A donut tire will provide you with peace of mind when driving, and you won’t have to sacrifice much of the space in your trunk.
It does have its limits that you should be aware of, and we’ve detailed the most important things you need to know about them below.
What Is A Donut Tire?
A donut tire is a spare tire that’s smaller than a regular tire, so it fits in your trunk, and it’s meant as a replacement for emergencies, such as when you get a flat tire. Additionally, a donut tire is only a temporary tire designed to be used for 50 miles (about 80 km) until you can get a proper spare tire fitted.
For more information on donut tires, including sizes, how to get the most out of them, and more, keep reading!
What Is A Donut Tire Rated For?
A donut tire should be used for 50 miles (about 80 km) total, 70 miles (about 113 km) if you absolutely have to stretch it.
When using a donut tire, you shouldn’t drive faster than 50 mph.
What Is A Donut Tire Made Of?
Donut tires are made from a hard rubber-like material as opposed to softer rubber which is why they ride a lot rougher than regular tires.
What Size Is A Donut Tire?
Donut tires differ in sizes, but they usually come in diameters of between 21.4 to 31.7 inches (about 54 to 81 cm) and widths of between 4.8 and 6.9 inches (about 12 to 17.5 cm).
What Does A Donut Tire Look Like?
A donut tire is smaller than a regular tire, especially in the tread width, and it comes with the wheel attached, so it’s easier to replace a flat tire.
Their rims don’t match the ones on the other tires, and they usually forego the normal rim colors (silver, chrome, etc.) for colors like blue, yellow, and black.
What Is The Difference Between A Donut Tire And A Full Size Spare Tire?
A full-size spare tire looks exactly like the regular tires on your car, so you can use them normally after swapping out the damaged one.
As described above, a donut tire is much smaller than the regular tires, both in terms of diameter and tread width, and it’s only meant to get you to your next full-size tire.
Are Donut Tires All The Same?
Donut tires are unique, and you shouldn’t try to use one on a car unless it came bundled with it, even if the vehicle is from the same manufacturer.
Donut tires are usually made specifically to fit the car they come in, and trying to fit one onto a different model could damage it if it even fits at all.
What Is The PSI For A Donut Tire?
A standard donut tire’s pressure should be about 60 PSI, but you should consult your owner’s manual.
Are Donut Tires Good?
If you’re using them in the situation they’re made for, then they’re good on the vehicle they came with, for up to 50 miles and at a top speed of 50 mph.
Can A Regular Tire Fit On A Donut Rim?
We’ve established that a donut tire is noticeably smaller than a regular tire, and this extends to its rim.
You can’t fit a regular tire on a donut rim because it would be too wide, both on its tread and its diameter.
Can A Donut Tire Go Flat?
A donut tire can go flat if it loses pressure, and you should always tell your mechanic to inspect it when doing maintenance on your car to make sure it’s still functional, so it’s useful when you need it.
Can You Reuse A Donut Tire?
A donut tire should only be used once, and the 50 to 70-mile figure quoted above is the total mileage you should expect to get from it.
After the first time you use it, you should unmount it and fit a full-size replacement tire, then immediately look into getting a new donut tire as well.
Can You Drive 100 Miles On A Donut?
You shouldn’t try to get this much mileage out of a donut tire because they weren’t made to go for that long, and they’re likely to fail after the first 70 miles.
What Happens If You Drive On A Donut Too Long?
A donut tire is meant to get you from where you got a flat tire to the shop, and if you try to extend its use, apart from the tire itself failing as described above, it could potentially cause damage to other parts of your car.
Its smaller size means your car will have to use extra force to operate, and this places increased strain on components such as the bearings, brakes, drivetrain, and more.
If you’re worried about the cost of a full-size tire, you should consider the cost of these components and just bite the bullet.
To know more about tires, you can also read our posts on whether or not donut tires fit all cars, which tires wear faster, and if you can replace run-flat tires with regular tires.
Conclusion
Donut tires are a compact form of spare tire that provides a better option for saving space in the trunk over full-size spares.
These tires are much smaller, and their treads are thinner, so a full-size tire can’t be fitted onto its rim and vice versa.
They’re rated for 50 miles at no more than 50 miles per hour, and any more than that means you’re potentially putting yourself in danger.
You also shouldn’t reuse a donut tire after the first go; you have to drive it immediately to a shop or wherever you choose to install a replacement full-size tire.
They’re made from a hard substance that feels more like plastic than rubber, but they can still get flat if their pressure goes below the recommended 60 PSI.
If a donut tire didn’t come with a certain vehicle, you shouldn’t try to fit it on there. Donut tires are built specifically for the exact model they’re packaged with, so they don’t work across vehicles, even when they’re from the same manufacturer.