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Spare tire WARNING

HSKR R/T

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I have the 20" wheels on my truck. My build sheet lists *Full Size Temporary Use Spare Tire and *18" Full Size Steel Spare Wheel. I'll have to get under the truck this weekend and see what's there but isn't using an 18" spare on a truck with 3 other 20" wheels a problem?
As long as the OD of the tire marches, or is close to the tires on the truck it is fine. Wheel size has zero effect on if it will work or not
 

HSKR R/T

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One heck of a thread. Somewhat concerning.

The temp spare assumes tires are the original diameter.

For off-roading, a "full size spare" implies the same as the wheels, not a different size or on a different size wheel. Off-roading, trucks get flats. The spare has to be a replacement.

Then there is the issue of trailing towing, which I presume many use the Ram 1500s for. Certainly my intent. Towing, you need a full-size spare, equivalent to what is on the truck. On some lonely highway in the middle of nowhere on a Sunday evening, having a spare not capable of towing the trailer is not an option.

It seems FCA didn't provide a solution for trailer towing, has not handled it for Off-Road Group that has 20" or 22" wheels (can the Off-Road Group has 22" wheels??)

Disappointing...
Off road group does indeed get a full size matching tire to what is on the truck, just in an 18" wheel size. So no effect in off-road capabilities when running the spare wheel/tire.

As for towing, if you only have the "temporary" spare, then you would unhook the trailer, which you should be doing to change the tire anyways, and driving to a tire shop, without the trailer, to get your bad tire fixed/replaced.
 

HSKR R/T

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An aftermarket wheel would typically have a larger hub opening requiring a spacer in use.

It looks like the 33" 275/60-20 is a tight fit as a spare. I thought it has been posted a 34" would fit. Does it look like there is adequate room?

P.S. From the pictures, it looks like the spare is useless if off-road or towing. If you are somewhere a KO2 is needed, the OE spare isn't the answer.
A 275/65/20 will fit in the stock spare tire location, and I am using a stock 20" wheel for a spare. The cable/bracket barely fit through the center of the wheel, but it fits.

As far as spare tire being useless for offroading. If you have change the factory tires to a different size, or to an off-road tire and didn't address the spare, that is in the owner, not the manufacturer. ORP trucks that come with the Falken Wildpeaks from factory have a full size Falken Wildpeak tire on the 18" spare wheel. I can't speak for Rebels.
 

HSKR R/T

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Appreciate this! Even fit a 33" BFG under there! Did you modify or bend the shroud at all?
I actually asked the service adviser that usually helps me for service and recalls about fitting a 5th identical full size spare and was told it would not fit.
I looked myself at the house and measured a around 1 1/2" to "spare" inside that aluminum shroud cover, but the spare appeared so tiny and pathetic I wasn't even sure if i could get the stock 275/55/r20 without removing shroud.
Will pass the info on to the adviser next service.
A 275/65/20 will fit in stock location with no modifications. Anything bigger you will have to remove the heatsheilds, or trailer hitch receiver.
 

HSKR R/T

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Also, the aluminum spares come in the Etorque trucks. The non-etorque Hemis get the steel wheel.

The spare tire, whether it be the temporary use tire, or the real tire that comes with ORG package, is the same, or close enough to the OD of the factory tires that it will not be an issue using it. If you have changed the size of the tires on your truck, you should also have changed the size of your spare tire. If you run a lift and/or aggressive off road tires, that didn't come on your truck from factory, and you didn't address the spare tire, this is the onwrrs problem, not Ram's.
 
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Thanks, SD. I'll try again when it's not 110F in the shade.
I'm now in the market for tires and possibly getting a full size spare as well. I was just curious if you ever determined if the spare tire cable fit in a full size tire? Or if you ever got any pics of one that worked?
 

HSKR R/T

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I'm now in the market for tires and possibly getting a full size spare as well. I was just curious if you ever determined if the spare tire cable fit in a full size tire? Or if you ever got any pics of one that worked?
I am using a factory Built to Serve wheel as a spare on my truck and it works with the factory hoist, no modifications
 

skyhawk42

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Has anyone tried putting a 35” on an aftermarket wheel under there? I’m going on a road trip soon and really don’t want to give up space in the bed, but I don’t feel comfortable traveling without a spare either.
 

HSKR R/T

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Has anyone tried putting a 35” on an aftermarket wheel under there? I’m going on a road trip soon and really don’t want to give up space in the bed, but I don’t feel comfortable traveling without a spare either.
Yes, but they had the shave off the back of the hitch receiver
 

SD Rebel

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You may be able to get it in there, deflate it a bit and try it out. Some 35" tires are closer to 34.5", and partially deflated they may fit.

Of course this will require you to have an air compressor, which you should have anyways.
 

PurpleRT

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Are you guys running the same tire model for your spare or just a cheapo tire in the same or close in size?


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skyhawk42

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I will be using the same for my spare. The wheels were on close out when I bought them, so I got 5. I figure I will put the same tire on and just run with a full size spare exactly the same as the others
 

HSKR R/T

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Are you guys running the same tire model for your spare or just a cheapo tire in the same or close in size?


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Currently, just have a different tire of same size for a spare. When I buy new tires, I will buy 5 to have matching full size spare. Already have matching wheel for spare.
 

PurpleRT

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Yeah I was thinking about just buying a cheapo so I’m not spending $300-400 on a spare.


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Jako

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Currently, just have a different tire of same size for a spare. When I buy new tires, I will buy 5 to have matching full size spare. Already have matching wheel for spare.
That is a good move. Just do a 5 tire rotation. The Ram is great as the 5th wheel is just stored as the spare.
Unfortunately with most vehicles the 5th wheel does not fit in the "donut spare compartment" and must than be stored.
I just blew out an older snow tire that is no longer in production and a "5th" would have worked out great.
Don't like the idea of having a "temp/donut" as a spare. That can really hinder a road trip if the tire could not be repaired.
 

cskindt

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After buying four new 295/70R18 tires I figured I better replace my now-to-small spare.
So, I bought a used LT 295/70R18 Falken Wildpeak A/T3W 129/126R with 15/32" tread left off of Ebay.
It was two hundred dollars. It measures just over thirty-four inches and just fits without any grinding or cutting.

The installers mounted it on my OEM spare steel wheel.

I didn't care to have a matching tire, as it's just a spare with a similar tread pattern. But, I did want a quality spare so I didn't have to limp around and look stupid while fixing a flat. I do carry a plug kit and small compressor too.

I saved one hundred-fifty dollars compared to buying a matching spare tire.

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CRAIG4FSU

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Are you guys running the same tire model for your spare or just a cheapo tire in the same or close in size?


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When I went from 55 to 60 (very low mileage) I put a 55 on a full size rim. I got a brand new stock 20” rim off of Evilbay for 200$ delivered from a dealership.
 

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