How Long Can I Drive on a Spare Tire?
Unless you’ve only been driving for a few years, chances are you’ve had to deal with a spare tire at some point in your life. Whether you popped a tire on the middle of the highway, or you simply returned to your vehicle to find a deflated tire, you’ve probably had to throw the old donut on the car to provide a short-term fix for the problem.
Your spare tire can get you out of a sticky situation, but you don’t want to rely on the tire for too long. Because the spare tire is usually a smaller, different version than the four tires on your vehicle, it’s not built for extended travel. The job of the spare tire is to keep you safe until you can visit an auto repair shop to have a regular tire installed.
Although you should consult your owner’s manual for a specific answer, a good rule of thumb to follow is to limit your travel on the spare tire to no more than 50-70 miles.
The main reason why you shouldn’t drive too far on your spare tire is because you may be putting yourself and everyone else on the road in danger. The spare tire is a small tire with very little tread, meaning it doesn’t have a very good grip on the road. This is especially dangerous if you are driving in elements like snow or rain.
When you’re driving on your spare tire, you may notice your car has poor handling or braking. This is more evident if your spare is needed on the front axel, where braking occurs. You may also notice that your car slightly pulls in the direction of the spare tire. As you can imagine, this occurs because the spare is not as equipped to handle stress like your regular set of wheels.
If you have any questions about your spare tire, or if you need to have a regular tire installed on your vehicle, don’t hesitate to contact us! We’re always happy to help.
Related source: AOL Autos
-
Minnesota Car Repair After Hitting A Deer
Oct 15, 2014Minnesota ranks in the Top 10 in the nation in terms of the number of annual car accidents between a driver and a deer, so it’s no surprise that we see an uptick in deer-related maintenance requests as hunting season approaches. Minnesota drivers have the eighth highest odds of striking a deer with their vehicle, […]
-
Car Ownership Costs: A State-by-State Comparison
Aug 14, 2014A new study of car ownership by researchers at Bankrate.com found that it’s cheaper to own a car in Minnesota than the national average, but just barely. The study found that Minnesota ranked 21st in terms of annual cost of ownership, coming in just $38 south of Indiana, the 25th ranked state. To determine the total […]
-
5 Common Steering Problems
Jun 22, 2015We don’t need to tell you how important it is to be able to steer freely while you’re driving. If you are having difficulty steering, or your hear troubling noises while turning, you’ll want to find a safe place to park and address the issue. Attempting to drive with the problem can lead to accident […]
