Off-roading without a spare?

[ryanc111]

Loving my Laramie with ORG, Mopar lift and 33” Duratracs but have been seriously considering going to 35s (likely with the BDS 4” lift).

I’ve always stayed away from going bigger than 33” because of the ability to have a same sized spare in the normal location. I use the truck in the back country for hunting and frequently find myself a long way from help so need to be as self sufficient as possible.

That being said, I’ve never had the need for the spare (knocking on wood as I type this).

What are other peoples thoughts on running 35s without a spare? Pushing my luck? Other things I can do to minimize the risk?

 

[AnthonyD1978]

I'm going to try and fit a deflated 34" in the OEM location when I get around to it. (with an air compressor). This is to match the other tires.

In the meantime, I carry tire plugs. Absolute worse case you run the downsized spare to get you out of the back country. If possible run it up front (non-drive wheels) and stay on dirt roads and low speed.

 

[tobyw]

My $0.02 on the subject... A spare is a spare, nothing says it has to match the other four on the ground. It's only job would be to get you back to where the damaged tire can be repaired/replaced. Keep a good quality spare tire in the factory location and use it when/if you need it.

 

[bfp9]

My $0.02 on the subject... A spare is a spare, nothing says it has to match the other four on the ground. It's only job would be to get you back to where the damaged tire can be repaired/replaced. Keep a good quality spare tire in the factory location and use it when/if you need it.

Except when you’re going over sharp rocks, through mud, and need to drive through some bad stuff.

OP I think you answered your own question - give yourself the peace of mind and get a spare that’s the same as your other wheels and tires. You don’t want to have to worry about that kind of stuff while you’re on the trail.

 

[AnthonyD1978]

My $0.02 on the subject... A spare is a spare, nothing says it has to match the other four on the ground. It's only job would be to get you back to where the damaged tire can be repaired/replaced. Keep a good quality spare tire in the factory location and use it when/if you need it.

The concern (at least mine) is running a different size spare tire can harm the driveline.

 

[tobyw]

Not to start a whizzing match and mess up the OP's thread, but how exactly are sharp rocks, mud, and other "bad stuff" going be different with a good quality spare tire? The minimal gain in ground clearance between a 33" and a 35" spare tire are most certainly not going to be the difference between walking versus driving home...

With regard to damaging the drive line, this is really only a concern if you are trying to run different diameter tires with a locked differential or a spool. Otherwise the differential itself will take up the minor variation (again between a 33" and a 35" especially). Think about how many cars and trucks come equipped with "donut" spares right from the factory? With that said, if the effective diameter difference is too drastic, it could cause some issues with traction control and ABS lights, but again you'll make it back to civilization which is the point of a spare tire.

 

[AnthonyD1978]

Not to start a whizzing match and mess up the OP's thread, but how exactly are sharp rocks, mud, and other "bad stuff" going be different with a good quality spare tire? The minimal gain in ground clearance between a 33" and a 35" spare tire are most certainly not going to be the difference between walking versus driving home...

With regard to damaging the drive line, this is really only a concern if you are trying to run different diameter tires with a locked differential or a spool. Otherwise the differential itself will take up the minor variation (again between a 33" and a 35" especially). Think about how many cars and trucks come equipped with "donut" spares right from the factory? With that said, if the effective diameter difference is too drastic, it could cause some issues with traction control and ABS lights, but again you'll make it back to civilization which is the point of a spare tire.

I would not trust a "good quality" spare tire (is there such a thing?) to get me back to civilization if I'm out on trails. Hell, the cactus around here will probably puncture a spare tire. I pull the needles out of my AT tires with plyers when I get home. I would plug the tire and air it up before using the sad spare my truck came with.

Everyone's definition of "off road" and "away from civilization is different. Assess and plan accordingly.

 

[bfp9]

Not to start a whizzing match and mess up the OP's thread, but how exactly are sharp rocks, mud, and other "bad stuff" going be different with a good quality spare tire? The minimal gain in ground clearance between a 33" and a 35" spare tire are most certainly not going to be the difference between walking versus driving home...

With regard to damaging the drive line, this is really only a concern if you are trying to run different diameter tires with a locked differential or a spool. Otherwise the differential itself will take up the minor variation (again between a 33" and a 35" especially). Think about how many cars and trucks come equipped with "donut" spares right from the factory? With that said, if the effective diameter difference is too drastic, it could cause some issues with traction control and ABS lights, but again you'll make it back to civilization which is the point of a spare tire.

