# Spare Tire "option"



## CRUISE-CRUZE (Nov 8, 2010)

I’ll start with this: no matter how bad the flat one is or how far from civilization you are, with a spare tire you're back on the road in 10-20 minutes.
Traveling long distances without having the spare tire could ruin your day. I have the ECO with MT so the spare donut wasn’t even an option. Let’s forget about the “weight saving” concept for this item. It has only 24 lb. So it could be the weight difference between two different persons that may drive the car. Funny, why they didn’t put a limit weight for the driver to get the best gas millage?  You may say I have the inflator kit to fix the flat, but here are two issues. You may not be able to use it if you hit something on the road and your rim has deformed. The inflator is good for punctures, not for a gash from road debris. Second scenario, you will be lucky enough to be able to use the inflator kit to fix the flat. Now you are happy and can finish your trip. But… the sealant inside a tire will cause the wheel to go out of balance at high speeds. You will see the TPMS checking light coming up because the sealant did its job to the sensor. On the very next day you will have to pay for a new sensor, for taking out the tire, clean it, fix the flat, and of course another balance. Pretty expensive, isn’t it?


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## eagleco (May 3, 2011)

I saw a black Eco with MT and the spare tire option at my dealer. You make good points, and I am considering a trip to the parts counter for a spare and the jack. On the other hand, I can't remember the last time I've had to change a flat. It's probably been more than ten years ago. I have had a few slow leaks from nails, but was able to get them fixed before ending up with a flat tire. Tires are getting better all the time.

Considering that the spare only adds 24 lbs and it improves the f/r weight balance of the car, you can't really go wrong getting it.

As for their rationale in not making it standard, they did a whole bunch of little things to improve the gas mileage over the non-Eco models. Many of the mods taken alone don't add up to a hill of beans, but taken together, it allowed them to reach (and exceed) that "magic" 40 mpg target. Plus, for those who really want a spare, they can make a little more money selling you one.


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

eagleco said:


> On the other hand, I can't remember the last time I've had to change a flat.


My wife has had two flats with the 50 series tires on our Mazda. Both were at interstate speeds and both destroyed the sidewalls of the tires. Sealant and pump would have been useless on these two instances. I think that Chevy's decision to make the donut standard on some of the models in 2012 reflects what customers wanted during the 2011 model year. To me, the peace of mind having a spare wheel in the trunk out weighs the cost and "possible" mileage penalty. I keep a car for at least ten years, so the $100 extra for the donut is a no brainer.


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## CRUISE-CRUZE (Nov 8, 2010)

70AARCUDA said:


> ...a spare should be STANDARD with a car, not OPTIONAL.
> 
> ...more GM "co$t cutting" in my opinion.


I completely agree! Coming from Europe I would go forward asking for a spare “normal size” that you will rotate with other tires. 
Hmm, I’m surprised eagleco saw the ECO MT with the spare tire as option!
Over the weekend I just fixed the spare tire “issue” for my ECO. I got luck, here is what I did:
In the beginning I was calling all the dealers in my area, but all of them told me this is something very rare and they only can order the rim without the tire!  I preferred to order the GM rim from gmpartsdirect.com I have paid 52$ including the shipping. For the tire itself it was much harder than I thought. None available anywhere! The original size is T115/70R16. I was ready to look for a larger one that could work too (120 to 125). Digging thru different web sites I learned that this spare tire size is the same with the one for the Saturn L200 series. Saturday I was to the auto salvage and looking for Saturn cars. Plenty of S series there. I almost gave up when I saw a half of L200 Saturn (I’m not kidding, it was just the half from the passenger doors to the back). It was what I needed! I had to open the trunk from inside and I got luck! The donut spare was there, never used! I got a new jack too from a Daewoo that was on my way to exit. All together just 25$! I went to Walmart and I asked them to replace the tire to the new rim. Another 12$ including the balance too. I know the tire is old and “not recommended” to be used after 6 years. But it was in the trunk, protected from UV, water, etc. It looks new without any cracks or other sign of ages. It can last another decade in the same condition (I hope)


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## langdon_82 (May 8, 2011)

Yea mine didn't come with it either, but I asked them right away about getting it. I didn't want to have to worry, there is only so much that inflatable kit can do, at least changing the tire in 20 min and knowing you have 50 miles or more at reduced speed beats not knowing if the sealant did it's job.


