Replacing Temporary Spare

[pcmos]

I recently got a flat on my 2000 LeSabre with 16" wheels. Of course I had to install the junk temporary spare as I didn't have an extra 225 60 16 mounted on a rim. Unfortunately I was dead set on installing V rated Bridgestone Turanzas on my new rims, as a result I had to wait a week for the tires to be ordered. Throughout the week I drove very cautiously below 50mph on surface streets with the temporary inflated to exactly 60psi. About three days after I installed the temp I was cruising at about 45mph on a surface street when all of a sudden my front end started shaking violently. Of course I started easing off the road immediately but before I could come to a full stop my spare had blown out. To make a long story short, the spare tire and rim were both destroyed, aparently the temporary tire fails so violently that it leaves the metal rim completely exposed. Since I have to replace my spare I am thinking about trying to work some sort of non-temporary wheel and tire combination into the spare well in the trunk. Can anyone think of a reason why I shouldn't buy a really cheap 15" steel rim and low profile 15" standard tire? The temporary spare is significantly smaller in both diameter and width than the stock 16" tire anyway. I can't imagine why it wouldn't be better to have a real tire and wheel and not some pathetic donut. This setup would still function only as a temporary measure for obvious reasons, but I'm thinking it should be safer and more reliable than the donut. The only significant difference would be width, the temporary is an ultra slim tire and I would probably switch to a typical 15 x 6 rim and super low profile tire. This would hopefully provide me with something that won't blow out after 10 miles of slow driving. I'm not really concerned with how it fits in the trunk, my question centers more on the technical issue of using a smaller standard wheel and tire versus a temporary donut which is smaller anyway. I also always rotate the spare to a rear wheel, no matter which corner experienced the flat, as I feel that it is never a good idea to over-work the differential by having mis-matched tires on the front drive wheels.

[Loekee75]

I junked my donut and threw my dad's old 88' PA spare 14' inside my 92' PA trunk. My 92' has 15s but the spare 14' works fine, and it's 100x better than a, what, 12 inch donut?!!

[alphalanos]

Thats a good idea. Just find a tire and wheel that are close to your 'real' tire and wheel dimensions. If I have a flat I usually dont even use the spare for fear of what happened to you.

[Smith1000]

Will the full spare fit in the spare compartment in the trunk on the 2000? I have a 97 and have a full spare, but it is too large for the spare compartment where the do-nut was stashed. It takes up quite a bit of room in the trunk and if I am going to be hauling anything, I usually take it out before I leave.