my 1937 ford does not have a large trunk to store a full size spare tire. with all the garbage and trash on the road i feel naked without a spare tire. i carry a tire plug kit to fix punctures, but the lack of a compressor is a negative, so i got a couple of mini spare tires from modern cars to find out which one will fit. i have a full roller frame from fatman's with a 9 inch rear axle. my bolt pattern is 5 bolts x 4 1/2 spacing hub 2 - 7/8 dia. and drum brakes in the rear disc up front the mini spare tire that fits this application is 5 bolt "T125/70/16 96M from the photo you can see fit on rear axle, i have 235/75/15 tires on the rear, the car dropped about 2 1/2 inches in the rear on the front i have 215/70/15 , the car dropped only 1 1/2 inches the drop is important case if your ride is really in the weeds you gotta watch how you drive but at least your driving. for my ride which is not very low i will be in good shape. important consideration is clearance for disc brak caliper, no problems with this tire/wheel combo.
I thought I was going to need one of those for my 55 Ford,I have 235-75-15s on the rear and I have to let all the air out of the tires to get them in but I was able to find a tire on a regular rim that will work. I might have to look into one for my 37 Chevy p/u since I have been driving it 14 years with no spare and even though it has plenty of room under the bed a space saver would not hang down too far,the 37 has a Ford bolt pattern and I am going to put a regular spare in my 89 crown vic winter beater so I will use its original space saver for the 37 and thanks for the idea.
Kind of drifting from the topic. but in situations like this where you have to run extremely different diameter tires, is there any danger of putting a lot of stress, or lots of wear, on a limited slip differential, since the speed of tire rotation on one side compared to the other is so much different? I would think the clutches in a limited slip rear would generate a lot of heat if you had to drive too far.
I use the Fomoco aluminum spare with an adapter. That way it fits mine and if someone else has a different pattern it will fit theirs. Very light also.
your not supposed to drive faster and longer than what is listed on the side of the tire they are only a temp tire to get you to the nearest service facility , not driven on for a week like some of the people do around here . on some of the newer cars they do come in 17'' sizes like the firebirds and some GTO's
A friend picked up a pair of aluminum spares from a 90s Lincoln and one had grease on the back where it looked to have been on a long time but if anyone uses one of those spares the center hole needs to be enlarged to fit the older cars.
I think you are quite correct. My OT newer cars have had a label recommending that, in the event of a flat tire on the the drive axle, putting the undersize spare on the non-drive axle and using the standard size wheel to replace the drive axle flat. With so many hot rods using stepped tire sizes, that may not be much benefit, but it does support your concern about the effect of unequal wheel/tire sizes on a limited slip differential. Ray
while you guys ponder the rotational imbalance caused by a mini-spare, consider the impact of being stuck on the side of the road waiting for a overpriced tow truck $$$$ to take you to the over priced tire store $$$ of there choice ***uming either of them are available when you need it, and now you lost your hotel room and deposit $$$ for the show.
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