# Best to use steel or alloy rim for full sized spare tire? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [May 7, 2025, 10:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-to-use-steel-or-alloy-rim-for-full-sized-spare-tire/200169 "2025-05-07T22:52:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cwatkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@cwatkin](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cwatkin)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2025, 10:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-to-use-steel-or-alloy-rim-for-full-sized-spare-tire/200169/1 "2025-05-07T22:52:47Z")
Getting new tires tomorrow or the next day whenever I have time… I have older spares on both steel and alloy rims and plan to replace one with the best of the tires I am replacing. For spare use, which is better? Steel or alloy? I own both so cost is not a consideration. I want what is going to hold air the best and work when needed. The wheels on the truck are alloys. I have been told steel is the best and less likely to corrode between the bead even if the rim is ugly. Any opinions on this? Again, I have spares on both styles of wheels that are quite old and now is the time to replace them. All I need to know is which wheel is preferable. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![old\_mopar\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6bbea6/32.png) [@old\_mopar\_guy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/old_mopar_guy)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2025, 11:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-to-use-steel-or-alloy-rim-for-full-sized-spare-tire/200169/2 "2025-05-07T23:26:28Z")
Id put it on the steel wheel. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 12:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-to-use-steel-or-alloy-rim-for-full-sized-spare-tire/200169/3 "2025-05-08T00:19:19Z")
I’d go alloy. My steel truck spare rotted to dangerous. The alloy I bought to replace it hasn’t and I can rotate it with the other 4. ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 12:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-to-use-steel-or-alloy-rim-for-full-sized-spare-tire/200169/4 "2025-05-08T00:49:08Z")
Mostly I think it will depend on the condition of the wheels rather than the material. If the alloy wheel matches the others, I’d being thinking about buying 5 new and putting it into regular rotation as @Mustangman seems to do. It’s not a bad idea at all. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 1:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-to-use-steel-or-alloy-rim-for-full-sized-spare-tire/200169/5 "2025-05-08T01:12:49Z")
> [@cigroller](#): > > I’d being thinking about buying 5 new and putting it into regular rotation I agree. If the spares you have are over 10 years old they should be replaced. ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 1:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-to-use-steel-or-alloy-rim-for-full-sized-spare-tire/200169/6 "2025-05-08T01:30:26Z")
If you buy 4 new (and not 5 new) and use the best old one for the spare, just make sure it has the youngest date code on it, since it is only a spare, tread is not as important, so you want a decent newer tire for the spare.. Then put it on the alloy wheel, ask the shop to use some bead sealer on the bead part of the wheel and as long as it was in good shape to begin with, it will last a long time… Remember that any wheel/tire combo CAN loose 1 psi per month as well as loose 1 psi per every 10 degree drop in temperature, so make sure to check it once in a while, you can also max the psi out on the spare (only) for added leak downtime, as it will be used for a spare only… ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 3:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-to-use-steel-or-alloy-rim-for-full-sized-spare-tire/200169/7 "2025-05-08T03:37:34Z")
> [@davesmopar](#): > > since it is only a spare, tread is not as important, LOL. I can go along with that, but it reminded me the scene from _A Christmas Story_: “my old man’s spare tires were actually only tires in the academic sense. They were round, they had once been made of rubber…” The “once been made of rubber” part is the best reason to check the date codes. [![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/6/1/61cb8a00f426b4d742f24c280193d8162e900ba4.jpeg "A Christmas Story The Flat Tire") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwF4qieecEM&t=8) ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 1:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-to-use-steel-or-alloy-rim-for-full-sized-spare-tire/200169/8 "2025-05-08T13:27:08Z")
Neat how he changed the tire without using a jack… Remands me of the time my son had watched me rebuild a faucet and then a different one started leaking so he decided to try it, he forgot one part, turn the water off 1st… 🤦‍♂️ 🤣 NOTE, I had the water pressure up way to high, about 120 psi, you could flush 2 toilets at the same time and still have 50psi at the outside faucet… Yeah I started just keeping rebuild kits on the self, and yeah I finally lowered it… lol ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 1:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-to-use-steel-or-alloy-rim-for-full-sized-spare-tire/200169/9 "2025-05-08T13:33:24Z")
> [@jtsanders](#): > > If the spares you have are over 10 years old they should be replaced I scrapped a 17 year old spare under by truck when I bought a used alloy wheel and 5 new tires. I asked the tire shop to scrap the rusty steel wheel and tire. I found it in the truck bed when I went out to the truck. I went into the shop and said, scrap it, please. They guy looked at the tread, shrugged and took it away. I sure hope it never made it back on a vehicle! ---
