What is a Spare Wheel (Spare Tire), What is It Useful For?

The wheel is the part of a vehicle that comes into contact with the ground the most. For this reason, tires become vulnerable to road conditions and other factors, as a result, it can be said that wheels are one of the most worn parts in a vehicle. In addition, objects such as broken glass, nails, and pebble fragments on the road easily damage the tires. At this point, the spare wheel is a savior for vehicles. You can find everything you are curious about the spare wheel in our article.

What is a Spare (Spare Tire) Wheel?

A spare wheel is a spare tire of a vehicle. In passenger vehicles, it is usually located inside the trunk and placed in the lower zone. Commercial vehicles and off-road vehicles can be positioned in different places. 

The spare wheel is a tire that is mostly kept for use in emergencies. It is very important to have it in every vehicle for smooth and safe driving. Spare tires are usually tires designed for temporary use. Especially when the tire of the vehicle is damaged while cruising, it is used both to ensure the safety of life and to prevent further damage to the damaged tire. 

The spare wheel has a more minimal structure compared to the standard car tire. Thanks to this, it can be easily transported without taking up too much space in the vehicle. Since it is different from the normal wheel in terms of structure and design, it is useful to remember that it should only be used in mandatory situations.

What Is a Spare Wheel Useful For?

It is worth reminding what the spare wheel tire should not be used for before what it is useful for. Spare wheel tires cannot be used permanently instead of standard tires. It should only be used temporarily to prevent further damage to the existing tire or until a new one is installed to replace the tire that has become unusable.

If we come to the answer to the question of what is the use of spare wheel tire, spare wheel tire prevents a vehicle from staying on the road. The constant presence of a rescue tire in the vehicle makes the driver and the vehicle safer. Thanks to this, the driver can easily reach the destination without worrying. 

In the absence of a spare wheel, there is a high risk that the vehicle will stay on the road. Because driving in traffic with a damaged tire can pose huge risks. When there is no spare wheel in the vehicle, it becomes mandatory to transport the vehicle whose tire is damaged with a tow truck to ensure traffic safety and driver safety.

What is the Difference Between Spare Wheels and Standard Vehicle Tires?

Spare wheel tires have a very different structure from standard vehicle tires. It has a minimal structure and a weak design in terms of power. Spare wheel tires are manufactured in special sizes. Since they have a smaller diameter, sidewall width, and depth, it cannot be said that they are as strong as standard tires in terms of power. 

For this reason, it is important not to exceed a certain mileage and drive the vehicle carefully when driving a vehicle with a spare tire installed.

What Is The Difference Between Spare Wheels And Replacement Tire?

A spare wheel tire is a tire produced for use in vehicles only in emergencies and temporarily. This tire is popularly called the replacement tire. Since both terms are used in the same sense, there is no difference between a spare tire and a replacement tire.

In Which Situations Are Spare Wheels Used?

It is important for a vehicle whose tire is damaged to get out of traffic while driving in traffic. Continuing on the road with a damaged tire may cause damage to other vehicles, drivers, and pedestrians in traffic. 

In addition, there is damage to the vehicle and the user whose tire is damaged. For this reason, the use of spare wheel tires is extremely important both to ensure safety and to prevent the vehicle from staying on the road. Emergency situations in which the spare tire can be used can be listed as follows:

• When any of the tires of the vehicle burst, 
• When the air of any of the tires goes out,
• In case any of the tires are torn,
• The spare tire is used in case any of the tires becomes unusable for different reasons.

Can Spare Wheel Tires Be Used as Normal Tires on Vehicles?

Spare wheel One of the most curious issues related to the tire is whether the spare wheel will be used as a standard regular tire. The answer to this question is clear enough. Spare wheel "cannot be used as a normal tire.” 

Because the spare wheel tire is designed to be used only in emergency situations. Its size, strength, sidewall width, and depth are different from regular tires. 

When the spare wheel is used for a long time, the suspension may be damaged, the rotation adjustment may be impaired, and fuel consumption increases because the engine is overloaded. If the rotation setting of a vehicle is disturbed, it is not possible to see the expected performance of the vehicle. For these reasons, the spare wheel tire should be used only in case of emergency situations, not instead of the normal tire

Is It Mandatory to Have a Spare Tire in Every Vehicle?

