If you travel long distances on the Interstate, you'll want a full size spare

Mentioned this before. If you are "lucky" enough to drive a Subaru AWD, odds are you may be changing two tires.

Manual says included compact spare may only be used on right rear wheel and for no more than 50 mph at no more than 50 miles.

Would a full-sized spare face the same restrictions. Maybe so as tread depth would be off?
kris

 

The 50mph for 50 miles is the stated limit for all temporary spares; even applies to full size ones.

For no limits, get a fifth wheel and set of five tires. Then do 5 wheel rotations.

 

No thankyou. Have enough mouse homes around here.

 

It seems if say a front tire gets flat the spare has to be put on the front, then the good right rear is taken off and the flat tire from the front put on the right rear, then the spare on front is taken off and replaced by the good rear tire, then finally the right rear flat tire can be swapped for the spare, and all is done with the one jack the car comes with. I guess that’s what they want.

 

Might also have to pull the AWD fuse.

 

VERY least.

 

Not possible on the last two or three generations of Subarus. Since 2015?

I've had two punctures on my Generation 5(?) Outback. Both front passenger's side. Pain to swap about the tires, esp. on dirt, but it beats walking or waiting 3-4 hours for a wrecker. If the leak is not too radical, carring a 12V inflator can sometimes get you to a shop without changing tires

 

Been carrying a plug kit since the HHR, perhaps longer. Last used with the Outback. So far, haven't had a flat that the kit couldn't fix. Since I don't travel in cell phone dead zones, I wouldn't worry much about a lack of spare if I end up with such a model.

 

Thinking about Bob's advice with patch kit makes most sense.

After all, hardly any flats (2 or3?) in nearly 20 years. Towing added to my auto insurance is only a few dollars a year. They must know something.

 

Maybe google how imperative that is? Seems a little nuts.

I’d speculate it’s because the spare is smaller outside diameter (OD). Is that the case? It shouldn’t be: while temp spares tend to be diminutive, their OD’s stay (or should stay) close to stock tire OD.

the owners manual should include specs for the stock an temp spare tires. If you can post these, it’d be interesting, to see how the OD’s compare.

 

The AWD system is supposedly sensitive to diameter differences. Enough that tires be replaced in sets of four. Subaru would have you disable the AWD by pulling a fuse in earlier models when using a spare.

Semi-related, the HHR SS spare couldn't go on the front as it wouldn't fit over the brake rotors.

 

I did, and it is!
You used to be able to use a fuse to enable FWD-only but the newer Subies do not have this ability.
That's a real shame.
They could have at least equipped the car with a compact spare of the same diameter.
ALL compact spares are only meant for emergency use, to limp to the nearest repair center but at least there's no threat of wrecking an "always-on Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system" because you suffered a blow-out more than 50 miles from the nearest dealer.
BUT WAIT!!!
It gets crazier....According to the Googles....
EVEN THEN?
It seems that if the tyres are more than a quarter of the way through their service life you have to replace ALL FOUR OF THEM?

That's too bad - especially since virtually all Subies are AWD!!
Hard pass.
I always replace all four at the same time anyway...unless one of them needs to be replaced sooner because of a non-repairable failure - and then I just replace THAT ONE TIRE and THEN all four of them when the remaining three are sufficiently word to require a replacement.

 

Yes, replace all four, never only one or two or three
K