If you’re spending money on a “good quality” spare tire....why wouldn’t you just spend that money on the same tire you have on the other 4 instead?

I’m not following the logic here.

Regardless - I much prefer to have a matching spare in terms of wheel and tire.

 

[tobyw]

"Good quality spare" in my vernacular means it is of the same quality as the four on the ground... Just because it's a spare tire doesn't mean it has to be some underrated maypop brand? So, for example, on one of my Jeeps I'm running 37" BFG KO2's and a 33" BFG KO2 spare. Same quality tire, just a smaller size that will get me home.

Why not spend the money on the same tire for the spare? Well... the OP's question is your answer. The size that is on the ground doesn't fit the spare tire location. I will again defer to my Jeep. A 37" spare tire hanging off the back opens a bigger can of worms than it is worth, so a good quality spare tire of adequate size hangs there instead. I would think the same logic can apply to these Ram pickups.

 

[bfp9]

"Good quality spare" in my vernacular means it is of the same quality as the four on the ground... Just because it's a spare tire doesn't mean it has to be some underrated maypop brand? So, for example, on one of my Jeeps I'm running 37" BFG KO2's and a 33" BFG KO2 spare. Same quality tire, just a smaller size that will get me home.

Why not spend the money on the same tire for the spare? Well... the OP's question is your answer. The size that is on the ground doesn't fit the spare tire location. I will again defer to my Jeep. A 37" spare tire hanging off the back opens a bigger can of worms than it is worth, so a good quality spare tire of adequate size hangs there instead. I would think the same logic can apply to these Ram pickups.

I get what you’re saying now.

Makes sense.

Or wait - aren’t I supposed to continue to say how wrong you are because we are on a forum?

 

[tobyw]

Yes I believe that is protocol for interweb forum usage!!

 

[ryanc111]

"Good quality spare" in my vernacular means it is of the same quality as the four on the ground... Just because it's a spare tire doesn't mean it has to be some underrated maypop brand? So, for example, on one of my Jeeps I'm running 37" BFG KO2's and a 33" BFG KO2 spare. Same quality tire, just a smaller size that will get me home.

Why not spend the money on the same tire for the spare? Well... the OP's question is your answer. The size that is on the ground doesn't fit the spare tire location. I will again defer to my Jeep. A 37" spare tire hanging off the back opens a bigger can of worms than it is worth, so a good quality spare tire of adequate size hangs there instead. I would think the same logic can apply to these Ram pickups.

Hadn’t considered being able to run a smaller tire on the spare. Is their any guidance on what the maximum delta is between regular tire size and spare tire size? I suppose there would also be restrictions on driving habits too . . .

 

[tobyw]

I'm not aware of any hard and fast rules regarding the delta, but I can tell you from experience that getting out on a 31" spare with 35's on the ground was a non-issue for me one time way back when. I had about 3 miles of technical trail left to run, and then about 20 miles of forest service roads to get back to pavement, and about 50 miles of that to get to back to the house. I just went slower than usual on the roads and had no issues whatsoever. The only real concern would be from excessive heat buildup in the differential as the spider gears are working to eat up the rotational delta, so keeping speeds down will help minimize heat generated

 

[ryanc111]

I'm not aware of any hard and fast rules regarding the delta, but I can tell you from experience that getting out on a 31" spare with 35's on the ground was a non-issue for me one time way back when. I had about 3 miles of technical trail left to run, and then about 20 miles of forest service roads to get back to pavement, and about 50 miles of that to get to back to the house. I just went slower than usual on the roads and had no issues whatsoever. The only real concern would be from excessive heat buildup in the differential as the spider gears are working to eat up the rotational delta, so keeping speeds down will help minimize heat generated

Good to hear, thanks! After my post I did some more digging over at Expedition Portal and heard largely the same thing - someone had recommended keeping it within 2” diameter which would work for me as I already have a 33” spare but glad to hear you were able to make a 31” work as well.

 

[Rob5589]

On an open differential for short distances it should not be an issue running a size, maybe two, smaller. Limited slip, do not as it will wear clutches/cones within the unit. On the front you will have some mild steering bias.

Wheeling with no spare is a bad idea. If a tire goes down with a tear or large puncture, no plug kit will take care of that.

Another option is to buy a full sized spare, preferred, and toss it in the bed when hitting the trails.