My passenger-side rear tire went flat this afternoon after a piece of metal got stuck in the sidewall. After I got the tire off, it fit perfectly into the trunk for those of you who may have been wondering.

I put on the Mazda spare tire myself. I thought I was going to have a sunstroke getting the car jacked and stock tire off in the afternoon heat.

A few questions:

Is it my imagination or is there a rule about not putting the spare tire on the front or rear axle?

Should I switch DSC off while the spare is on?

I called a local tire store that has the 18" Potenzas in stock. The price they quoted me for tire and installation was about $400. Does that seem expensive?

Is there a less expensive, similar tire that would be safe to install on just the right rear, without compromising the safety or performance of the car?

Any other considerations or suggestions would be appreciated!

 

That price is outrageous. I would say somewhere between 250-300 WITH installation. If you have some time to look and call around you could probably find it for cheaper. How many miles does your car have? If its a decent amount you may want to check the tread on the tire on the other side. If the tread is significantly lower than a new tire you should probably replace the set.

 

General rule of thumb is put the donut on a hub that isn't powered. So if its Front Drive put it in the back, and if its RWD put it in the front. If it's a full size spare ignore that.

Sorry to hear about the sidewall puncture, makes a $200 tire instant junk.

 

that suck when them tires go. ....paid just over 425.00 for two potenza 265-R35-18s. had firestone order them. fits my 9.5x18 rear..,mounting included, he he, I like the tread look

 

where did you go? try NTB or even call your mazda dealer. My mazda dealer installed my winters, all 4 for 80 bucks -maybe buy the tire yourself, and have your dealer install it-

 

P.S. It is absolutely worth road hazard warranty on these tires.

 

Page 7-4 or the Owners Manual: “Driving with a temporary spare tire on ice and snow: …Put the spare tire on the front axle and move a regular tire to the rear.”

No mention of dry driving condititions, but as Qball says, best to put it on the front anyway.

 

you can always just call the roadside assistance for a flat can't you? or is that a waste if you have a spare?
i was just wondering about places like Firestone or STS, would everybody trust them to be able to properly install the tires on the stock rims with the air pressure system and all? I'm wondering what I should do when winter gets closer and I want to put different tires on mine. I bought tires and had them installed by my local Firestone store and they did a good job about it, but those didn't have any special requirements like a tire pressure system. advice?

 

400 installed, thats outrageous. One of my retail stores here sells that tire for 240 installed. I used to sell them online for 240 shipped. 400 is just crazy.

I just called another tire store here in town and they quoted me 265 installed.

 

Screw paying that for the Potenza, maybe check into these... $154 each

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....omCompare1=yes

 

The cheapest tire i have ever seen in the OE size is the Matercraft ZHP for 110 ea. I bought one to check it out and then mounted it on a spare wheel so i can have a spare. The tire looks good, havent ever used it, but mastercraft makes good tires for daily driving.

 

THANKS...you just found my replacement tire when the time comes!!! THANKS!!!!

 

Isn't that the truth. A few weeks after I got mine I hit an extended curb pretty hard...I thought my front end fell off. But I checked, my wheels were scuffed pretty bad and the tires on my right side had deep gouges (but no air loss). Mazda replaced them no fuss no muss because I had that TireCare warranty, and two Potenza's later I'd already made up the $550 the warranty cost. Everything for the next two years is gravy now.