I am planning on getting bigger tires for my wrangler. Should I also change the spare 5th tire to match the new larger tires I am getting? If I plan to keep the original tire as a spare, will it still do its job if i need to use it as a spare, considering the other tires will be larger?
if the motor is runn then it could just as easy as popping the arm back on. There is like a little ball joint in there that has a nut and bolt that tightens and holds it on. The bolt cold have come loose and its just worn. Parts and labor wouldn't be much to fix.
When people buy new tires for their Jeep that are larger they will typically buy a spare that is the same size as well. Some people forget to buy a spare, and when it comes to a flat tire, they have to keep the Jeep out of 4 wheel drive until they can get their flat repaired or replaced, depending on the extent of the damage.
I always cary a full size spare, but I also like to off road and use my 4wd. If you do not buy a full size spare, that is fine. You can use the stock spare tire, but it will have to go on the rear to drive decent and if you run it for too long, it will destroy the spider gears in your carrier (rear end). If you get a blow out up front, you will have to remove a rear tire, put the small spare on and then put the rear tire up front to replace the flat tire.