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## langdon_82 (May 8, 2011)

sweet deal on the spare you got


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## eagleco (May 3, 2011)

Cruise-Cruze, your research will be helpful to those of us who decide to get a spare tire too. It's disappointing to hear that a spare tire mounted on a rim is not readily available from the dealer, but I don't mind that it's not standard equipment. Why should someone pay for something they don't want and are not likely to ever use?

"Our research says that only about half the people who have spare tires actually use them when they have a flat," says Dave Cowger, engineering group manager for General Motors tire engineering. "Because of the convenience of roadside assistance, many of them make that call even if they have a spare."


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## CRUISE-CRUZE (Nov 8, 2010)

eagleco said:


> "Our research says that only about half the people who have spare tires actually use them when they have a flat," says Dave Cowger, engineering group manager for General Motors tire engineering. "Because of the convenience of roadside assistance, many of them make that call even if they have a spare."


 “Smart” the GM guy! I can do other research and I’ll find that just ¼ of people (if not less) are using the hand brake. I would say to take it out to save weight and if somebody will need it, he can get it like an option. On the normal conditions you will have road assistance, phone signal, friends to help you, etc. Life taught me that the “normal” is relative and could change in a second…..
Now I have another issue! I bought last month the rectangular cover inside to the trunk. If I want to put the spare tire there I have to get rid of the whole carpet with the cover and to buy the flat version of it. I’ll see if I can trim/change what I have to look good too. Or I was looking to put the spare tire outside under the trunk. I did the measurements, it has enough room and almost you can’t see it from behind because of the rear bumper. I can do the fixture to. But I don’t like the solution without any sealed cover. The rim will be exposed to water and salt, also the tire will have a much shorter life. I’m still looking for a decent compromise. Any other suggestions?


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## erlindbl (Apr 12, 2011)

No matter how you look at it having a car without a spare tire is just stupid. I have the eco mt and will be buying the spare. What is roadside assistance going to do for you if you have a major failure??? I doubt they are carrying around tire and rims for replacement. They can tow you to a tire shop but if it's after hours, you are done. The fact that I could not even order a spare with my car to me was ridiculous. Fortunately for GM I liked the car enough to go through the hassle of buying my own. Trying to justify it because some nimrods won't use it is a joke......


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## Silphion (Mar 31, 2011)

When I asked a GM Sales Manager about why GM felt "safe" with removing the spare tire, he pointed out that Roadside Assistance is becoming more prevelant, not just as a 1-year promotional from GM, but also from an insurance standpoint. It used to be that only AAA offered significant roadside assistance (towing, locksmith, spare tire delivery/change, gas delivery, etc.). Now almost every insurance offers it as a part of a 'full' package.

So apparently, GM's thoughts on this were "Everyone is covered, because most customers refuse to be without a cell phone." Bull? Maybe. But it ALMOST makes sense from a business standpoint.


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## DEcruze (Apr 29, 2011)

the gt500 shelbys dont have spares either. but then again with a car like that, most arent worried about flats.


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## eagleco (May 3, 2011)

To be fair to GM, the omission of the spare is becoming widespread across many makes and models. Clearly people here have pretty strong opinions about this issue. Many good points have been made that the car should come with a spare, or at least be an option on all models including the Eco MT. 

This is the first new American car I have purchased in my 38 years of owning cars, and my first American car, new or used in over 20 years. I really want to believe that GM deserves my business after driving Japanese cars for so long. So, I am having a hard time saying anything negative about GM at this time.

I have had very few flat tires and mostly many years ago when tires were not as good, and I wore them out more before replacing them. Also, according to Bridgestone, 85% of flats can be fixed (temporarily) with the tire goo. I do the vast majority of my driving during the day and early evening hours in a major metropolitan area. And, I plan on always having roadside assistance. Therefore, I am going to take my chances and go without the spare. If, someday I am stranded and seriously inconvenienced by this decision, I will come back on this forum and admit that I was wrong, and GM was wrong to not make the spare standard or at least an option on my Eco . So wish me luck, or not.

One more thing, in an earlier post I said that I had seen a Eco MT with the spare tire option on my dealer's lot. Turns out I had taken a picture of the window sticker with my cell, and I went back to look at the photo. I was wrong, it did not have the spare tire. I must have confused it with an Eco AT sitting next to it that had the spare.


