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Old Jan 5, 2017 | 01:59 PM
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Default Spare Tire/Wheel

Maybe a silly question, and I could be probably answer it myself eventually, but would then need to wait until spring until the car comes out of hibernation:
Is the spare tire and wheel on a 1969 the same size as the stock main wheel and tire?
I'm running Goodyear Eagle GTs on all four corners, 70R15's, mounted on stock steel wheels.
My car was missing the spare (as well as the jack) when I bought it, and was considering replacing them both.
Not that I have too much concern about getting a flat, but also because I can't seem to get the spare carrier tightened enough to not rattle when empty.
I'm probably going to need at least 2 new tires in the spring, so was thinking of buying a 5th steel wheel and mounting one of the old tires to it as a spare.
Want to make sure that would be an OK fit in the existing carrier.
Is the rim width different for the spare? (6" vs. 8"?)

Last edited by Bergerboy; Jan 5, 2017 at 02:04 PM.
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Old Jan 5, 2017 | 02:05 PM
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Originally Posted by Bergerboy
...Is the spare tire and wheel on a 1969 the same size as the stock main wheel and tire?...
Yes, provided the car is stock. 69s shipped with five 15 x 8 AZ rally wheels and five tires of the same size and model. The space saver spare did not come along until 78.
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Old Jan 6, 2017 | 01:07 AM
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I recently looked at the spare on my '73. Scary. It holds air, but the side walls are cracked and I would be afraid to roll it down the road. I'm going to match the spare with the same size tires I'm running on all four corners now and replace the steel wheel with a light weight 15" aluminum wheel matching what I'll be mounting on my car for some additional weight savings. I also plan to replace the scissors jack with a compact hydraulic that will mount in the original location. Just a thought.
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Old Jan 6, 2017 | 01:06 PM
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Depending on the width of your tires, it should fit in the tub. The '69 car had F7015's on it; that would be the equivalent of a 215 width radial tire. For larger widths, the outer diameter of the tire will increase. I suspect that 235R70-15 will still fit in the tub...wider tires may not.

I believe that you will need to adjust the two front tub hanger bolts lower to get the wider tire into the tub.

P.S. I have the original spare tire in my tub; it only has about 5-10 psi in it so that it maintains its shape. No way would I ever put it on the ground and drive with it. That's what Hagerty Insurance and the cell phone are for.

Last edited by 7T1vette; Jan 6, 2017 at 01:08 PM.
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Old Jan 6, 2017 | 03:03 PM
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I have the original tire and wheel on my 69. It's not in horrible looking shape. I aired it up 10 years ago, and it's still holding air, about 3 or 4 lbs less, but holding it.
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Old Jan 7, 2017 | 01:26 AM
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I drive some mountain and canyon roads in the Sierra Nevada's where there is "no service". You know those roads where Murphy's law rules and there is soft banjo music echoing in the background.
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Old Jan 7, 2017 | 11:43 AM
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Where you will be driving is certainly important. No doubt you would want a good spare...and a working jack...and some kind of jack-plate (don't know what kind of soil/gravel you will be in)...and water, tools, spare ignition module (if electronic ignition)....yada, yada...

There's more than just a spare tire you need to be concerned about if you are driving in an area where no one can help you.
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Old Jan 7, 2017 | 01:31 PM
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As others have said your car did come with a full size spare, the same size as came on the other wheels. By all means do try one of the tires from your car in the spare tire carrier to see if they will fit.

When I bought my '73 it came with the spare missing. I bought 2 different, new, 225/70-15's and could not get either of them to fit in the spare tire carrier. Since I had 255/60-15 Goodyear Gatorbacks on it, I ended up buying a 225/60-15 Gatorback to use as a spare. (235's were no longer available at that time.)

Good luck... GUSTO
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Old Jan 8, 2017 | 09:01 PM
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FYI:

If you are not concerned about originality there are compact ( mini ) floor jacks on the internet that will fit in the Jack compartment and are much more stable than scissor or floor jacks.

Last edited by doorgunner; Jan 8, 2017 at 09:02 PM.
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