anyone here thinking to replace the donut with full size spare?
Will a full size fit at the trunk?
Dealer quoted me ~ $500 for the Rim... and has no clue if the full size will fit.

 

I don't think a full-sized rim will fit in the space for the spare. If you want another rim, you should just buy one off ebay or from one of the guys here. You'll get a much better deal. One thing you could try is to deflate the tire for the spare and bring and leave an air pump in the trunk as well.

 

According to the owners manual you can fit a full-size spare in the trunk. When I get my accord rims installed next week, I'm going to throw one of my stock rims back there.

 

It doesn't seem worth the weight. You don't use a spare that often (maybe 2 or 3 times during the life of the car?) and when you do, you'd want to fix the flat ASAP.

 

I've tried it. Yes, it will fit, but you will have to remove the styrofoam tool tray and relocate all the tools.

 

I agree, but I wonder if the 6MT would be closer to a 50/50 balance with a full size tire and rim in the trunk versus a spark tire.

That is a trick BMW used on my 89 325i in addition to a thick black covering to put more weight over the drive wheels.

 

That presumes that I have a simple puncture in the tread, not a shredded tire or a sidewall puncture or a bent rim, and that it's not 9PM on Sunday and that I'm not 180 miles from home.

I didn't think that the full-size tire would fit, else I would have done this months ago. As an interim solution, I'll probably put one of my snow tires in the trunk. Better to do 180 miles on a snow tire in July than on that space-saver donut.

 

has anyone else been able to confirm this? if so, will the trunk floor sit flush as if you simply had the donut?

 

Yes, full size spare will fit in the trunk no need to deflate, but you have to take the foam tool tray out, then lay a piece of vinyl, plastic or paper then put the surface of the wheel down, so it won't scratch and have more room for tool, then put all the tool back in. The trunk floor will float little bit because of thickness of the wheel.

You can buy one wheel (used) from ebay about 60-100 dollars and buy a cheap tire around 70-80 dollars mount it on, that's great price for full size spare tire. I bought mine this way cost me $150 total, don't buy the wheel from dealer, it's waste of money.

Full size spare is more safety than the small temporary spare

 

excellent

 

lol not to hijack the thread but i have a couple tsx rims im tryin to get rid of..selling as singles with tires w/ok tread left..

 

OEM alloy with tire will fit in an 04 TSX BUT you will have about 2 inches sticking out, no matter how you put it in. If you try to put the trunk cover back on, you basically lose the use of the trunk. The opening for the spare is big enough but not DEEP enough.

I tried and had to sell the wheel/tire since I couldn't use it as a full size spare.

DTSX, what year is your TSX?

 

Also, tires do expire believe it or not. It would be a waste to have a full spare in the back if you are never going to use it. It'll end up expired and no good to use anymore. I'll stick with the doughnut.

 

^^^ That's why cars with a full sized spare include the spare in the rotation schedule. I don't know how this works if you've got tires with directional tread on them (i.e. most decent tires anymore).

 

^^^ They don't. Think about it, you get a flat on the driver's side and the tire is on the rim so that the tread is rotating opposite the other. It'll get you from point A to point B, but wouldn't it be safer and easier to use a non directional tire for your full size spare? And at that point you wouldn't put it into the rotation.

 

On my '87 Jeep, I only rotated the spare into the right side. So using a conventional spare, your left wheels would be getting, what, 33% more wear if you were rotating a third wheel on the right?

Yeah, so you wouldn't want to do this in rainy/slick road conditions. But ... you could drive for a few days, vice the "nearest tire shop," and on the highway if needed. I can see why someone'd want this.

 

I don't think a car ever handles better with more weight

 

Under regular conditions, no, but a RWD vehicle in the snow is a different story. A guy I work with is driving around with 300 pounds of sand in the bed of his pickup because it's just a tire spinning machine otherwise.