I love the Sienna AWD, but hate the run flats. Barely 30k miles and almost no tread, and I don't trust the things for out of town trips. I need snow tires but don't want any more run flats. Finding decent tires to fit is not a problem, but I can't locate a temporary spare. I do not really want a spare at all in the back, but if I must a temp would be much easier to move around. Can I order these from Toyota?
thanks
Hal
snipped-for-privacy@nospam.com wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
A local wreckers will have scads of these, most brand-new, and available very cheap.
Toyota dealers sell a kit to mount a temporary spare for the Sienna.
I believe you should be careful in your choice of a temporary spare to use with the Sienna AWD system. The difference in the circumference of a temporary spare tire compared to the other tires may cause false activation of the AWD system, trouble with the stability control, problems with the tire pressure monitoring system, and might lead to handling or durability problems. I have an AWD Saturn Vue and it has a temporary spare that has the same circumference as the standard tires. However, as a result it requires a relatively large storage space.
The Sienna's P225/60R17 tires have a 27.63" diameter (86.6" circumference). To match this, you are going to need to find a temporary tire like a T150/90R17 or T135/90R18. Unfortunately, I can't find one that size. My Vue (AWD) uses a T155/90R-16 spare. This has a diameter of around 17" - still too small in my opinion. And even if you could find a temporary spare of the correct dimensions, what are the chances it would be mounted on a wheel that is compatible with your Sienna's bolt pattern and brake size? It seems like the best idea is to just get a full size spare - or not worry about a spare at all. When was the last time you actually needed a spare? I have not mounted a spare in anger in at least 9 years.
Ed
But isn't the "temporary spare" a full size tire in this case?
Ed
It will be much easier to just get another standard rim that fits your car, and a matching standard tire for the spare, fasten it down in the back, and put it in 5-tire rotation with the other standard tires on your car.
And use the same size snow tires, so the standard spare can sub for an hour till you get the flat snow tire fixed or replaced.
With the AWD you have to use the same rolling diameter tires all around (within an inch or two) and that will be tough to match with a temporary spare - you would have to let the temporary spare size dictate the regular tire size, and that's bas-ackward.
And what, you save two or three pounds between carrying a temporary spare and rim and a regular one - not enough to worry about.
Run-flats are a great idea, no heavy spare to cart around - until you have one of those "great" tires come totally apart on you 100 miles from anywhere, and you have no spare. (And ALL tires can throw their tread or otherwise blow beyond saving, or even driving on at 5 MPH.) Then you'll have plenty of time to sit and think up lots of lovely curse words for the brilliant engineer who thought THAT one up...
Give me a spare tire every time - with air in it, and a jack and lug wrench that works, too, while you are at it. I've been bitten by Murphy's Law many times, and I have learned not to taunt fate...
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I don't know. Toyota's web site lists a dealer-installed temporary spare as an option on AWD models but doesn't specify temporary spare size.
My understanding is that the run flats cost $500 per tire to replace. $2000 for 4 tires? They got to be nuts.
BUT IF you don't have a spare, you will definitely need one. That is how life works.
A few weeks back I pulled the spare out from under my '92 F150. It was the original Firestone that came with the truck. It had zero air in the tire, so even if I had needed it, it wouldn't have helped. I usually check the pressure in my "temporarey spares about twice a year. They are always low. Instead of worrying about the spare, I carry a small, cheap 12V compressor in my cars. If a tire starts to go flat, pumping it up with the compressor is usually enough to get me to a place I can get the tire fixed.
Ed
I keep a $20 compressor too and have used it several times but they only work on slow leaks. They may or may not work on a truely empty spare.
Whats the problem with runflats Hal? Cost of replacement, or the mileage?
30k miles for an AWD seems pretty good to me...David
Only 30K? It has been years since I got less than 30K from a set of tires. I just replaced the OE Bridgestones that came on my AWD Vue at around 37,000. The tires had decent tread left, but one had a puncture. The cost of repairing the tire, plus a routine rotate and balance pushed me in to a new set of tires (I found a good deal on the weird size the Vue uses). Even the "performance" tires on my old Mustang easily made it past 34K miles (and again, I replaced them becasue of a puncture, not a lack of tread, on tread depth alone, I am sure they would have made it to 40,000). Tires just seem to last forever these days - or at least the tread. Lately I repace them for other reason (punctures, inability to keep balanced, broken belts).
Wheel: Sport Edition F2
17X7.5 PRICE: $88Total :$143.00
Cost of replacement and reliability. I live in a rural area and don't trust them. Heard too many reports of sidewall blowouts or large embedded objects which make the tire unusable and resulted in a stranded vehicle. Give me a good old fashioned spare any day.
not really.
Hal
They don't. Have a bad leak and you'll be lucky to get a quater mile.
Driving around without a spare is just not an option in my book.
wish I never bought the Sienna, simply for the crappy tires, in case anyone from Toyota happens to follow this group.
Hal
if you are an Illinois resident and have a Sienna with run flats please contact me we are looking at filing case parallel to a NY one to try to get relief for Sienna owners thanks
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snipped-for-privacy@nospam.com wrote:
"" wrote: > I love the Sienna AWD, but hate the run flats. Barely 30k > miles and > almost no tread, and I don't trust the things for out of town > trips. > I need snow tires but don't want any more run flats. Finding > decent > tires to fit is not a problem, but I can't locate a temporary > spare. > I do not really want a spare at all in the back, but if I must > a temp > would be much easier to move around. Can I order these from > Toyota? > > thanks > > Hal
An optional spare and cover are available at any toyota dealer. The spare fits in the well behind the left rear seat, a cover for it is available, but the left rear seat would no longer be able to fold down flat. Thats the drawback. The set costs about $400-$425.
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