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

I'm confused. You can configure an Eco MT or AT with the spare tire option. Is this something new? Or, did those folks without a spare tire in their Eco trunk buy them off the lot?


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## CRUISE-CRUZE (Nov 8, 2010)

Jim Frye said:


> I'm confused. You can configure an Eco MT or AT with the spare tire option. Is this something new? Or, did those folks without a spare tire in their Eco trunk buy them off the lot?


You can NOT configure the ECO MT with the spare tire! You may think you can but whenever you check the spare tire, you will see it’s selecting back the AT. The spare donut it is not available either like separate part to any dealer. I could get just the rim, but the tire itself is not available anywhere (T115/70/R16). That’s the reason we (ECO MT) are looking for the spare tire.


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## eagleco (May 3, 2011)

If I were to get a spare tire for my Eco, I would probably get a Cargo Liner to go over it in the trunk. MacNeil currently doesn't offer one for the Cruze, but they made one for the Cobalt, so it's just a matter of time. In fact I may get a Cargo Liner anyway and use the tire well to store a few tools and Emergency supplies. I may need them if I am stranded somewhere with a blowout and no spare tire. :-(


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

CRUISE-CRUZE said:


> You can NOT configure the ECO MT with the spare tire! You may think you can but whenever you check the spare tire, you will see it’s selecting back the AT.


Yep , you are correct. I miissed that switch back when I ran the program (twice). My apologies.


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## CRUISE-CRUZE (Nov 8, 2010)

eagleco said:


> If I were to get a spare tire for my Eco, I would probably get a Cargo Liner to go over it in the trunk. MacNeil currently doesn't offer one for the Cruze, but they made one for the Cobalt, so it's just a matter of time. In fact I may get a Cargo Liner anyway and use the tire well to store a few tools and Emergency supplies. I may need them if I am stranded somewhere with a blowout and no spare tire. :-(


You mean to hold the spare tire on one of the sides inside to the trunk? It is too tall, I already checked. I may try under the car like SUV.


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## eagleco (May 3, 2011)

CRUISE-CRUZE said:


> You mean to hold the spare tire on one of the sides inside to the trunk? It is too tall, I already checked. I may try under the car like SUV.


I looked at photos of the Eco trunk and I see your point. My Eco has not arrived yet so I was going on memory from when I looked at and test drove an Eco nearly a month ago. I recall noticing the recess and thought it was deep enough for the spare, so you could just throw a Cargo Liner over it.

Still, if I were to get a spare, I would want to put it in the exact same location as spare equipped models. So, I would rip out the Eco liner and go buy the one that comes with spare equipped models. Then the recess would be large enough. Or am I wrong again, where do they put the spare? 

As for putting the spare outside the car underneath it like an SUV, that is an interesting and creative idea. You would probably have a "one of a kind" Cruze. My concern is that it could compromise the way the car deforms in a rear end collision. Spare tires have been taken into account when it comes to crash testing. In fact some manufacturers have located the spare in such a way that it helps absorb energy in a collision. Which leads me to wonder, which is safer in a crash, a Cruze with a spare, or one without a spare? Did GM take this into account? Maybe if you removed the Eco liner, you would find some kind of structural reinforcement at the bottom of the recess to compensate for the lack of a spare.

So here I am trying to offer advice about a car I don't even have yet. I went to my dealer yesterday, and they told me it hasn't arrived on the train yet. My salesman said he put a "hot" on it so when it does get to the rail yard it will go to the front of the line for trucking to the dealer. He thinks I should have the car by early next week. Hope he is right


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## jsscooby (May 11, 2011)

eagleco said:


> I looked at photos of the Eco trunk and I see your point. My Eco has not arrived yet so I was going on memory from when I looked at and test drove an Eco nearly a month ago. I recall noticing the recess and thought it was deep enough for the spare, so you could just throw a Cargo Liner over it.
> 
> Still, if I were to get a spare, I would want to put it in the exact same location as spare equipped models. So, I would rip out the Eco liner and go buy the one that comes with spare equipped models. Then the recess would be large enough. Or am I wrong again, where do they put the spare?
> 
> ...


I don't know why this is funny, but my salesman said something similiar, that they'd put a "hot" on it.


