Got key for spare tire lock

[James Morse]

Not sure forum this goes so move it if you want.

Could not get key from Mazda/Ford because out of production now. Went to lock smith that made my spare ignition keys they know what they are doing, and they had -one- blank left (those long keys) and the code is right on the lock and they cut one $20 and freed up the lock which probably as they said was never used since it left the dealer. Anyway, cool beans on that. He advised lubing the arrangement that lowers the tire and I think that is an excellent idea to do before I actually have to use it, if ever.

 

[sgtsandman]

If you don’t do 5 tire rotations, I would at least lower the spare in the Spring and the Fall to look at it and the wheel condition and check the tire pressure. Lube the lowering mechanism and make sure the cable has some grease on it. Otherwise, you could end up on the side of the road with a spare you can’t lower or find out something is wrong with it that makes it useless.

Better to check it when you don’t need it and the weather is nice instead of on a cold, rainy weekend night and be stuck.

 

[James Morse]

That's for sure truer words never spoken, thanks sgt. I will do those things!
Not sure what is 5 tire rotations, are you saying swap front/rear but use the spare as well? Just a bit confused there because I think the spare is steel wheel and the other 4 are alloys. I might be wrong there but kind doubt they would have put alloy for spare... I'll find out soon.

 

[Blmpkn]

That's for sure truer words never spoken, thanks sgt. I will do those things!
Not sure what is 5 tire rotations, are you saying swap front/rear but use the spare as well? Just a bit confused there because I think the spare is steel wheel and the other 4 are alloys. I might be wrong there but kind doubt they would have put alloy for spare... I'll find out soon.

Correct. When you rotate tires you shuffle the one under the truck around with the rest of them.

 

[James Morse]

So you are saying that I would be driving with 3 alloys and one steel wheel, which would look like, I just had a flat? I'm not arguing with you, I'm just saying that seems kind of odd...
My spare looks brand new (ok, dirty), it's probably never been out of there. Yes I have to check make sure it has pressure.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

So you are saying that I would be driving with 3 alloys and one steel wheel, which would look like, I just had a flat? I'm not arguing with you, I'm just saying that seems kind of odd...
My spare looks brand new (ok, dirty), it's probably never been out of there. Yes I have to check make sure it has pressure.

Most people that do 5 tire rotations get a rim to match the rest and buy 5 new tires at a time so everything matches

 

[James Morse]

AHH. So the result is 25% longer time between tires, I'd guess. Plus it evens out the wear so you don't end up getting 2, then another 2, etc. Yeah I would have to find a matching alloy but they probably are out there.
When you do the rotation, then instead of front/back rotation what's the routine?

 

[Blmpkn]

AHH. So the result is 25% longer time between tires, I'd guess. Plus it evens out the wear so you don't end up getting 2, then another 2, etc. Yeah I would have to find a matching alloy but they probably are out there.
When you do the rotation, then instead of front/back rotation what's the routine?

Even a regular 4 tire rotation ensures you buy 4 tires at a time, that's the point lol.

As for rotation "direction".. if the tread pattern is directional you go front to back, if they aren't directional you go diagonal.

 

[sgtsandman]

The rest of the responses pretty much covered it. For most vehicles, 4 tire rotations are perfectly fine. The differentials are open, so a mismatched spare that is not worn or worn a lot less isn’t a big deal.

5 tire rotations spread out the wear and make the set last longer. It is also important for people who have vehicles with limited slip differentials or locking differentials. More for limited slip differentials though. Uneven tire wear creates uneven tire rotation while driving down the road which can cause the limited slip clutch plates to engage, generating heat and clutch wear.

There is debate on what pattern is best for non-directional tires but most agree that some sort of rotation is better than none. I cross the rear tires when moving them to the front. Others say it should be opposite.

Like mentioned above, directional tires just get moved front to rear and rear to front on the same side so that the tread wear stays even. Since the front tires tilt when you turn, the edges of the tires wear faster than the centers. Moving them to the back where there is no tilt flattens them out. Unidirectional tires are also not 5 tire rotation friendly since they are designed to rotate in only one direction for best tread performance.

5 tire rotations incorporate the spare into the rotation. The spare goes on the right rear. The right, rear goes to the left, front. The left, front goes to the left, rear. The left, rear goes to the right, front. And the right, front becomes the spare.

What system you decide to go with is up to you if you have open differentials. Just make sure you rotate the tires to get the most life out of them. The side benefit is that it will lower tire costs over time. Though buying a set of tires is always a big lump of money all at once regardless. It will just happen less often.