Spare Wheels

Nobody wants to find himself or herself with a flat wheel on the roadside. However, it is just a matter of time when you get a puncture, especially, if you explore unbeaten paths on a regular or occasional basis. To save you lots of headache if that happens, you need to carry a spare wheel wherever you go. As a rule, it is a factory steel wheel that is either of the same size as your drive wheels or narrower and even smaller in diameter than your original rims. Most vehicles come with a spare wheel from the factory, however, you may also need to purchase it separately.

The main job of a spare wheel is to help you get to the nearest tire repair shop to fix the puncture or damage to your drive wheel. It is not intended for everyday use, however, it is the kind of stuff you need to carry with you as long as you own the vehicle. For this reason, many automakers strive to equip their vehicles with as lightweight and compact spare wheels as possible. Vehicles equipped with such wheels usually have limited storage space for a spare, which may not allow you to carry an oversize one, so you need to keep this in mind when purchasing a larger spare to match your aftermarket wheels.

When shopping for a spare wheel, you have 4 basic options to choose from, including a full-size matching spare, full-size non-matching spare, full-size temporary spare and compact temporary one. A full-size matching wheel is an ideal option if you are looking to maintain the original appearance of your vehicle and have the ability to use the spare as your drive wheels. Although, if you own high-performance aftermarket wheels, purchasing the same one to use as a spare can be a pricey investment, so you may go with a full-size non-matching wheel. It features the same dimensions as your drive wheels, yet looks different. A full-size temporary spare will also look different than your drive wheels as well as be narrower, while its compact counterpart will be even smaller in diameter, so it is not recommended for long-duration use.