Trailer wheel as a spare?

[ricko1966]

My rio/aspire swapped car needs a spare. A 175/70/13 doesn't fit the spare tire well. Has anyone run a trailer wheel and tire on the back of their festy.This is just for use like a space saver spare,temporary use if I have a flat. Can anyone think of a 4x100 12 inch wheel/tire I can use as a spare?

[WmWatt]

I would suspect tires have to pass standards for safety although it's unlikely you would be stopped for inspection in a Festiva. Looking up trailer wheels on the Internet suggests you should check for load bearing which is printed on the wall of the tire. One brand is guaranteed for a year. They say unequal size and pressure leads to uneven wear on trailers. They don't mention Festivas or other motor vehicles.Perhaps unequal weight of the wheel itself could throw the vehicle out of balance. I've read it's important to have good tires on the back for balance.

[theastronaut]

Use a 4x100 to 4x114.3 adapter and a Festiva spare. Trailer tires are not safe to use on car.

[ricko1966]

I'm just wondering about backspacing,diameter etc. Obviously if I had one I'd just try it,but I'd have to buy one to see if it will work. Just hoping someone had tried before.
Balance,safety,Etc.. Not to concerned,hopefully it will never get used and if it does, only for a few miles,which will be slow and careful.
Thanks wm and astronaut I don't mean not concerned about safety in,general, but,don't see an issue slow and careful or never used at all.,Why is everything underlined?

[ricko1966]

Astronaut, for that matter you made me think,if the 12" trailer wheel fits and clears I can mount a fest tire on the trailer wheel,no adapter needed.

[theastronaut]

Why not just use a full size festiva wheel and tire? A 155/80r12 on a Festiva wheel fits easily in the spare tire well. Use an adapter on your 4x100 drum, then you can drive however far and however fast you want to on your spare. I did this when I drove from SC to AZ for Insanity. I had a flat in Texas and swapped on a stock 155/80r12 and kept going at 85 mph all the way to AZ where we fixed my bent wheel that caused the flat.

[ricko1966]

Just seems less complicated if I get a flat to bolt a trailer wheel,with a full size festy tire on it and drive home or somewhere to get a new tire. I did think of a festy wheel and adapter but didn't see an advantage to bolting on an adapter and then bolting a wheel to the adapter,if I could just bolt a 12 inch wheel to the drum.

[theastronaut]

A trailer wheel is 4x4" pattern so it would also need an adapter...


Or convert back to festiva brakes and use a normal spare. Festiva brakes are great unless you're towing or racing.

[ricko1966]

4on4 will bolt up to 4 on 100. I would switch to festy brakes,I agree they are plenty adequate,and I hate my Rio/Aspire brakes. But if I put festy rear brakes on then I have to get festy fronts or carry 2 spares or an adapter etc. I'm just going to have to buy a trailer wheel and try it.

[theastronaut]

Sounds like a good way to die or kill someone else, but ok.

[ricko1966]

I don't see how,please explain.

[ricko1966]

I don't see how,please explain.You know some people think wheel adapters are dangerous. I'm just trying to find a 12inch wheel that bolts to 4on100. If a trailer wheel bolts up great if not I'll keep hunting.

[ricko1966]

Ill take my chances with a steel trailer wheel that bolts to my drum. I personally know hypermilers that run trailer tires daily, not me.Its been explained to me they are like bias ply tires , dont corner as goid but brake well and get better gas milage, IDK. I was just looking for a way to get 10 miles if I should get a flat. I think my odds are just as good with a trailer wheel especially after seeing the adapter failures.

[ricko1966]

Ill take my chances with a steel trailer wheel that bolts to my drum

[theastronaut]

Your pics are too small to read but it looks like pics of damaged spacers. Spacers are only as dangerous as the person that installed them, but if you're trying to put 4x4" wheels on 4x100 hubs then you probably shouldn't be trusted installing spacers either.

I've had two different sets of spacers on my Festiva, have driven across country twice on them, done 200 miles on a race track on spacers, tons of autocross events on spacers (cornering hard enough to lift the rear wheel)... they're perfectly safe when sized and installed correctly. I've also had them on two different trucks with zero problems.


Call your insurance company and ask if you're covered if you're using trailer tires on wheels with the wrong lug pattern...