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## Telcomfaust (Apr 26, 2011)

Has anyone bought and installed a spare tire for the ECO? What was involved and what was the cost?

I ordered the well cover to hide the "hole" in the truck. But am thinking about switching the trunk set up and installing a spare.


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## CRUISE-CRUZE (Nov 8, 2010)

Telcomfaust said:


> Has anyone bought and installed a spare tire for the ECO? What was involved and what was the cost?
> 
> I ordered the well cover to hide the "hole" in the truck. But am thinking about switching the trunk set up and installing a spare.


Did u read my second post from the first page? J
I put all details there. I found a nice place for the spare tire too, here are the pictures.


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## erlindbl (Apr 12, 2011)

Looks like I am off to the auto salvage yard. I had no idea that GM doesn't even sell the tire.... What complete non sense......


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## Telcomfaust (Apr 26, 2011)

CRUISE-CRUZE said:


> Did u read my second post from the first page? J
> .


yes 
was looking to re-do the truck so it would sit in the well in the truck. So it would look like anyother car that normally comes with a spare tire.


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## CRUISE-CRUZE (Nov 8, 2010)

Telcomfaust said:


> yes
> was looking to re-do the truck so it would sit in the well in the truck. So it would look like anyother car that normally comes with a spare tire.


 You have to buy a new flat cover for your trunk then.
I just bought a new cover for my spare donut. It was the only available color for this size, but looks better now.


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## elegant (Jan 6, 2011)

What is the GM parts number for the flat spare tire cover please?


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## CRUISE-CRUZE (Nov 8, 2010)

elegant said:


> What is the GM parts number for the flat spare tire cover please?


 You mean for the "Starcraft" cover that I used? It is from ebay and it was hard to find it. The overall size is 23". You may be lucky, I see he still has one:
23" ROUND TIRE COVER TAN ( NEW ) | eBay


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## erlindbl (Apr 12, 2011)

Very nice...... Now I need to find me a tire. I can not believe GM doesn't sell the tire with the rim. What would happen if you had a regular Cruz and got yours ripped off???


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## 52pickup (Feb 21, 2011)

Found a 16" aluminum rim that'll work and a used tire from 2 different tire stores...They couldn't find anything on the phone


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## CRUISE-CRUZE (Nov 8, 2010)

52pickup said:


> This whole spare tire thing is so stupid. Found a 16" aluminum rim that'll work and a used tire from 2 different tire stores...They couldn't find anything on the phone


Please excuse my trivial question, just curious, where did u find a rim for the spare tire with the *5X105* bolt pattern?? I killed myself searching for weeks and found nothing with this pattern…… 5X110 is close but doesn’t work!


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## 52pickup (Feb 21, 2011)

Yeah, couldn't find 5x105, it's actually kind of a universal rim with extra holes for different bolt patterns drilled into it, I'll take a picture


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## CRUISE-CRUZE (Nov 8, 2010)

52pickup said:


> Yeah, couldn't find 5x105, it's actually kind of a universal rim with extra holes for different bolt patterns drilled into it, I'll take a picture


 I'm curious how it looks. The rim with 5X105 pattern for the spare tire wasn't the real issue, you can find it at any dealer. The real problem was to find the tire for it. If your rim is smaller size then could be another option and easiest to find a tire for it.


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## 52pickup (Feb 21, 2011)

Exactly. I could have got the stock donut rim, but couldn't find a tire for it. The dealer didn't even have a parts number for the tire! No problem to find a tire for the full size 16" rim. (95$) I haven't actually bought it yet, still looking for options (wrecker?), the store is closed today, but I'll be down there tomorrow and post a picture


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## 52pickup (Feb 21, 2011)

So FWIW here's a picture if this Lizea wheel I found down at my local tire guy. It's 16x5.5 and will fit a 105x5 bolt pattern. But even this has to be ordered. He phoned around and couldn't find anything else, but apparently other rims will be available in the fall.


