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Post by human on Sept 26, 2016 13:50:39 GMT -6
So my Impala has 41,000 miles on it and the tires are getting to the point of needing replacing. Three of the four could probably go another few thousand miles or so but the right front won't hold air anymore. I got a good deal on a set of Michelins for it at Costco but they didn't have them in stock. They'll be in by the end of the week but the first installation appointment they had is a week from tomorrow. That means I'll have to be riding on the 'donut' spare for a week. I don't really like the thought of doing that. Whenever I've used the 'donut' on a car in the past, I've always gone straight to a shop to get the real tire fixed. Will I be okay riding on the 'donut' week or should I look for a set of tires in stock elsewhere?
Daily Driver: 2011 Impala LT
Weekend Toy: 1995 Aurora
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RCA1186
Administrator 
Rob
Go Pack Go!
Posts: 4,837 
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Post by RCA1186 on Sept 26, 2016 13:52:57 GMT -6
I wouldn't ride on it that long, but that's not to say it's NEVER been done before. Do they know what is wrong with the right front tire? Discount tire patches tires for free.
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Post by sall on Sept 26, 2016 13:53:20 GMT -6
IIRC a donut is good for about 50 miles. You should put the donut on the rear and move a good rear tire to the front axle that has the bad tire.
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Post by human on Sept 26, 2016 14:33:50 GMT -6
Yeah, I was thinking they were only good for a very few miles. I'll definitely move it to the rear. The right front tire has a soft spot in it that apparently won't take a patch. I had it patched last Thursday afternoon and it was dead flat when I went out to go to work Friday morning. The shop re-patched it for free but said they wouldn't guarantee it to hold. It held for the weekend, which included a 250-mile round trip to my parents' in Charlotte to help them get ready to move. When I went out at lunchtime today, the pressure was down to 24psi. When I got home, I aired the tire up to 35 psi and two hours later, it was nearly flat again.
I just had another thought, although I don't know if it would work. I've got an extra set of tires and wheels for the Aurora. I wonder if one of them would bolt up on the rear. I think I'll go try it. After all, I've got nothing to lose except a few minutes of my time.
Daily Driver: 2011 Impala LT
Weekend Toy: 1995 Aurora
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Post by human on Sept 26, 2016 14:53:46 GMT -6
When I got to looking at the Aurora wheel, I don't think it'll work. Even though it's a 16-inch wheel, it's larger in every other dimension than the Chevy wheel. It's taller, wider, and it's dished in deeper on the back. Not sure what to do. I suppose I could buy a tire and wheel off of an Impala at the junk yard to get me through and that way I'll have a real spare going forward.
Daily Driver: 2011 Impala LT
Weekend Toy: 1995 Aurora
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Post by Toronado3800 on Sept 26, 2016 16:26:44 GMT -6
If the Aurora wheel bolts on and clears....heck, you could put 2 or 4 on if they don't scrub the fenders or contact the brakes. Think of the hot rods (like my Mustang) with non factory wheels. It messes with spedometers and you do have to watch clearances but it may work.
I would still avoid non matching tire heights on drive axles especially.
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tigger
Administrator
Posts: 2,844
Staff Member
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Post by tigger on Sept 27, 2016 0:04:27 GMT -6
As sall mentioned, compact spares are usually only recommended for 50 or so miles, and limited to 50 mph. That said, there's a kid in the neighborhood who has had one on the front of his Honda for at least three weeks... I wouldn't do it. And I'll second Toronado3800. You could put your best 2 on front, and use 2 Aurora wheels for the back. I did the full size spare from the junkyard, as you mentioned. My compact spare basically useless from the day I got the car... One 17" Aurora OEM chrome wheel (with a decent Goodyear tire) and a 'never touched the ground' compact spare from the same donor... $45, at the Pull-A-Part! |
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Post by human on Sept 27, 2016 14:10:21 GMT -6
I stopped by the boneyard across the highway from where I teach but I came up empty so I decided to try the Aurora wheel and tire despite my previous reservations. It bolted up to the rear of the Impala just fine so I moved the right rear tire up to the front and the donut into the trunk where it belongs. Unfortunately, the Aurora wheel rubs on the brake caliper--actually appears to be pushing it up against the rotor--so it's a no-go  I'm hot and tired right now so I'm going to rest a little while and put the donut on the rear. Hopefully the car will handle a little better with the donut on the rear than it did with it on the front and the donut will last until next week. I feel like the odds are much better having that donut on the back since front wheel drive cars typically don't put near as much stress on the rear wheels as they do the front ones. Daily Driver: 2011 Impala LT Weekend Toy: 1995 Aurora |
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Post by Toronado3800 on Sept 27, 2016 21:20:54 GMT -6
Darn it. Sorry for wasting your effort. Weird where things fit and don't fit.
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Post by human on Sept 27, 2016 22:32:28 GMT -6
Not a problem. You never know about things like that until you try them. The only thing that would have been worse is if I'd bought a wheel and tire at the boneyard and had the same result. One thing's for sure, the car definitely handles better with the donut on the back and so far, it's not showing any real signs of wear despite having been run probably 30 miles or so yesterday and today.
Daily Driver: 2011 Impala LT
Weekend Toy: 1995 Aurora
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Post by sall on Sept 28, 2016 19:25:33 GMT -6
Yeah the difference in the wheel causes the Classic setup to be 9mm closer to the calipers. Seemingly a deal breaker in this case.  |
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Post by human on Sept 28, 2016 19:54:53 GMT -6
Yeah, you should see the gouges it put on the inside of the Aurora wheel just going to the top of the driveway and back down again.
Daily Driver: 2011 Impala LT
Weekend Toy: 1995 Aurora
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Post by human on Sept 30, 2016 13:11:43 GMT -6
The Impala now has new rubber and all is well. I told my dad about all this and he said to be thankful I wasn't driving their 2013 Buick LaCrosse. It has no spare of any sort, just a can of 'fix-a-flat'. Now, that's pretty slack (no pun intended).
Daily Driver: 2011 Impala LT
Weekend Toy: 1995 Aurora
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tigger
Administrator
Posts: 2,844
Staff Member
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Post by tigger on Sept 30, 2016 23:30:06 GMT -6
Haha, that's actually becoming a pretty common practice.
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plato442
Aurora Driver
Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Oldsmobile...
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Post by plato442 on Oct 4, 2016 0:22:08 GMT -6
I've contemplated a full size replacement as well for my Aurora. I wouldnt drive much more than needed with a doughnut. However i saw a car in town driving on all four with doughnuts. Must of thought he was cool.
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Post by human on Oct 5, 2016 17:41:09 GMT -6
Four donuts??? Why on earth would anyone in their right mind want to do that? One is bad enough.
Daily Driver: 2011 Impala LT
Weekend Toy: 1995 Aurora
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I'm hot and tired right now so I'm going to rest a little while and put the donut on the rear. Hopefully the car will handle a little better with the donut on the rear than it did with it on the front and the donut will last until next week. I feel like the odds are much better having that donut on the back since front wheel drive cars typically don't put near as much stress on the rear wheels as they do the front ones.
