Swap out steel wheel/temp spare for full size normal wheel and tire?

[spyder]

I'm getting close to new tires and want to go from the horrible factory street tires on my truck to something a little more aggressive and a lot tougher. Flat tires on hunting trips suck.

Has anyone swapped out their steelie for a full size wheel and if so, what wheel? The center hole and hanger doesn't look like it'll work with a standard wheel.

Alternatively, I may look into just putting a better quality tire than the trash temporary tire, but in the same size as it, on the spare steel wheel so that OD of it and the normal 4 are the same to prevent any differential issues if I have to use it. Typing it out, I'd probably rather do that since it would save some money on the wheel and I wouldn't have to put the 5th tire in the rotation schedule.

Thoughts and advice?

 

[HSKR R/T]

I'm running a matching Built to Serve wheel as a spare under my truck. The metal piece that goes through the wheel hub bore to lift it barely fits through, but it will work. I have mine mounted so the wheel is facing up to protect the face of the wheel from rocks.

 

[spyder]

Hmmm. Those are 20" right? I've got stock Bighorn wheels on mine or I'd just do that. There's one on eBay for reasonable.

 

[HSKR R/T]

Hmmm. Those are 20" right? I've got stock Bighorn wheels on mine or I'd just do that. There's one on eBay for reasonable.

Yes, 20" wheel and I have a 34" tire mounted on it

 

[Richard320]

I bought a matching 18" aluminum wheel. It's true the cable end doesn't sit as nice as it does in the steel temporary wheel, but it will go through and you can still crank the wheel up good and tight.

 

[spyder]

It turns out I'm just kinda dumb sometimes. Went out and looked again today while unpacking from my elk hunt and the steel rim is an 18. I'm just going to put a real tire on it with the same OD as the other four and call it good.

 

[boogielander]

i got not 5 but 6 matching wheels and tires so i can do 6 tire rotation to get the very last bit of life on my wildpeak 35x12.5R18 at3w since Falken moved on to AT4w.

Method 305NV 18x9. bore size is larger than the hanger, but nothing a wheel spacer can't solve. one of the spare goes to where factory spare is, the other one stays at home until oil change and tire rotation. To mount that 35x12.5R18, I had to remove the heat shield and grind the back of tow receiver a bit. doesn't bother me because I don't tow at all lol

 

[Carlos.33193]

275/65R20 is an exact fit. Any bigger and it's likely a no go without any modifications.

 

[Willwork4truck]

Perfect reason why this forum exists...
OP asks a reasonable question and gets several good answers and with pics as well.
Age of the thread doesn't change its usefulness.