F150 Spare Tire Size

okiecowboy · 06-08-2016, 05:04 PM

Recently purchased a used 2013 F150 Ecoboost. When checking out the vehicle, I noticed it has a completely different size spare tire than the others. I first thought the dealer must have pulled a switch on me, but when I looked at the tire sticker on the door, it lists the spare as a LT275/65R18 which is what I have. All the others are P275/55R20. What's the purpose, and is that normal for all F150's to run different size spares?

tjm · 06-08-2016, 05:35 PM

It's common with all makes of trucks. The overall diameter of each tire is about 32". They are not going to provide an expensive 20" wheel for a spare.

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okiecowboy · 06-08-2016, 09:17 PM

Okay, thanks. Makes sense I guess. But you would think with a $50k truck they could afford to put a basic 20" wheel and tire. At least it's not a donut.

Shanks12 · 06-08-2016, 09:35 PM

Yep, pretty standard. I think I've always been told that if you need to use it, avoid using it as a steering tire of your sizes are far off

tjm · 06-08-2016, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shanks12

Yep, pretty standard. I think I've always been told that if you need to use it, avoid using it as a steering tire of your sizes are far off

But they are not far off. The two tires sizes the OP provided are basically the same on width and height. The main thing is the height being the same especially for 4x4s.

My Tundra has 18" wheels, but the spare is a narrower tire, height is the same.

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**Tireman9** · 06-08-2016, 09:50 PM

People demand better mileage and lower cost. What you end up with is a spare that is lower weight and lower cost. 20" are much more expensive and depemding on design package weight can be quite different. Sometimes enough to move a vehicle into different weight category for fuel economy test.
Suggest you do price comparison on wheel and tires

mudman2 · 06-09-2016, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by okiecowboy

Recently purchased a used 2013 F150 Ecoboost. When checking out the vehicle, I noticed it has a completely different size spare tire than the others. I first thought the dealer must have pulled a switch on me, but when I looked at the tire sticker on the door, it lists the spare as a LT275/65R18 which is what I have. All the others are P275/55R20. What's the purpose, and is that normal for all F150's to run different size spares?

I've got a 2015 tundra with 20" tires. The spare is 18. I called Toyota and they said that's the way it is setup. It's like don't see don't tell.

CedarCreekWoody · 06-09-2016, 06:08 PM

It actually is a donut, just a larger one. I think they are rated for a maximum of 50 miles.

okiecowboy · 06-09-2016, 07:16 PM

Woody,

Hopefully it's rated for more than 50 miles. It's a Goodyear Wrangler that looks to be some kind of all terrain tire. It has a pretty aggressive tread pattern. Maybe it's not an OEM tire.

By the way, just spent a week in Cedar Creek State Park about a month ago. Very nice campground and close to Dallas metro. Just expensive if you're an out of state resident!

CedarCreekWoody · 06-09-2016, 07:49 PM

Hopefully you are correct. The spares on my Dodges are obviously low mileage.
Not sure what park you were at? TX state parks are same rates no matter what state you are from. Our favorite is Beavers Bend state park in Broken Bow OK.

okiecowboy · 06-09-2016, 08:08 PM

Didn't have some kind of Texas Park Pass, so it was like $35 per night (inc sewer) plus a $5 per day entrance fee to the park. Would rather find a good Corp of engineer park for less.

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Radio · 06-09-2016, 08:22 PM

In the distant past when I bought my last new truck... my 07 F-150 came with 255/70 R17 all the way around, including the spare. But that spare rim is plain steel, and a bit ugly, not a fancy aluminum wheel like the others.

When I went to load range E 235/75R17 I put Michelins on the ground and I don't even know what brand same size spare (not an "E") is under there. Saved over $100.

Toby · 06-10-2016, 07:22 AM

My new 2012 F150 came with 4 cheap tires IMHO. All four at different intervals suffered broken belts. After the first one I bought warranties at discount tire. I replaced the remaining four under warranty for $25 a pop until I finally gave up and got a nice set of LT Mich. tires. I never had a set of matched tires on the truck except for when I first bought it and now.

