Tyre for a full-size spare wheel

grumbler

My recent car came without a spare wheel, and I am DIYing it.
I have already ordered a rim.

As the direction of rotation depends on what side of the car the spare is fitted to, do I have to look for some special sort of a tyre? Some tyres are grossly asymmetrical.

Also, would a 'Run Flat' tyre be OK, not far more heavy than a normal one? I am looking at this part-worn one on ebay, and the thread seems to be very symmetric:

daveyjp

There are plenty of tyre choices out there. For a spare simply avoid directional tyres.

s_b

i wouldnt buy a part worn run flat
you dont say make and model of car but if buying a standard rim for the same model as yours and you intend keeping car a while just buy a new cheapest new as a it wont be rotational usually and b its fairly guaranteed to still have air in it when most needed

grumbler

daveyjp wrote: »

For a spare simply avoid directional tyres.

That's the term I was asking about. Are they normally marked as 'directional' on the websites (I know, they possibly are on the side) or it's just a matter of common sense?

s_b wrote: »

i wouldnt buy a part worn run flat
you dont say make and model of car but if buying a standard rim for the same model as yours and you intend keeping car a while just buy a new cheapest new as a it wont be rotational usually and b its fairly guaranteed to still have air in it when most needed

It's 16" 195/55 6J.
Yes, I see some new 'Sunny' and 'Goodride' for £33. Will think about it.

s_b

grumbler wrote: »

That's the term I was asking about. Do they normally marked as 'directional' on the websites (I know, they possibly are on the side) or it's just a matte of common sense?

we fit our own tyres here and sometimes its very hard to see the directional arrow so if ordering online make it a condition of purchase that tyre non directional,the cheaper brands just usually say outside on oneside

force_ten

I used to run eagle NCT 5 on my car and from what i remember is they are a symmetric tyre so a correctly mounted tyre can be fitted in any position on the car

it may have an inside outside indication but i am pretty sure it does not have a rotation arrow

jk0

Would it even matter for a spare, as long as you put the normal one back fairly soon?

AdrianC

s_b wrote: »

we fit our own tyres here and sometimes its very hard to see the directional arrow so if ordering online make it a condition of purchase that tyre non directional,the cheaper brands just usually say outside on oneside

If the tyre says "outside", then it's assymetrical rather than directional. Tyres which are both assymetrical AND directional are all but unheard of, since there would have to be two different stock items for each size.

Iceweasel

I don't get this - what's the problem in having an asymmetric spare?

I'd just get a tyre to match the original 4 already on the car.

AdrianC

Iceweasel wrote: »

I don't get this - what's the problem in having an asymmetric spare?

There isn't one. Unless you happen to get directional and assymetric mixed up.

Outside on tyre is always outside on wheel, whichever side of the car it is...