# Why are a lot of spare tire wheels yellow?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-a-lot-of-spare-tire-wheels-yellow/913320>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 27, 2020, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-a-lot-of-spare-tire-wheels-yellow/913320 "2020-06-27T01:46:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2020, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-a-lot-of-spare-tire-wheels-yellow/913320/21 "2020-07-02T16:19:38Z")

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> [@kayaker](#):
>
> I recently saw a car that looked just plain weird. On closer inspection, the car had four donut spares. Is that a thing?

I was gonna say I saw a car with two donuts on the rear but you got me beat. Now, I’m wondering where did he get four of them. Borrowed from the neighbors? Bought at a donut shop?

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**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:** [July 2, 2020, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-a-lot-of-spare-tire-wheels-yellow/913320/22 "2020-07-02T16:23:14Z")

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The car looked like one you’d pay $100 for, then have to jumpstart it to drive home.

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**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2020, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-a-lot-of-spare-tire-wheels-yellow/913320/23 "2020-07-02T16:29:01Z")

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Ah. Bought at a scrapyard and it arrived with four good tires worth more than the rest of the car put together. Plenty of donuts in the yard so, voila, a really cheap beater.

With sawdust in the tranny.

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**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2020, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-a-lot-of-spare-tire-wheels-yellow/913320/24 "2020-07-03T18:00:41Z")

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I’m sure this is right. As for me, I am hypersensitive to any strange noises coming from my car when I drive. The compact spare makes a funny humming / whining noise when I drive on it (as I remember from a recent blow-out incident with a fully loaded car). Perhaps it’s yet another reminder you need to fix the original tire ASAP.

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**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2020, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-a-lot-of-spare-tire-wheels-yellow/913320/25 "2020-07-03T18:37:43Z")

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Until I read this thread, I didn’t even know some manufacturers used a different bright colour for the wheel on the mini-spare tire. Further, I have yet to notice an odd coloured spare on any car that I’ve seen using one at the time.

(And I’m a car guy too)

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