[chopshop]

I've never owned an AWD vehicle, but have always heard if you have a flat you can't use a smaller size spare. Is this true?

Reason I ask is I've noticed some owners putting larger tires on their RL. If this is true what are people doing for a spare? It also seems like there is no room for a larger spare in the spare compartment.

 

[Ross Swenson]

Just ignore the spare. Carry a can of Slime and one of their small compressors. Many cars come without spares now days, they may have run flat tires or something to repair the tire.

 

[trainman605]

Just ignore the spare. Carry a can of Slime and one of their small compressors. Many cars come without spares now days, they may have run flat tires or something to repair the tire.

My wife's new Acura does not have a spare, the system mentioned above will work, if you don't tear up the tire where the process would become useless. I'm pretty sure that a spare of a different diameter will work as the front and rear gear housing gears compensate for this.

trainman

 

[TommyDeVito]

Just ignore the spare. Carry a can of Slime and one of their small compressors. Many cars come without spares now days, they may have run flat tires or something to repair the tire.

That slime can ruin a TPMS sensor ($$$) plus all the cleaning up afterwards. That's if it works in the first place. Get a nail close to the sidewall and the tire places won't even repair it, replacement only.

This can/compressor chit is just stupid. A vehicle needs a spare, even if just a doughnut. Get a flat on a Sunday, away from the city, or on a road trip, and it will be a bad, wasted day. Not to mention the expense. I've gotten a flat, just a few years ago, without a spare, would have meant a motel room for the night (happened on a Sunday, nothing open), a nice tow charge, missing work, and two days of my life wasted.
Thank goodness for the spare in the trunk.

We are making advancements with safety and other things, and stupid chit like this is a major step backwards. Ford and VW lost a sale with me over this. The Golf R and Focus RS both come with a compressor and goo, no spare. No spare for 40k? Keep it then, don't need it.

 

[Ross Swenson]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. "Chit", really? Is that like you are a asz?

 

[Outahere]

I've never owned an AWD vehicle, but have always heard if you have a flat you can't use a smaller size spare. Is this true?….

Has Honda ever published a spec for how much tire circumference mismatch is allowed with VTM4? Subaru allows 1/4" max difference in tire circumference, the last time I checked.

 

[Jamesinkeys]

My wife's new Acura does not have a spare, the system mentioned above will work, if you don't tear up the tire where the process would become useless. I'm pretty sure that a spare of a different diameter will work as the front and rear gear housing gears compensate for this.

trainman

Is there enough space to place a full sized spare tire in the trunk..?? If so, secure with bungie cords...:|

 

[DogOnBoard]

This subject has come up in other threads. Running a smaller spare may causes undue stress and wear on AWD systems because the system perceives it as constant wheel slippage and attempts to compensate. In the past, Subaru has said that replacement tires must match within 2/32" tread depth, which would be 1/8" in diameter, but I don't think they specify the maximum distance you should run on a temporary spare that is smaller than that allowable difference. Most owners manuals recommend limiting your speed on a donut tire and replacing it with a properly-sized full service tire ASAP. That advice is likely based on safety concerns (handling and braking), but could also have relevance to AWD system stress.

I drive in rural areas far away from tire shops, so I always have a spare tire because the green slime doesn't work on every flat. IMO, if you upsize the tires on your RL, you should be cautious about using the stock donut spare. If I buy an RL, I will be mounting a full service tire in the bed (won't fit in trunk) for any road trips that involve significant off-pavement travel. That tire will be matched in size to whatever tires I'm running on the truck.

 

[TommyDeVito]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. "Chit", really? Is that like you are a asz?

Getting upset someone has a different opinion than you? Oh the horror. You won't last long here.

Chit because **** gets marked out by the forum software.

 

[Ross Swenson]

Who said I was upset?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DogOnBoard]

...Chit because **** gets marked out by the forum software.

I just hate $hitty software like that! >

 

[DogOnBoard]

So I dug a little deeper into the Honda Press Kit to find out that the RL temporary spare tire is 165/90R17 size, which is 28.7" diameter. That's nearly an inch smaller than the 245/60R18 stock RL tires that measure 29.6" diameter. Apparently, Honda feels that's OK for emergency/temporary use and won't damage the iVTM-4 AWD system. IIRC, the G2's Large Project Leader (Kerry McGuire, I think) commented at Camp Ridgeline that the donut spare was load-rated for the RL so that it could be used if necessary even when towing. Someone can look in the RL's owners manual to see what it actually says about the limitations of the temporary-service spare.

We've been told that Jsport's Ridgeline Chase leveling kit includes AT tires that add about 0.5 inches of ground clearance, plus spacers that add 1.5" to the front suspension. My guess is those tires are 265/60R18 Nitto Terra Grappler G2 tires with a diameter of 30.5". AFAIK, the Chase kit does not include a taller spare tire to replace the OEM donut. OK, now you're looking at 1.8" diameter difference between the temporary spare and those Chase tires. Is that something to be concerned about, especially with regard to the RL's AWD system? IMO, only Honda can answer that.

 

[chopshop]

Thank you DogOnBoard for the useful information. It would be interesting to hear from Jsport or a dealer that installs lifts with larger tires to see how they would handle a flat. I travel on rual roads frequently and green slim is not an option.

 

[DogOnBoard]

...It would be interesting to hear from Jsport or a dealer that installs lifts with larger tires to see how they would handle a flat...

Yes it would, but could you really trust their answer unless they were able to verify it with Honda R&D engineers? I might give some credibility to the Jsport guys on this question because of their association with Honda Racing Development. Regardless, I would probably choose to carry a full-service spare that matches the tires on the truck, even though I'd have to give up bed space to do so.

 

[Jonb]

I carry a tire plug kit and a small air compressor that plugs into the cigarette lighter. I would much rather plug the tire than run a tiny spare going down the highway, most the time I can plug the tire without even pulling it off the truck.

P.S. I have over sized tires and a tiny stock spare.

 

[DogOnBoard]

^^^That makes a lot of sense and it's something I've been meaning to add to my own toolbox. Last flat tire I got was on a rough backroad when a rock punctured the sidewall. A plug probably wouldn't have worked for that one, so I was really glad to have a full-service spare on the truck.

 

[Outahere]

So I dug a little deeper into the Honda Press Kit to find out that the RL temporary spare tire is 165/90R17 size, which is 28.7" diameter. That's nearly an inch smaller than the 245/60R18 stock RL tires that measure 29.6" diameter. Apparently, Honda feels that's OK for emergency/temporary use and won't damage the iVTM-4 AWD system...

And of course there is the usual 50mph speed restriction.

 

[PeterK53]

My order 07 has a full sized spare that I replaced the mini one with and it fits great in the well. Now the new 17 model has a much lower compartment for the spare so no full sized one can be carried except in the bed somehow. I tow a lot and sure would hate to get a flat and not have a full sized spare. My boat is right at the 5000# tow limit. Would hate to use a mini spare for that.

The fact that a full sized spare won't fit in the well really bothers me and is one of the reasons I won't be upgrading to the new model. I use a tonneau cover and wouldn't be able to with the vertical mount spare in the bed.

As to using "slime" - I know several tire dealers here in my home town that refuse to do anything with a tire/wheel that has been slimed. It is the first question they ask when needing a flat repaired. Good luck with using that.

 

[Ross Swenson]

I have no spare on my wife's car and carry slime and their compressor. I talked to discount Tire before replacing the worn out run flat tires with non run flats and they told me it was no problem to deal with a tire that had been fixed that way. They should know. I do not know if every tire person agrees, but I really do not care. The people I do my tire business with do not see it as a problem.