Has anybody figured out a way to keep the space saver tire and wheel reasonably clean, yet NOT get burned up by the exhaust pipes on both sides? I think a vinyl RV spare tire cover would fit, but I think it would get cooked pretty quickly….

I hate spare tires that are hung under the rear deck! Post pics or a link please, if you know of something that will work well.

Thanks,

John Davies
Spokane WA

 

I took a pic because it will never look that nice again…..

John Davies
Spokane WA

 

Any type of cover may trap moisture, and things can rust faster. It needs to air out.

 

Excellent point.

Tires get dirty, why should the spare need any different treatment?

 

They designed it to be open air, thats how it should be.

 

If you put a cover or other kind of fabric down there and it will eventually catch fire by sitting next to those mufflers....

 

So how does the rubber tire hold up long term, next to those toasty pipes? Should we be repositioning the spare 45 degrees every year, so it bakes evenly?

I agree that the tire needs to air, but having nasty debris and road chemicals accumulate on top of the wheel is not so great. My Land Cruiser 200 spare gets really gross over the winter, and the top of the wheel is quite a mess. On my last one I mounted the spare on a rear bumper swing away carrier.

Thanks for the comments. i will accept it for what it is, a really big design compromise.

John Davies
Spokane WA

 

try washing under car with extension for power wash. You should be doing it anyway to remove salt.

 

‘Unless I’m doing a quick wash in the summer, I always use an undercarriage sprayer with my power washer. Despite this, and dropping the spare 4 times per year, there is a lot of crap that settles on top of the spare, resulting in the beginning of surface rust. Not sure why Acura didn’t mount the spare inside the vehicle like every other crossover I’ve seen.