**Author:** ![cwatkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@cwatkin](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cwatkin)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 2:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-to-use-steel-or-alloy-rim-for-full-sized-spare-tire/200169/10 "2025-05-08T14:24:02Z")
That is the issue. The two spares I have look pretty old and degraded with dry rot. The tires on the truck are not that old so the best of the worn ones will go on the rim. They had a hard time finding my tire size though so could only get two for now. The other two are in pretty good shape so not worried about them for now but told the shop to keep an eye out for more. The ones on the back have at least another summer season left in them. ---
**Author:** ![cwatkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@cwatkin](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cwatkin)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 2:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-to-use-steel-or-alloy-rim-for-full-sized-spare-tire/200169/11 "2025-05-08T14:32:30Z")
The truck in question is a 2000 Chevy S10. This was not my daily driver but has basically become this due to my daily being totaled a couple months back by a tornado and hail storm. The hail was big enough to bash in the windshield and break trim. It also bashed the body in quite a bit but the car still ran and drove great. Insurance had it hauled off. I guess a car like this will make a great donor for mechanical parts. The engine and transmission ran as good as new. I plan to replace it but for now will use the truck until I am fully paid out. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 2:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-to-use-steel-or-alloy-rim-for-full-sized-spare-tire/200169/12 "2025-05-08T14:39:27Z")
> [@cwatkin](#): > > They had a hard time finding my tire size Really ? Unless you have some odd ball wheels or the tire shop is just not trying hard enough. ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 2:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-to-use-steel-or-alloy-rim-for-full-sized-spare-tire/200169/13 "2025-05-08T14:58:18Z")
> [@cwatkin](#): > > The ones on the back have at least another summer season left in them. You are moving the tires with less tread to the front, I hope? ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 6:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-to-use-steel-or-alloy-rim-for-full-sized-spare-tire/200169/14 "2025-05-08T18:28:25Z")
> [@cwatkin](#): > > The other two are in pretty good shape so not worried about them for now but told the shop to keep an eye out for more. Did you buy used tires? When additional new tires are needed, we can get them from the tire distributor’s warehouse the next day. How will the tire shop “keep an eye out for more”, shouldn’t they place an order for more? ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 11:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-to-use-steel-or-alloy-rim-for-full-sized-spare-tire/200169/15 "2025-05-08T23:03:18Z")
> [@cwatkin](#): > > They had a hard time finding my tire size What size tire are you needing?? Sounds like you have the S10 Xtreme 235/55R16. ---
**Author:** ![cwatkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@cwatkin](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cwatkin)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 11:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-to-use-steel-or-alloy-rim-for-full-sized-spare-tire/200169/16 "2025-05-08T23:48:46Z")
NO! I went to look at used tires ONCE and never again! The tires they wanted good money for were in worse shape and older than the ones I wanted to replace. They are 205/75/15. I want a heavy ply type which is the reason these are hard to find. They found a substitute size that is close in dimensions. I guess it is a sign your car is out of style when you cannot buy the stock tire size anymore! ---
**Author:** ![cwatkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@cwatkin](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cwatkin)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 11:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-to-use-steel-or-alloy-rim-for-full-sized-spare-tire/200169/17 "2025-05-08T23:49:29Z")
No, the stock S10, not the Z71 or Xtreme. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 12:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-to-use-steel-or-alloy-rim-for-full-sized-spare-tire/200169/18 "2025-05-09T00:19:17Z")
Are you looking for LT205/75R15 . . . ? ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 12:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-to-use-steel-or-alloy-rim-for-full-sized-spare-tire/200169/19 "2025-05-09T00:44:19Z")
> [@cwatkin](#): > > They are 205/75/15. I want a heavy ply type which is the reason these are hard to find. They found a substitute size that is close in dimensions. So, what size tires are the 2 new ones?? P215/70R15?? That is the most common alternative (substitute) size to the stock P205/75R15 tires… Now most of the 205/75R15’s are ST205/75R15 in 6 or 8 ply trailer tires… Are you looking for A/T tires (4wd)?? What 2 tires did they install already?? If you give us more details instead of making us guess, we might be able to help you.. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 3:36am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-to-use-steel-or-alloy-rim-for-full-sized-spare-tire/200169/20 "2025-05-09T03:36:18Z")
There is a very limited selection of all-terrain tires in that size, I would have also chosen a larger tire. I am wondering if you were sold an obsolete or discontinued tire model. They are going to look for two more tires rather than order them? Look for left-over partial sets in another dealer’s warehouse? [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-to-use-steel-or-alloy-rim-for-full-sized-spare-tire/200169.md?page=2)