What is the maximum speed a spare tire can run?
3 Answers
The maximum speed a spare tire can run is the same as a normal tire. The functions of a tire are: 1. To support the entire weight of the vehicle and bear the load of the car; 2. To transmit the torque of traction and braking, ensuring the adhesion between the wheel and the road surface; 3. To reduce and absorb the vibrations and impact forces during driving, preventing severe vibrations and early damage to car components; 4. To adapt to the high-speed performance of the vehicle and reduce driving noise, ensuring driving safety, handling stability, comfort, and energy efficiency. The maintenance methods for tires are: 1. Ensure correct tire pressure; 2. Regularly check for bulges, cracks, cuts, punctures, and abnormal wear on the tire; 3. Inspect the tire surface for stones, nails, or other hard objects and clean them promptly; 4. Minimize exposure of tires to direct sunlight.
Last time I went on a long road trip with friends, I really got to understand the ins and outs of spare tires. A standard compact spare is just for emergencies—manufacturers clearly mark them with an 80 km/h speed limit, but in reality, keeping it under 70 km/h is safest. Once on the highway, I saw a car ahead of me with its spare tire flying off the wheel hub cover because they were speeding. These spares have narrow treads, stiff rubber, and significantly worse grip; any sudden lane change would definitely cause skidding. Don’t get too confident with full-size spares either. They might look identical to regular tires, but they could be three years older than the other tires on your car, with hardened rubber that makes driving at 120 km/h just as risky. Manufacturers don’t set that 80 km/h limit for no reason—after a flat, your priority should be getting it fixed properly, not relying on the spare as a permanent solution.
I've genuinely seen many car owners using spare tires as regular ones, only to end up in trouble on the road. Based on years of repair experience: those compact emergency tires are designed to withstand only 80 km/h, with sidewalls as thin as paper. Pay special attention to 4WD vehicles—if you replace just one tire with a spare, the differential will fight you in no time. The safest approach is to keep speed between 60-70 km/h after replacement, especially reducing below 60 in rain. Last time, an Audi Q5 ran its spare at 120 km/h, and the tread bulged within just twenty minutes, cracking the alloy wheel. Also, don’t mindlessly inflate spare tires to 2.5 bar—keeping it 0.3 below standard pressure is safer.
