joedoe

I just noticed that during the service tire rotation spare tire was never included into rotation. Is it how is supposed to be?
The manual requires it to be included.

VVT-i

You can request to the service advisor about rotate the spare. But you have to keep up with it. It really confusing method after a fews rotations you don't know which one the spare and you don't know the one in trunk suppose to go next. Then instead of replacing 4 tires now you're looking at 5 tires.

steviej

iTrader: (1)

If the spare is a full size and never sees the light of day (unless it has to) it will be as good as new for many years. Like VVT-i said, when you go to put on a new set, you only have to buy 4 instead of 5. It's easier on the wallet and more importantly it's easier on the brain.

don't worry about it.

sj

joedoe

I would agree with this if I'll always use the same brand of tires. If I'll have to change tire's brand the spare will became useless (at least as a full size spare)

Lexmexico

I rotate my 99 RX300 AWD every 6,000 miles here in Mexico City. I use 235-70/16 Michelin Cross-Terrains. I have never included the spare, and this has been the advice of every mechanic or vulcanador(tire repair specialist). With all of the garbage on the roads down here, you need a good spare tire if you run into trouble. Plus, using a brand new tire along side a used tire can alter the alignment(it does down here with all the speed bumps an uneven roads).

steviej

iTrader: (1)

joedoe,
I absolutely do not agree. A spare tire is just that, a spare. It is a fully functional tire used to get you out of harms way and to safety so that the damaged tire can be repaired properly and then returned to the hub from whence it came.

How long do you ride on the spare....not days or weeks? For what little time you spend on the spare it will not hurt the other tires or the alignment, especially if the spare is still the same size.

If in good/excellent/new condition, the spare does not have to be changed out if you switch to a new brand of tire. You are still not including the spare in the rotation of the new set.

Save the $100 bucks and a perfectly good tire.

steviej

parula

For those of us that keep cars a long time, the news tonight indicates that after 10 years (maybe less IMO who knows?) the tire is not as safe.

If I rotate the spare in, then I have all the extra tire changing. If not then the spare may not be as reliable after 6 - 8- 10 years based on today's news about the dangers of aging tires.

Guess I'll leave it in the wheel bay and drive sparingly on it if I ever need it after 10 years!

PERRYinLA

With our fancy cars and fancy wheels, who's got a spare that matches?
Yeah, my spare is full-sized, but its wheel is stamped steel.
Mine is a 1992, but aren't all Lexus models in the same boat?

MGS4

My spare tire is still the OEM Bridgestone re030 whereas my 4 regular tires are Michelins. I only rotate my 4 regular tires.

tn52

Here is my "personal" experiences (with six cars in the family):
If you do rotate tires then do them more often (between 3K- 4K intervals). If you rotate them every 10K+ or so, you may as well don't rotate because they will cause vibration and will be noisy in high speed due to the "localized" wear (assuming good alignment & balancing here). I have four cars doing regime one and two cars with regime two. With regime one, you buy four new tires when the time comes. For regime two, depending on FWD or RWD, one set will usually last 2 - 3 times longer than the other so you just buy a new set (two tires). Very often, this is actually good for the wallet.
To make life simple, I don't use the spare in the rotation but be aware that tire (rubber) do have limited life span. Tires/rubber, even unused, do deteriorate after 6 to 8 years or so...Cheers

parula

About tire aging: I just saw this on page 301 of my manual, "Any tires which are over 6 years old must be checked by a qualified technician even if damage is not obvious. Tires deteriorate with age even if they have never or seldom been used. This applies also to the spare tire and tires stored for future use."

Check that in your own manual, Lexus appears aware of tire aging issues too.

kreativ

The '02+ ES comes with a full-sized spare and matching wheel.

Although the Lexus manual says to rotate in the spare, no Lexus service center I've spoken with actually does this unless specifically requested. It seems to me it'd just lead to uneven wear.