So I put a 4" Rancho lift on my 05 Supercrew along with 18" 8.5 American Racing wheels and BFG 305/65/18 tires. My question is: what are you guys doing for a spare? My understanding is that running the stock spare even for a short distance will mess up the gears. I have no desire to pay over $300 for a new BFG tire just to have as a spare if I don't have to, but the 305/65/18 is such a wierd tire size that my local tire shop is having a tough time matching it to any used tire out there.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

Sean

 

You could run the spare on the front, as long as you do not use 4x4 and the front hubs work as they are supposed to. Disengage when engine is running and in 4x2.

 

I looked around and found a worn out tire in the same size as mine. I had it mounted on my spare wheel. Check around your local shops for something the same height as your 34's (or even a 33 or 35 inch tall tire).

 

Yes what Wandell said, or what kingfish suggests will be fine. If you get a flat and have your stock spare, make sure the spare is on the front, not the back. So you may need to swap your 34 with one on the front if you have a flat in the rear.

Don't engage 4WD and just take it slow until you are able to get it fixed. You should be fine.

 

I am trying to have the tire guy look for something used but he's having no luck with the exact same size since I don't think there are too many old BFG's out there in that size. I even told him if we could find something with a 16" wheel that would still get us the same height, that would be ok. Even with a 16" wheel, if the overall diameter of the wheel and tire is the same, there shouldn't be any problem, right? I know it would look stupid running a 16" spare with 18" wheels on the other tires, but I just want something to get me down the road to the repair shop. I guess running the spare on the front may be the best option.

Sean

Wandell--
Did your new spare fit under your truck? It looks like it will be too tight with the bigger tire.

 

Something else to think about. You do not need a tire the same size, you need a tire with the same final diameter.
It could be a 17", 20", 70 profile, 75 profile, etc. Just so the final diameter is the same as your new tires.

As an example, the 305/65R18 is 33.61" in diameter. A 285/70R18 is 33.71" in diameter. An almost exact match. The width is not going to matter for a spare.

 

Great Tip kingfish! And i agree with both Wandell and King, you can run the stock spare, but it MUST be up front and hubs MUSt be disengaged (no 4x4). Take it slow and get to the nearest tire store to see if you can fix the flat or purchase another tire. I have done it in my Chevy, I have 40" tires, finding something to match those is HARD and a spare is just too big! I limped down the Mountain (normally a 45 min drive, turned into well over an hour just taking it slow) and I was on 3 40" ground hawg tires and one 36 irok. It can be done! but I would suggest looking around for a similar tire like what KingFish said! especially if you off-road at all. Good luck!

 

So as of right now....

I have the stock Ford F-150 2007 Spare, and Im running 33" Toyo Mudders, If I put the spare on one of the front tires, in 2wd, I should be able to limp to the nearest tire store and not sustain any damage?

 

Ya you will be fine that way!!
Reminds me that my spare is laying in the backyard

 

bowman post some PICS

 

Thanks for the advice, guys. This forum rocks. I will definitely post some pics as soon as I can. I think I have to reach the magic "50-post" mark before I am allowed to add a pic.

Admittedly, I'm a little biased, but the truck looks sweet with the lift and tire combo. It turned out great. I'm also in the process of putting on an AF1 air intake and custom Troyer tune. Fun stuff!

Sean

 

Not exactly...a 16" wheel won't fit over the brakes on your 2005. You'll have to keep your search from 17" wheels and up.

 

Right. Just use the OEM spare wheel and find a tire close to 34 inches tall. If the spare wheel is a 17, look for a 285/70-17 (33x11.50), 295/70-17 (34x12.00), 305/65-17 (33x12.50) or a 315/70-17 (35x12.50).
I'm not sure how big a tire you can fit under the 04-08's, but a 35 will fit under a 97-03, unless there is an aftermarket exhaust system that is in the way.

 

A 315/70R17 (see my gallery) will fit in the stock location on a 2007 by a hair but you may have to adjust or move your exhaust even with a little smaller spare. If you do a lot of trips away I'd pony up and get the right size spare. Another option I guess would be to forget the spare and mount an air tank/pump and carry a plug kit.

 

You COULD find a cheaper name brand tire in that size for a spare... You might try to see if you can ebay a matching spare on the cheap... That size has been around long enough somebody has to have a set of 30 something K pull offs they are wanting to get rid of...