allowed for it.


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## ObserverX2930 (Jan 19, 2021)

Your LIFE is riding and depending on those tires. Loosing just one of your tires at highway speed could end your life or the life of other drivers and passengers. I always buy the BEST TIRES I can get that are specified for my vehicles.

If not for yourself, then for your family, passengers, and others.


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## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

ObserverX2930 said:


> I always buy the BEST TIRES I can get that are specified for my vehicles.


I do too, although I may define "best" differently than you do. For my vehicles, it's the ones with the best ice and snow traction. Even what are considered 'entry level' tires are required to meet quality and safety standards that ensure they can handle the speeds they're rated for. There's very little in the way of standards for ice and snow traction, except the 'mountain snowflake' symbol, which indicates some level of performance. It takes careful research to find ones that really perform when it's really slick.

A high pricetag is no guarantee of quality or performance, either. Sometimes it's not even an indicator. as with many things, junk comes in all price ranges.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

It's best to rotate your tires including the spare so they all get wear but since that wasn't done I'd inspect the spare and compare it to the best tire you are replacing and keep whichever one looks to be the best. Look for weather checks and any weak spots in your spare. Personally I'm not leery of old tires as long as they look to be in decent shape although I don't do much hwy driving.


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## CaptTom (Dec 31, 2017)

ObserverX2930 said:


> Your LIFE is riding and depending on those tires. Loosing just one of your tires at highway speed could end your life or the life of other drivers and passengers. I always buy the BEST TIRES I can get that are specified for my vehicles.
> 
> If not for yourself, then for your family, passengers, and others.


This one has me scratching my head. I can honestly say I've never had a blow-out due to cheap tires. When I was young and poor (and drove a LOT faster than I do today) I always bought the cheapest tires I could. Remember re-treads?

I don't know anyone who has had an accident, much less died, due to buying less expensive tires.

The only sudden tire failure I ever had was on a motorcycle, going about 100MPH, packing someone on the back. I slowed down and got over to the side, with some effort. But no injury or loss of life. There were many times I've run over something and punctured a tire, which of course had absolutely nothing to do with how "good" the tire was to begin with. And again, no loss of life.


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

ObserverX2930 said:


> Your LIFE is riding and depending on those tires. Loosing just one of your tires at highway speed could end your life or the life of other drivers and passengers. I always buy the BEST TIRES I can get that are specified for my vehicles.
> 
> If not for yourself, then for your family, passengers, and others.


Ayuh,..... This thread is *12 Years old*,..... 'n I know the op bought his tires, _Long_ ago,.....


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## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

Bondo said:


> Ayuh,..... This thread is *12 Years old*,..... 'n I know the op bought his tires, _Long_ ago,.....


The date it shows me is Nov. 10, 2020, including for my Post #7, and I wasn't on here 12 years ago.


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## JustinRaney (Jun 1, 2018)

This is nice one place wrench a part said it was texas state law that they couldnt sell me a 7 year old spare tire from their scrap yard. Pik n pull told me they tool all the spares and put them on a rack so would have to look for what specific spare i needed.


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