Spare tire replacement?

The OEM wheel will not replace the spare in regards to its function as part of the rear protection in a colision. Have fun, Rick

The OEM wheel will not replace the spare in regards to its function as part of the rear protection in a colision.

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Perhaps I'm overlooking something and thinking about it too quick but why wouldn't the OEM wheel protect just as good or better?....

Just curious...

JoeCVT - Just your average CVT owner

I don't believe you can put the OEM wheel in the cavity and anchor it down but it has been a while since I had to use the compact spare. I believe it also pushes up the storage bin because it is thicker.

I had some spare time today and although it was about 15 degrees (fahrenheit) outside, I took out the spare and tried it. When I first got the car, I put carpet lining in the whole cavity under the lid to try and reduce road noise so the spare tire area is about 1/2 inch narrower on the sides and lifted by 1/2 inch as well. It was tight getting it in but the OEM tire does fit in the spare tire area. I could not align it to install the anchor bolt (this verifies what Rick mentioned) Even if it did line up, the threads did not look like they would we long enough (this could be due to the 1/2 inch lift - but it could compress if the bolt was starting to thread)

However, I did manage to move the tire around to have it center on the hub so all you would need is item 10 and 11 from here:
http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com...DR+LX&catcgry4=KA4AT&catcgry5=WHEEL+DISKS+(1)
This is another method of how many spare tires are anchored. I do not have a cargo bin to try, but from earlier in this thread it has been suggested to fold up the bottom two inches.

Once placed in the compartment, the OEM tire looks huge compared to that little donut spare.

JoeCVT - Just your average CVT owner

I bent one of my rims and have been using the spare for a while, in my search for a replacment rim I ended up witn an other yellow spare. Would i be crazy to swap out the tires on the spare rims with ones that have better thread life with a higher profile and run them in the rears?

areg said:

Would i be crazy...

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Not as much as any shop that you might find that would do the job for you.
The rim ain't painted yellow for nothing.

Read: It's not designed for a "regular" sized tire and catastrophic failure would be inevitable :!: :shock:

HTH!

What if you could source 145 65 14s...is the rim designed so that the standard tire shape will not conform to the lip of the rim?

Hmmmm, what would be the weight savings and thus, increased fuel mileage by running 4 spares?????

None, because the spare tires are not low rolling resistance tires.

Dougie said:

None, because the spare tires are not low rolling resistance tires.

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So? They are much narrower and have much higher pressure, that should reduce both rolling and air drag significantly more than the effect of the rubber!

I always wanted to try this but spares are kinda hard to come by...

No, because that's not how LRR tires work. Much of the frictional drag comes from the bending of the sidewall rubber as you drive. By using high pressure and very thin rubber in the stock tires, the flexing is reduced and what little there is doesn't involve much rubber.

The mini-tires used for spares are thick, and even though they can be run at pretty high pressures, when they flex there is more rubber involved.

There are lots of other LRR tire design considerations, too, but the bottom line is that the stock 165/65R14 tires are the lowest (known) rolling resistance tires available. Solar powered racers use even better tires, but they run at extremely high pressure, don't fit on normal rims, and don't have DOT approval...

Even if they did provide better MPG...I beleive there would be a safety issue (handling and stopping distance) in using all 4 space saver spares. Many of them also have limited tread life and low maximum speed warnings. They are only designed not to leave you stranded in case of a flat and to get you home or to the nearest repair facility. They are probably more expensive to replace and you will go through sets of them so often that the cost far out weighs any fuel savings you may have.

JoeCVT - Just your average CVT owner

How about using 4 space saver rims with DOT approved tires assuming you could find a tire to fit the 4" wide rim. If you could find a winter tire to fit you may overcome some of the usual MPG loss associated with winter tires considering the weight savings of the lighter rims. I prefer a thin winter tire myself but not sure if you could locate one for the 4" wide space saver rim. Just a thought.

I have one !

rslatkin said:

The spare tire on my 2000 Insight has a slow leak. I need to pump it up about every week. I have tried to get a replacement tire from two local Honda dealers and a Firestone place, with no luck. The dealer that currently has the car for a battery replacement (more on that later) said they weren't able to order one from Honda and actually called a few junk yards but weren't able to find one. Their only suggestion was that they could get us a full size spare for several hundred dollars which probably wouldn't fit under the cargo area. Firestone tried to order one, but after about a month said they wouldn't be able to get it.

Surely we can't be the only Insight owners who need to replace their spare tire! Any ideas where to get one?

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I have a spare tire its from my 2 door Insight I dont have anymore. You want it?

i was going to say use a motorcycle tire. Lots of size options available.