What is the purpose of a spare tire if it is always replaced by another one when it is time to use it?

Question

Is it a false pretense?

Answer 1

It's a habit.  Now that we can get quick-and-easy roadside service in the vast majority of areas where people live, the spare isn't as important as it used to be.  But back in the day when the car owner had to look to himself for a lot of the work that got done on his car, and tires weren't as sturdy as they are now, and NO ONE HAD CELL PHONES, the driver might suddenly find himself on the side of the road with a flat.  And it might be quite a distance before he could get to a repair station, or quite a long time before anyone might come along to give assistance.

The spare still gets you on your way quickly, without having to wait for assistance.  If you're one of those people who look at a lug wrench in frank wonder not knowing which end is which, then the spare is not for you.  For everyone else, the spare is extra assurance that the trust you've placed in the vehicle, that it can get you far away from home, people, etc and still bring you back safely, has not been misplaced.

Answer 2

A spare tire is used to get your from your breakdown position to a safe location. The tire is not made to go over a certain speed limit or rough terrain. Therefore its purpose is if you were to bust a tire in the middle of nowhere you just snap that puppy on to get home and get a regular one.

Answer 3

a spare tire is a cheaper temporary tire mounted on a basic wheel with an emphasis on cost effectiveness, storage, and weight. if car manufacturers included a fifth wheel that was the same size as the rest of your wheels there would be several disadvantages. first of course would be cost.  including a full-size tire on a matching rim would cause costs to sky-rocket. portability and weight kind of go hand-in-hand. yeah you have to take it back off, but it's lighter so it's easier to change. it's also less weight to lug around which is less strain on the car. a smaller spare is also easier to tuck away especially in smaller cars.

Answer 4

If you get a flat tire  you need to put the spare one on to be able to drive to the shop to get a new tire.

Answer 5

I'm not sure what you're asking.  A spare tire is meant to get you going again when a tire goes flat or something else goes wrong with one of them.  If you're referring to a mini-spare tire, those are the norm these days as they take up less space and weigh much less compared to a full size spare tire and rim.  They are not designed to be full replacement tires though.  They are only designed to get you going again so you can drive to a nearby dealer or service facility and repair/replace the original tire and/or rim.