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## CRUISE-CRUZE (Nov 8, 2010)

52pickup said:


> So FWIW here's a picture if this Lizea wheel I found down at my local tire guy. It's 16x5.5 and will fit a 105x5 bolt pattern. But even this has to be ordered. He phoned around and couldn't find anything else, but apparently other rims will be available in the fall....who knew getting a spare tire could be such a pain


_How about “This whole spare tire thing is so stupid.”?  Next time better check first before talk. I see also your rim (even looks awesome) it has the minimum width of 5.5”, approx 140mm instead of 115 from the original spare tire. You will not have room to place it in to the original spot. Long story short, for now, if you don’t have the original donut for your Cruze, by the rim from GM dealer and get the spare tire from an old Saturn L series._


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## 52pickup (Feb 21, 2011)

No , i wasn't planning on putting it in the spare well, just have it in the trunk for travelling. I prefer to have a full size rim I can find a tire for. Didn't look for the Saturn tire, Anyway, I'm done looking for now


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## cruzegolfguy (Jun 14, 2011)

has anuyone had any luck finding a spare with a jack. doens't have to be a doughnut thoug. The brochoure listed it an a $100.00 item. with a jack the price rose to $379.00. will after market jacks work? Tire rack was of no use.


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## cruzegolfguy (Jun 14, 2011)

Even if you can find a wheel and tire, what about a jack? Will a standard sizzer jack from an autoparts store work?


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## BucaMan (Mar 22, 2011)

Hmm, sounds like us Eco MT guys need to start pimpin' on places like Craigslist, or hanging out at Chevy dealerships, to get Eco AT folks who don't want a spare to order their car with spares so we can buy them! :th_coolio:


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## crzesk8dad (Jan 14, 2012)

CRUISE-CRUZE said:


> I completely agree! Coming from Europe I would go forward asking for a spare “normal size” that you will rotate with other tires.
> Hmm, I’m surprised eagleco saw the ECO MT with the spare tire as option!
> Over the weekend I just fixed the spare tire “issue” for my ECO. I got luck, here is what I did:
> In the beginning I was calling all the dealers in my area, but all of them told me this is something very rare and they only can order the rim without the tire!  I preferred to order the GM rim from gmpartsdirect.com I have paid 52$ including the shipping. For the tire itself it was much harder than I thought. None available anywhere! The original size is T115/70R16. I was ready to look for a larger one that could work too (120 to 125). Digging thru different web sites I learned that this spare tire size is the same with the one for the Saturn L200 series. Saturday I was to the auto salvage and looking for Saturn cars. Plenty of S series there. I almost gave up when I saw a half of L200 Saturn (I’m not kidding, it was just the half from the passenger doors to the back). It was what I needed! I had to open the trunk from inside and I got luck! The donut spare was there, never used! I got a new jack too from a Daewoo that was on my way to exit. All together just 25$! I went to Walmart and I asked them to replace the tire to the new rim. Another 12$ including the balance too. I know the tire is old and “not recommended” to be used after 6 years. But it was in the trunk, protected from UV, water, etc. It looks new without any cracks or other sign of ages. It can last another decade in the same condition (I hope)


I found a used Saturn LS200 donut spare 115/70R16, on Ebay from a salvage dealer in Florida...he says in very good condition. He wanted $60, plus $30 shipping. So, I'm into it for $90. It's going in my 2011 LT that I purchased yesterday for $14700!! 

So I really can't complain, too much, as I got such a good buy on the car.

I purchased a generic scissor jack from Harbor Freight Tools. All done.


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## Patman (May 7, 2011)

If my car did not come with the spare "donut" option included I would have to call a tow when I ripped a hole in my tire and bent the rim via fire hydrant. It is funny if you look at the various manuals, they all talk about including the spare. That has been out of the picture since the late 70s when they introduced the donut spar.


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## GoldenCruze (Dec 18, 2011)

One of the reasons I decided against the Eco version is the lack of a spare. All auto makers in the U.S. these days have to meet mileage standards for the fleet that they offer in a given model year. That leads to them making decisions about what they offer. The fact that a spare is not available for the Eco version is so that they can meet that standard. The weight of that spare is part of the weight savings difference between the Eco model and the others. I'm looking forward to a few years from now. A tire maker has developed an airless tire that simply can not go flat. When that becomes common, spares or inflater kits will not bee needed.


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## Patman (May 7, 2011)

Does it have the same bolt pattern? Will it fit. Remember the cruze has 5 X 105 bolt pattern. Hope you can return if it does not fit. 




crzesk8dad said:


> I found a used Saturn LS200 donut spare 115/70R16, on Ebay from a salvage dealer in Florida...he says in very good condition. He wanted $60, plus $30 shipping. So, I'm into it for $90. It's going in my 2011 LT that I purchased yesterday for $14700!!
> 
> So I really can't complain, too much, as I got such a good buy on the car.
> 
> I purchased a generic scissor jack from Harbor Freight Tools. All done.


