Every vehicle comes off of the showroom floor with five tires; four are on the vehicle, and the fifth is the spare tire. The spare tire is most often called a donut because of the small size, but it is a functioning tire capable of supporting your vehicle when properly inflated. However, donut tires are not made for continuous use. They will begin to break down and get damaged with repetitive use. You have multiple replacement options for damaged or old spare donut tires.
Identify the size of your spare tire. The sizing is imprinted on the sidewall. If your spare tire has been misplaced or the information on the tire is illegible, consult your owner's manual. Under the section for changing the spare tire will be the size information. The information may also be printed on your door frame with your recommended tire sizes.
Contact your dealer. Your local auto dealer can order a stock replacement that will be an exact size and material fit to your vehicle. This method of replacement is the most costly as original equipment parts direct from the dealer are certified for your vehicle and therefore more expensive.
Consult your local tire shop. Purchasing specialty tires like donuts is difficult to do online. The best resource are tire manufacturer catalogs, which contain both manufacturer's suggested retail price and bulk pricing and are usually not published publicly. The tire shop will be able to locate an inexpensive, same-size replacement for you and have it ordered.
Visit local salvage yards. Most salvage yards will stockpile spare tires from the various wrecks that they collect. This method is definitely the cheapest option for a direct replacement of your stock spare tire.
Replace the tire with a full-size spare. You can purchase a cheap tire or recycle an old tire from the next time you purchase new tires and place that tire onto a cheap rim. You can pick up new rims at any tire shop or quality used rims at salvage yards. Typically, this will cost in the range of $30 to $50 and provides you with a full-size tire. The downside is that you lose some storage space in your trunk.
