Next time you check your spare tire pressure, could you make note of its size. You do keep your spare at the recommended 60 psi, don't you?

I'm on record (from Dec 2003) as giving my size as 145/90/16 (6% small). However a couple of months ago biocube wrote that his was 160/90/16 (2% small). I'm wondering if Honda changed the size of the spare between 2003 and 2004. I doubt if there was a change in spare tire well size.

paulj

Will do, paul. Emptied the crap out of the vehicle this past weekend to help move furniture.

-brendan

Just stopped by a dealer, and looked at the spare of a new Element. It is:

145/90/16

26.3 nominal diameter, 5.6% (1.5") smaller than stock.

An interesting question is how the rt4wd responds to this difference. If the drive shaft speed is the average of the two tires, the drive shaft with the spare will turn 2.8% faster than the other. Putting the spare on the front might put the rt4wd just on the threshold of activating. I don't know how much torque would be sent to the rear wheels in this case - something between 0 to 30% is my guess. However, even if it is activated, after a bit the oil might heat up and trip the thermal cutoff.

However if the rear axle is the one that is turning faster, rt4wd might not be activated. I'd have to double check this, but I think rt4wd is triggered only if the front axle is turning faster, not if either is turning faster.

Running larger tires (e.g. 2 - 4% larger), will increase the axle ratio when using the spare, into the 4-6% range, with a greater likelihood of activation.

It might be a good idea to have the rt4wd (rear differential) oil changed after using the temporary spare, just incase it got hot during that time.

paulj

Thanks for the info Paul. So do you think if I get a flat and its one of the front tires I should swap one of the rears to the front and put the spare on the rear?

If there was a problem with the RT4WD and using the spare shouldn't Honda have compensated for that with a larger spare?


Just curious, what do you do for a living Paul?

26.3 nominal diameter, 5.6% (1.5") smaller than stock
For an inch and a half difference they couldn't make the spare well full-diameter? People could carry a full-size spare with just a bit of rise above standard floor level, rather than the current ****eyed angle that makes it impossible, practically speaking, to carry one. Sheesh.

has anyone tried carrying a full-size spare in the well, but deflated? will it fit flat?

i know that if it is inflated, it has to sit in at an angle and pokes out (3 inches or so?)

I think there is enough width for a wider tub, but the rear overhang would have to be increased by a couple of inches. The front to back spacing is pretty tight.

This photo shows the best I could do at putting a 215/70/16 tire in the wheel well. It is at an angle, and sticks up about 5 inches.

I did not try deflating the tire, but my impression from handling flats and unmounted tires, is that it would be hard to change its diameter.

I suspect most car designers consider a full size spare to be a real pain to design around. The CRV and RAV4 don't carry their spares on the back just because it looks good.

I have successfully carted a full size spare around under a 9" high cargo/sleeping platform - over the rear seat mounting area. I need to redesign the platform so I can access the spare tire well - probably by replacing the current lid with a smaller, more square, one.

The idea of mounting the temporary spare on the rear axle is appealing, even if it requires more work. However the manual doesn't specify that, so it may not really matter. Since the spare itself is designed for 50 mles and speeds less than 50mph, abuse of the drivetrain maybe limited in most cases. It is the prospect of doing those 50 miles on a rough gravel road that prompts me to consider a full size spare. And even in that case a repair kit and air compressor is a serious alternative.

paulj

oh well, so much for that thought!

i guess carrying it tied to the inside cargo space on the side is the easiest.

a replacement cover is a good idea, but since i regularly/always have a bike in the back, it would't work for me.

Maybe it's all about risk management. When was the last time you had a flat?... for me, it was 1984! Although I prefer a full size spare as I had in my Jetta before I bought the E, realistically for my normal driving now, the small spare is adequate. For those of you taking trips into backcountry areas, (as I used to do), then you must make special provision for your safety, including perhaps a spare tire or method to repair a tire.

I've had my share of flats, but all have been caused by a screw in the tread. Most have also been close to home. I noticed my only road trip flat in the morning at a motel, and was able to pump up the tire, and drive down the block to get it fixed at Canadian Tire.

The screw in the tread type of flat is suppose to be easily fixed with a plug kit. More worrisome is the nail or gash in the sidewall. Several people have reported that type of flat on these forums, mainly in the context of talking about how hard it was to find a replacement tire. That replacement issue is one argument in favor of switching tire sizes, to something a bit more common.

I've also wondered whether one tire model or other, or tire style, is more resistant to side wall damage. Probably one of the AT models is best.

four months ago!

my inner sidewall was torn up and blew out while i was going 90 accross utah, after some offroad adventures. it took me 100 miles of donut driving, 8 tire shops, and six hours before i found a 215/70/16.

i guess the best solution, as paul says, is to switch up to a 225/70/16, which are much more readily available.

I've decided that the most secure way of carrying a full size spare in the back of my Element is flat on the floor with the rear seats out. By placing it over a rear seat floor mounting point, I can secure it in place with a J bolt or eye bolt and shackle hooked around the bar in the floor. The bolt passes through a lug hole of the wheel and is tightened with a washer and wing nut. There is just enough space in center hole of the wheel to manipulate this bolt.

I may, when I rework my sleeping/cargo platform, be able to carry the spare at an angle in the spare tire well. The temporary spare is held in place with a large wing bolt through the wheel center hole.

Previously I was borrowing the spare from my RAV4 for long trips. Recently when I got new tires (Cooper ATR 225/70/16) I kept a couple of the old tires, and bought a new DX rim. So I now have a full size spare just for the Element, though I may not carry it much around town.

paulj

If you have a 2" receiver hitch and aren't using it on your long trips... get one of these for a full-size spare... It keeps the interior available for storage as well as allowing you to still have your rear seats. It is removable and doesn't have to be there all of the time like on the CR-V and your RAV-4.

http://www.etrailer.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/dt/6715.jpg
Etrailer.com sells them... http://www.etrailer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=E&Product_Code=6715&Category_Code=FMH If I did more long distance driving it would be a good purchase. It is $67.

That hitch carrier is one of the most reasonably priced ones. I've seen a fold down version that is much more expensive. However a rear carrier like this can get in the way of tailgate use, especially when camping. Those side swinging carriers that I've seen on Sportages, Blazers and some Wranglers would be less in the way, but hard to mount on an Element.

While not perfect, the inside carry under a sleeping platform has worked well on camping trips for 2. If I needed the rear seats I'd go the roof rack route.

paulj

Understand and agree about the rear swing out style carriers. I have seen some really nice looking one for Jeeps, they are really made for off-roading because they also have those 3+ foot jacks attached to the carrier.

If I remember tomorrow I will check and see what size my spare is.

Sorry to drag this thread from the dead, 6 years dead!!
I was thinking about getting a different spare tire for the E.
Just so you know, my spare tire is a T145/90 D16. I was
just wondering if anybody has changed their spare tire?
If so, where did you get it? What price did you pay?