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## Patman (May 7, 2011)

Does it fit tho. I would not like to see you with a flat thinking you have a spare. But it does not fit I think the bolt pattern is different. Saturn has 5 X 110 and the Cruze is 5X105. Check it out before you need it. 





CRUISE-CRUZE said:


> I completely agree! Coming from Europe I would go forward asking for a spare “normal size” that you will rotate with other tires.
> Hmm, I’m surprised eagleco saw the ECO MT with the spare tire as option!
> Over the weekend I just fixed the spare tire “issue” for my ECO. I got luck, here is what I did:
> In the beginning I was calling all the dealers in my area, but all of them told me this is something very rare and they only can order the rim without the tire!  I preferred to order the GM rim from gmpartsdirect.com I have paid 52$ including the shipping. For the tire itself it was much harder than I thought. None available anywhere! The original size is T115/70R16. I was ready to look for a larger one that could work too (120 to 125). Digging thru different web sites I learned that this spare tire size is the same with the one for the Saturn L200 series. Saturday I was to the auto salvage and looking for Saturn cars. Plenty of S series there. I almost gave up when I saw a half of L200 Saturn (I’m not kidding, it was just the half from the passenger doors to the back). It was what I needed! I had to open the trunk from inside and I got luck! The donut spare was there, never used! I got a new jack too from a Daewoo that was on my way to exit. All together just 25$! I went to Walmart and I asked them to replace the tire to the new rim. Another 12$ including the balance too. I know the tire is old and “not recommended” to be used after 6 years. But it was in the trunk, protected from UV, water, etc. It looks new without any cracks or other sign of ages. It can last another decade in the same condition (I hope)


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## crzesk8dad (Jan 14, 2012)

Thanks for the heads-up. Based on Cruze-Cruze posting, I went ahead an ordered the L200 from the guy in FL. But, Patman, I think you are correct and have asked the guy in FL to cancel. He has been in touch with me, and sounds willing to cancel, under the circumstances. If not, and it doesn't fit, it will be on Ebay by me. Someone can use it.

I looked at gmpartsdirect.com. They have the donut wheel for around $35, plus shipping. I will check Tirerack and see if they have the 115/70R16 tire, and then take it to my local shop for mounting.

In any event, I'm gonna have a spare, even if it's a temp. And, I'll keep the pump, as well. 

Love the car, having a great time driving it and since I got it for $16.2K out the door, I'm real happy.

Thanks again, for the heads-up.


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## Den (Feb 28, 2011)

On my 2011 eco: The trunk liner for the "slime pump" won't work with a spare tire. You need to change to a round liner for a spare. I made a plywood lid, covered it with black liner rug and renewed my AAA 
Oh, and I went to my Goodyear Dealer and bought road hazard for the 4 tires.


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## CRUISE-CRUZE (Nov 8, 2010)

crzesk8dad said:


> Thanks for the heads-up. Based on Cruze-Cruze posting, I went ahead an ordered the L200 from the guy in FL. But, Patman, I think you are correct and have asked the guy in FL to cancel. He has been in touch with me, and sounds willing to cancel, under the circumstances. If not, and it doesn't fit, it will be on Ebay by me. Someone can use it.
> 
> I looked at gmpartsdirect.com. They have the donut wheel for around $35, plus shipping. I will check Tirerack and see if they have the 115/70R16 tire, and then take it to my local shop for mounting.
> 
> ...


YES, the pattern is different, why do you think I bought the rim from GM parts and replaced the original one came from the Saturn?
Suggestion: take a look to your dealer, it looks now they are able order the rim and the tire too. Separate, but they can put them together. No chance to buy the tire from other sources, I searched 6 weeks last year….
Good luck!


