Suitable substitute for T185/55R18 space saver spare tire

[Allan Hastings]

Having trouble sourcing a replacement for my 2011 Mustang GT spare tire. The tread on the original separated from the carcass while it was in the trunk! Only hit the ground once since new when it made a short trip to the tire shop some time back to fix a flat. Can't find a replacement at tire stores or any place else except used models on eBay that are nearly as old as the tire that failed on me! Replacement has to fit not only on both front and back axles but in the trunk well, too.

 

[AHaze]

215s are the narrowest standard 18" tire I know of. A 215/45 is slightly shorter than your original spare and a 215/50 is slightly taller. Neither will fit the wheel you have very well. I would source a cheap 18x7 aftermarket wheel that clears the brake calipers. If you have the Brembos, that could be a bit of a challenge.

 

[Autokyrios]

IDK how big a spare the wheel well will hold. I'm guessing an average 16-18in rim and tire. I had 17's stock and still have my donut but don't use it anymore (spare for the new wheels definitely doesn't fit, lol).
LMR has a "spare tire kit" in the 2015 Mustang space that's an 18x5. They have it listed for that model year range but I'm not sure why it wouldn't fit some earlier vehicles (might have to chat with them).
Depending on how big your road wheels are, can you get another of those to fit in the back? That would be most ideal. Or search on a tire place like Tire Rack or whatever for a 5-8inch wide rim and tire?
To be honest, I just keep a can of puncture fix a flat stuff, a small puncture kit and a compact pump in a bag when I'm out away from home. My logic is that if that doesn't solve the problem, then I probably have had a much worse problem. I mean, if I blow out a tire going down the highway, I'm probably not going to make a calm pull over to a tire changing spot.

 

[JC SSP]

I personally use full size spare tires.

If you want the mini spare then hunt your local junk yard or offer up, Craigslist, FB market place etc.

Or you can buy new for $350+

High-Quality Spare for Your Vehicle - EZ Spare Wheel

Need a spare tire for your vehicle? EZ Spare Wheel is the ultimate solution for dealing with a flat tire when you don't have a spare. Shop now!

ezsparewheel.com

 

[GlassTop09]

I personally use full size spare tires.

If you want the mini spare then hunt your local junk yard or offer up, Craigslist, FB market place etc.

Or you can buy new for $350+

High-Quality Spare for Your Vehicle - EZ Spare Wheel

Need a spare tire for your vehicle? EZ Spare Wheel is the ultimate solution for dealing with a flat tire when you don't have a spare. Shop now!

ezsparewheel.com

........This right here.

I did this myself after I installed my Power Stop 07-09 OEM GT500 replacement front 4-piston "Brembo" brake upgrade kit some time ago as I knew this negated my OEM 09 GT's 17" x 5" spare tire (won't fit over the front Brembo brake calipers).

Went on the Parts Farm web site & found an unblemished OEM 07-09 GT500 18" x 5" spare wheel\tire (didn't even know these were made\offered by Ford..........most I saw were the OEM 07-09 GT500 12v air compressor\fix-a-flat slime packages--Parts Farm even had a couple complete sets of these as well at the time) that would fit inside of the spare tire well in trunk & fit over the front Brembo brake calipers so I bought the wheel for $118.95 + tax\shipping & when it got here I took it to Discount Tire & got a new spare tire for it that matched the dia of my Continentals @ 26.1" dia (tire that came w\ the wheel was too tall) so it won't freak out the ABS & mess w\ my Eaton Detroit Tru-Trac diff.

The issue w\ using a full-size wheel\tire as a spare is it has to be no larger than 27" dia (OEM tire dia size) to fit fully inside of the trunk spare tire well on the 05-09 S197's..............don't know if these were opened up on the 2nd Gen S197's (10-14 MY) to accept a larger spare than 27" dia & from the OP's posting I assume this is his main issue as his running tires are larger than 27" dia.........educated guess here.