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**Tireman9** · 06-10-2016, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toby

My new 2012 F150 came with 4 cheap tires IMHO. All four at different intervals suffered broken belts. After the first one I bought warranties at discount tire. I replaced the remaining four under warranty for $25 a pop until I finally gave up and got a nice set of LT Mich. tires. I never had a set of matched tires on the truck except for when I first bought it and now.

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Didn't Ford stand behind the tire warranty? They say they sell tires now a days so I figured.....

Belt separations are not caused by road hazzard. Most likely would be manufacturing defect.

Did you also file complaints with NHTSA? Pretty unusual for all 4 to have belt separations. For you to have a 100% failure rate would suggest that Ford had a bad batch which should have triggered a recall, assuming the owners made the effort to file complaints.

Do you have the DOT serial of the bad tires? That way we could look up which tire plant made the bad tires.

Toby · 06-10-2016, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tireman9

Didn't Ford stand behind the tire warranty? They say they sell tires now a days so I figured.....

Belt separations are not caused by road hazzard. Most likely would be manufacturing defect.

Did you also file complaints with NHTSA? Pretty unusual for all 4 to have belt separations. For you to have a 100% failure rate would suggest that Ford had a bad batch which should have triggered a recall, assuming the owners made the effort to file complaints.

Do you have the DOT serial of the bad tires? That way we could look up which tire plant made the bad tires.

Discount tire said similar about being a bad batch. I never had any issues with the spare. I had to use it for a year and some change and it worked good for me. When I spoke to the dealer they wouldn't help me.

I didn't know to report it but maybe discount tire recorded it. I can inquire as well as check my paperwork. I know now what to do having snooped through this forum for so long.

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Mowgli64 · 06-10-2016, 07:21 PM

It may be that the 18" tire was the original factory size and the dealer put on the 20". My 2013 F150 has the 18" all around.

**Tireman9** · 06-12-2016, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toby

Discount tire said similar about being a bad batch. I never had any issues with the spare. I had to use it for a year and some change and it worked good for me. When I spoke to the dealer they wouldn't help me.

I didn't know to report it but maybe discount tire recorded it. I can inquire as well as check my paperwork. I know now what to do having snooped through this forum for so long.

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Here is link to NHTSA complaint form.

You need the VIN and tire DOT serial (which you should have in your permanent file as that number is what is used for any recall. In your complaint I would provide the name of the Ford dealer that refused to adjust the tire.

m2kamp · 06-12-2016, 06:40 PM

My 2015 Ram came with a donut spare the same diameter as the 20" tires (33").

I know it has the same or better load rating as the road tires, but much skinnier and temporary tire tread. I would not be too comfortable using it with the trailer in tow, but I guess it would get me to a tire place a short distance away, at reduced speed.

Before I bought our TT I found a 20" steel spare from a 2012 ram 1500 on craigslist with the same tires as I had on the ground (Goodyear SRA 275/60/20) for $50.

Now that I have switched to OEM 17" wheels with Load E tires 285/70/17 (33"), I went back to the donut and sold the 20" spare.

Being a steel 20" with full size tire, it weighed close to 100 lbs. Got some payload back with the donut! lol

**Tireman9** · 06-12-2016, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m2kamp

My 2015 Ram came with a donut spare the same diameter as the 20" tires (33").

I know it has the same or better load rating as the road tires, but much skinnier and temporary tire tread. I would not be too comfortable using it with the trailer in tow, but I guess it would get me to a tire place a short distance away, at reduced speed.

Before I bought our TT I found a 20" steel spare from a 2012 ram 1500 on craigslist with the same tires as I had on the ground (Goodyear SRA 275/60/20) for $50.

Now that I have switched to OEM 17" wheels with Load E tires 285/70/17 (33"), I went back to the donut and sold the 20" spare.

Being a steel 20" with full size tire, it weighed close to 100 lbs. Got some payload back with the donut! lol

Now you see one reason why companies select a high pressure, light weight spare.

Yes I did design some of them during my career

.

Toby · 06-20-2016, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tireman9

Here is link to NHTSA complaint form.

You need the VIN and tire DOT serial (which you should have in your permanent file as that number is what is used for any recall. In your complaint I would provide the name of the Ford dealer that refused to adjust the tire.

Thank-you. I'll check my paperwork and fill it out.

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