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## conaldole (Jan 7, 2012)

I just went through not having a spare. Found out that the sealant must be warm to work,in connecticut you have 6 months of cold weather. the sidewall was cut so even if the sealant did work,it would have been of no help. Had to have cruze towed to dealer at 10PM.Even though I was 5 miles from home, I was still without car for 2 days while they got a replacement tire. GET A SPARE.N


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## crzesk8dad (Jan 14, 2012)

CRUISE-CRUZE said:


> YES, the pattern is different, why do you think I bought the rim from GM parts and replaced the original one came from the Saturn?
> Suggestion: take a look to your dealer, it looks now they are able order the rim and the tire too. Separate, but they can put them together. No chance to buy the tire from other sources, I searched 6 weeks last year….
> Good luck!


I took my Cruze to three different dealer's parts departments, each one refused to sell me a donut wheel with or without tire. Said it must be ordered with the car. I asked each one: "what would you do if I damaged the one that came with my car as an option?" They didn't have an answer. All they could say is, it has to come with the car. Dumb.

So, I ordered my wheel (along with a key fob and trunk floor cover) from GMPartsDirect.com and it has taken nearly a month to get here. It was on back-order for nearly three weeks. UPS has it now, finally, and should be here next week. When I inquired as to what was going on, I was advised that recently there has been an increase in orders for the donuts. 

Wonder why?????? 

(For what it's worth, the key fob was back ordered for two weeks, as well. The trunk floor was here right away).


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## 20126spdRS (Dec 27, 2011)

you all should not have spent the extra dough on the ECO my RS is getting the same milage and holds more fuel... its about the way you drive not 30lbs of weight!!!!


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## newcruzer17 (Feb 8, 2012)

I have to agree with all said; I want a spare so I don't have to wait for a tow truck. I asked the dealer about purchasing one, but apparently they don't even make one for the Eco. They said they would get back to me, but the phone is not ringing. 
I found an aftermarket rim, with the TPMS and the same tire that is original equipment, for $362, mounted on the rim, balanced, and delivered to my home. The only problem is where to put the spare, since they #$%&ed up the round hole in the trunk to mount that worthless pump. I guess I will just lay it in there, let it sort of bounce around. At least I'll have it if and when i need it.


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## newcruzer17 (Feb 8, 2012)

GoldenCruze said:


> One of the reasons I decided against the Eco version is the lack of a spare. All auto makers in the U.S. these days have to meet mileage standards for the fleet that they offer in a given model year. That leads to them making decisions about what they offer. The fact that a spare is not available for the Eco version is so that they can meet that standard. The weight of that spare is part of the weight savings difference between the Eco model and the others. I'm looking forward to a few years from now. A tire maker has developed an airless tire that simply can not go flat. When that becomes common, spares or inflater kits will not bee needed.


While it may be true that the CAFE standard, or whatever they call it these days, may lead the manufacturer to not include a spare for mileage ratings, the 26 pounds of a spare is hardly going to make a difference in mileage. Variable payload will have more of an effect than the spare tire. No, me thinks the manufacturer wanted to assist the profit center of OnStar by the less-than-subtle inducement to sign up so that you could get your flat fixed by calling them. I agree with most of you, that having a spare means that I am on my way in 15 minutes if I have a blowout or bent rim. The option of calling OnStar will not get you on the road if you have either of those two events, and the only option then is to be TOWED to a dealer who probably will not have the tire or rim in stock anyway. OnStar is such a profit center for GM that they will do anything to get folks to sign up, so that they can sell the usage data they gather on where you travel, how often, how fast, with or without seatbelts, and other data they can market. 
I want a spare. The dealer cannot even seem to get me one. I am going to have to purchase an aftermarket rim, tire and tear out the trunk liner to make it fit. I am not too happy with GM right now.


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## crzesk8dad (Jan 14, 2012)

Well, the spare wheel from GMpartsdirect.com finally arrived, I then went to "Pick a Part" and found a 115/70R16 (brand new) in the trunk of a crashed econo car (not sure what it was, it had been so picked apart). It had the wheel (for that car) on it, but I wasn't interest, only wanted the tire. The tire appeared to be never used, it was new, even had the little "nubs" on it. I rolled it up to the office, and the guy said "that'll be $16". I about fell over, as I had been getting quotes on the tire, from tirerack.com and my local tire store, of $200 plus.

Had my tire store mount the tire on my new Cruze spare wheel. He gets so much business from me (my family has five cars and a boat trailer) that he didn't charge me. Whoo-hoo!

So, for $60+, I got my Cruze spare tire. It took a little work, but it was fun.