Currently, it is not legally mandatory to have a spare tire in every vehicle. Spare wheel has been legally mandatory for rubber vehicles in the past years. For this reason, all new vehicles leaving the factory had spare wheel tires.  

However, due to the abolition of the legal obligation, creating extra load on the vehicle and reducing the luggage volume, there are no spare wheel tires in the new vehicles coming out of the factory.

In order to ensure the safety of traffic, vehicle, and people's lives, it is important to have spare tires in vehicles. Although it is not legally mandatory, it is recommended that drivers keep spare wheel tires in their vehicles to ensure safety measures.

Is a Spare Wheel Mandatory During Vehicle Inspection?

Vehicle inspection refers to routine checks carried out to ensure the safe presence of a vehicle in traffic. It is important for a vehicle to meet various qualifications in order to drive safely in traffic. 

However, a spare wheel is not included in this. Since the use of spare wheels is not made mandatory by the laws, it is not mandatory to have a spare wheel during vehicle inspection. However, spare wheel tires are very important for vehicles. Therefore, it is necessary to take care to have a spare tire in the vehicle.

How Many Kilometers Can You Travel with Spare Tire?

One of the curious issues about the spare tire is how far it can be traveled with the spare tire. How far it can be traveled with a spare wheel varies depending on some elements. The factors affecting the use time or mileage distance of the spare wheel can be listed as follows:

• The speed of the vehicle while cruising 
• The way the driver uses the vehicle 
• The current conditions of the road 
• The weight of the vehicle 

All these variables cause changes in the use time and distance of the spare tire. Therefore, it is useful to use the spare tire only up to the tire change point.

How Many Kilometers Can You Travel with a Flat Tire?

Using flat tires; poses a life risk for the driver. It also causes more damage to the flat tire and endangers traffic safety. Therefore, it is not recommended for drivers to continue driving with flat tires. 

It is recommended to go no more than 150 meters with a flat tire for various reasons. It is important that the vehicle does not exceed a speed of 30 Km/h during this distance. Otherwise, the wires inside the tire will be permanently damaged.

What Should Be Considered When Installing Spare Wheel Tires?

In order to install the spare wheel tire safely and continue on the road more safely, the following details need to be paid attention to before installing the tire:

• Positioning the vehicle on a flat ground
• Pulling the car's handbrake
• Putting a triangular sign or flasher on the road to inform other drivers and ensure their caution
• Having the tools that need to be used to install a spare tire at the ready

How Should the Spare Wheel Tire Be Installed?

After taking the necessary safety measures, the spare wheel tire can be installed as follows:

• The vehicle must be carefully lifted with a jack.
• The wheel nuts of the flat tire that must be removed from the vehicle must be removed and the tire must be removed from its location.
• The air of the spare tire and the wheel nuts should be checked.
• The spare tire must be placed in place of the tire that has been removed.
• The wheel nuts must be tightened to secure the spare tire.

After performing the above steps, the vehicle is carefully lowered. It is useful to make sure that the tire is installed safely by taking a short test drive. If there is no problem with the spare wheel tire, the road can be continued

What Should Be the Air Pressure of the Spare Tire?

In order to ensure a comfortable and safe ride, it is important to pay attention to the tire air in the spare wheel tire as well as in standard tires. In standard tires, the tire air varies depending on the type of tire. 

However, when it comes to spare wheel tires, the air pressure needs to be inflated more than standard tires. This is because the spare wheel is smaller in size than standard tires. Although the amount of pressure varies depending on the size of the spare wheel tire, it is generally recommended to use a pressure of about 4.1.

How Many Kilometers Can Be Traveled with Spare Wheel?

One of the issues that car drivers are curious about the spare tire is how many kilometers can be traveled with a spare tire. There is a speed limit because the spare wheel tire is not suitable for continuous use. 

This speed limit is usually clearly indicated on the spare tire. Before installing the spare tire, it is important to look at the tire and adjust the speed of the vehicle accordingly. The speed limit of spare wheels designed for emergency situations is usually 80 Km/h. It is recommended not to exceed this speed limit in order not to put the driver and vehicle safety at risk.