AWD and Spare tires. . .

[tris91ricer]

So, due to a rally-type injury the Saturday before christmas, I had to ride on my spare, which, thankfully, fit on my rear wheels, despite my big WRX brakes. (yes, it CAN be done, olivia!)

My question, however, is in relation to our AWD system -- just how long is TOO long, for one to ride on a spare tire, or tire/wheel combo that's not the same all the way around? I understand the inequities would place a pretty hard go on the center diff, probably causing damage. Does anyone have any idea how long or to what degree the center diff can be damaged by riding a wrong wheel/tire set?

[ericem]

I would not attempt to do it for more then 10km, over 50km/h. If it is a LSD, as you said, in the rear, you are not suppost to drive around with a spare in the rear or where ever ur LSD diff is, your suppost to swap the front tires to the rear, and put the spare in the front. Good luck.

[Legacy777]

I have contemplated just this issue, however I don't have an answer.

My solution or make shift remedy was to get a WRX spare tire which is closer to my tire size. It will fit over the front WRX calipers and rear LGT calipers. But I would run it on the front since I have LSD in the rear.

BTW, the WRX spare fits in our spare tire well just fine.

[tris91ricer]

See, but I still don't have a 16" replacement/backup wheel yet. I left the tire on the rear, since the spare fit over the back brakes. I never did try to fit the 14 on the front, though, considering the monsterous size of the calipers, in comparison to stock.

In my specific case, I drove no freeway miles, and was probably driving rather sedately to and from work, under 50mph. That spare scared me --I could hear it rubbing as i went down the road!

In any case, I've got some decent snow tires on, and I'm ready to goto the Mountain!

[92ss satinsvoice]

i would fix the flat or buy a new tire and stop riding the spar. its not good to drive anycar with diffrent tires on it. thats a fix it asap thing.

[206er]

FWIW 02-04 wrx rears are the same as NA legacy its just the fronts that are a lot bigger

[DLC]

That makes me think...

I have an LSD, but my spare won't possibly ever fit over my front Legacy GT Turbo brakes...so I can't use it on the front or back. Guess I'll need to get an LGT spare...or maybe one from an 04 STI.

[jnorion]

I'm going to semi-jack this... how would running chains affect things? I have to drive over a mountain pass every month or so, and so far I haven't needed chains but if I did it would be for maybe 20 miles of mountain driving and that's it. I can't justify snow tires because where I live there is no snow and I would wear through them needlessly. I have two sets of chains from other cars but they're not the same (one cable set and one flat diamond chain set) and I can't really afford two new sets right now.

How bad would it be to A) use chains on just the front wheels for 20 miles at maybe 40mph, or B) use different chains on front and back which almost certainly have slightly different rolling diameters? We're talking a difference of maybe half an inch or less but it's there.

[isotopeman]

Wouldn't the snow be more fogiving than pavement? I can't see the snow withstanding the torque difference enough to put pressure on the differential. Keep in mind that I'm coming from a place where it seldom snows.
When are you guys in CO going to let some make it down here?