And, I learned what a great place "pick-a-part" is....I don't know why I hadn't gone there before? I have a new source of parts for my family fleet (especially my 1991 Chevy C2500 pick-up or better known at "La Bomba").

Thanks to all for the advice! You guys are a great resource, as well!


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## elegant (Jan 6, 2011)

Regarding "mileage consequences" of extra weight, GM estimates that for their aerodynamic cars, every 100 pounds/vehicle costs 1/4 of a mile per gallon.


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## Patman (May 7, 2011)

Glad you were able to return the Saturn spare and get the on from parts direct!





crzesk8dad said:


> Well, the spare wheel from GMpartsdirect.com finally arrived, I then went to "Pick a Part" and found a 115/70R16 (brand new) in the trunk of a crashed econo car (not sure what it was, it had been so picked apart). It had the wheel (for that car) on it, but I wasn't interest, only wanted the tire. The tire appeared to be never used, it was new, even had the little "nubs" on it. I rolled it up to the office, and the guy said "that'll be $16". I about fell over, as I had been getting quotes on the tire, from tirerack.com and my local tire store, of $200 plus.
> 
> Had my tire store mount the tire on my new Cruze spare wheel. He gets so much business from me (my family has five cars and a boat trailer) that he didn't charge me. Whoo-hoo!
> 
> ...


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## newcruzer17 (Feb 8, 2012)

Nearly two months after getting my Eco, the dealer still had not found me a spare tire. Gee, I wonder why there is a round hole in the trunk if they did not intend to offer a spare tire? They just fit some plastic and foam in there to hold the compressor and gunk canister and covered it with a liner that will not accomodate a spare. But take out the liner, the pump and foam, and viola, a ROUND hole that fits a full size tire! I resorted to getting an aftermarket 17x7 wheel with the same tire that is standard on the Eco, the Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max, ordered them free shipping from DiscountTire.com for $240 and had it mounted/balanced at the local Discount Tire store. It sticks up a bit so I cut out the 'square' liner into a round hole and now have a spare that I can run at 75mph. Maybe not the most esthetic solution for inside trunk appearance, but I have a spare tire with which to be back on the road asap after any but a multiple tire failure. The new wheel/tire weighs 38 pounds, plus 5# for the jack and tire tool, so I just added 43 pounds to my Eco. And guess what? I see no difference in the mileage, still getting 45+. GM has some 'splainin' to do.


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## GoldenCruze (Dec 18, 2011)

I discussed at length the lack of a spare for the Eco trim with my dealer. He said that there is no way to get one from Chevrolet and he even lost a sale because of that. And he had really tried to locate one for that customer.

I suspect that Chevy can't officially offer a spare for the Eco because of added weight. If they did, then it would be out of tested spec for the EPA rating.


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## newcruzer17 (Feb 8, 2012)

GoldenCruze said:


> I discussed at length the lack of a spare for the Eco trim with my dealer. He said that there is no way to get one from Chevrolet and he even lost a sale because of that. And he had really tried to locate one for that customer.
> 
> I suspect that Chevy can't officially offer a spare for the Eco because of added weight. If they did, then it would be out of tested spec for the EPA rating.


I suspect that you are correct. The way the government works allows for no thought, logic or reason, only rule books. In aviation, if an airplane is certified in a specific configuration or operational mode, then deviation from that mode requires recertification of the aircraft. That is very costly. The EPA probably would require GM to test the car all over again, with a spare tire, just to allow the mileage rating to stand. As I stated earlier, I added a full size spare weighing 37 pounds plus a jack and tire tool and I see no difference in my mpg.


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## GoldenCruze (Dec 18, 2011)

> you all should not have spent the extra dough on the ECO my RS is getting the same milage and holds more fuel... its about the way you drive not 30lbs of weight!!!! [\quote] The weight difference between the Eco and other trim levels is 400lbs. That includes the spare.


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## JMD82 (Dec 1, 2011)

I to got a steel wheel from GM direct..1/2 price of what my dealer wanted..Went to tire store and got a good looking used tire..mounted, balanced and new valve stem for 15$. Laid it on floor of trunk and covered it up..Have jack and 4 way from the car I traded in that has never been used in well where donut would go...To heck with gas mileage..now I can take car more than 50 miles from house..It's wife's car and she doesn't go very far but it's in there..


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