Are you prepared to drive on a spare tire?

What is the farthest you should drive on a spare tire? 

The first time most people think about their tires is when they experience a flat one. While there are things vehicle owners can do to get the most mileage out of their tires as possible, but there is little defense against picking up a nail in the middle of the road. Once you’ve put the donut on your vehicle, you aren’t quite out of the woods yet. So, what is the farthest you should drive on a spare tire? For most popular passenger vehicles, the spare tire should be used for no more than 50 miles of driving at speeds of no more than 50 miles per hour. There are a few other things you should know, let’s take a look at them. 

READ MORE: How do I use my car’s technology? 

Tips for Driving on a Spare Tire 

It may seem like all tires are just tires and employing a spare tire wouldn’t change much. This is not the case. Depending on which wheel the spare is used, handling and stopping ability could be affected. Drivers should take it easy while they’re using a spare because it is likely going to the smaller and narrower than the regular tire, thus not having as much of its tread in contact with the road surface. 

Wet or otherwise slippery roads could be a real problem for people using spare tires. Ultimately, the advice to driving on a spare tire is always going to be: Be extra careful and get the tire replaced/repaired as much as possible.  

What if I used fix-a-flat? 

Changing a tire isn’t hard for most people to do, but there isn’t much about it that is overly pleasant. Having a can of Fix-A-Flat at the ready is a great solution to get a vehicle back on the road. However, going this route does have a major trade off when it comes to range. A tire that is filled with Fix-A-Flat will only be able to go two to four miles. Also, when they start working on the tire with Fix-A-Flat, make sure they are aware the product was used. 

If it’s time to find a new (to you) vehicle, make an appointment with a Carizma Motors product expert today.