Spare Tire Question: Which Rim?

[guidget]

Originally Posted by LJGoose

Quick question. Does it matter that the spare is 15" and my tires are 16"? Should I get a 16" spare?

It shouldn't. I believe the donut spare is a 14".

As stated before, it's temporary until you get your tire fixed or replaced.

Don't be like those lazy people that drive on a donut for a month.

[dmlexpert]

The Elantra shares its bolt pattern and center bore with the late model Dodge Avenger/Caliber and Chrysler Sebring/200 and Mitsubishi Eclipse and Galant (all the same car underneath), Ford Fusion/Mazda6 and Focus/Mazda3 (each pair is the same car underneath), Suzuki Aerio/SX4/Kizashi, and also Kia Forte/Optima. You will want a 16 inch wheel diameter to clear the brake calipers, and you will want a tire whose outside diameter is roughly the same (an inch smaller is ok) as the stock tires. With a junkyard tire, you will need a simple scissor jack (I got mine at P*p B*ys for about $15), and a lug wrench for metric lug nuts (typically less than $10).

[Bianco]

Originally Posted by dmlexpert

You will want a 16 inch wheel diameter to clear the brake calipers, and you will want a tire whose outside diameter is roughly the same (an inch smaller is ok) as the stock tires.

15" rims will clear the brake calipers just fine. Tire size 195/65/15 is a perfect size.

[dmlexpert]

Hyundai 15-inchers will clear the calipers, but when using a wheel from another manufacturer - especially a donut tire, I think it's a good idea to look for the 16s just to be sure the wheel bolts on ok.

[benman]

Diameter is not the only factor for whether a wheel clears the brake calipers. When shopping for some used wheels, I tried some 16" DSM wheels that did not clear the calipers -- they scraped on the outward-facing side. It was a spoke design issue, not an issue with the rim size. Before buying wheels from another make/model, test fit them to make sure, no matter what the size.

For the record, I use a 2006 Sonata donut for my spare -- works great.