# Spacesaver spare tire specifics **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 26, 2019, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacesaver-spare-tire-specifics/833080 "2019-04-26T13:00:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2019, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacesaver-spare-tire-specifics/833080/1 "2019-04-26T13:00:56Z")
After spending an extremely annoying evening yesterday scrambling to replace a totally flat tire on my 2017 Prius 3, I decided to buy a donut spare and just keep it in the trunk. My favorite junkyard told me that the replacement part is not available anywhere near me (part #560-75203, 7th and 8th VIN FU, right, totally appropriate). Why would any 5 x 100 spacesaver not work? ---
**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2019, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacesaver-spare-tire-specifics/833080/2 "2019-04-26T13:09:57Z")
I assume the 5 x 100 is the bolt pattern. That said, you’ve also got to take into consideration the tire diameter, the wheel backspacing and the wheel offset. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2019, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacesaver-spare-tire-specifics/833080/3 "2019-04-26T13:12:30Z")
Is there something about the Prius’ regenerative braking that affects wheel specs? ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2019, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacesaver-spare-tire-specifics/833080/4 "2019-04-26T14:09:26Z")
It is the bolt pattern. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2019, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacesaver-spare-tire-specifics/833080/5 "2019-04-26T14:55:43Z")
It’s possible that Toyota has a kit to add a spare tire to your car. I was able to buy a kit for my Fiat 500 which included brackets, the tire, a jack, and a lug wrench. Spent a happy afternoon installing it. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2019, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacesaver-spare-tire-specifics/833080/6 "2019-04-26T15:14:56Z")
I’ve bought tires on rims from a junk yard. ---
**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2019, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacesaver-spare-tire-specifics/833080/7 "2019-04-26T16:56:07Z")
Suggest visiting/contacting Modern Spare ([www.modernspare.com](http://www.modernspare.com)). I don’t see they have wheels/tires for the Prius, but maybe they will in the future. ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2019, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacesaver-spare-tire-specifics/833080/8 "2019-04-26T18:20:23Z")
Yes, you can indeed buy a kit from Toyota, for just over $1,000 not including the actual rubber tire. Not a reasonable price. I did go to the junkyard where I was told about the make/model specificity. This was for the donut spare. I assume the wheels themselves are all the same. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2019, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacesaver-spare-tire-specifics/833080/9 "2019-04-26T18:45:40Z")
> [@dauerbach](#): > > Yes, you can indeed buy a kit from Toyota, for just over $1,000 not including the actual rubber tire. Not a reasonable price. > > I did go to the junkyard where I was told about the make/model specificity. This was for the donut spare. I assume the wheels themselves are all the same. The Mustang rims, as I recall, did not fit the Torino. ---
**Author:** ![busterpickle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@busterpickle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/busterpickle)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2019, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacesaver-spare-tire-specifics/833080/10 "2019-04-27T02:39:05Z")
Wow. $1000 for a spare tire kit, sans tire? Any ways, and what I recommend for the “family” vehicle is to buy some run flat tires. They do cost slightly more but less than a tow, they’ll protect the rims, and you can probably make it to a place to fix them (maybe). Also, you won’t have to wait for the tow. For a longer commute or a road trip, and this is from experience, carry a full size spare. Craigslist is a great place for this and it doesn’t need to be the same brand tire, just the same size/ratio/width and tread.