OK, I have 16" tires on my 95 legacy and my 95 Impreza, both AWDs, but the spares are 15" temporary. If I have to use the spares, will the limited use of that spare of a different size damage the transmission? Do I need to get 16" spares, or is it OK to use them in emergencies? Just use the fuse in the engine compartment.

 

Now is this a true statement? " You can have an odd size tire on one or the other axle, as long as the other tire is the same size as at least one tire on the other axle. , because of the open front and rear diffs. Its having 2 of the same size on one axle that is a different size of both tires on the other axle, that is what will bind up the center diff".

 

Thanks!

 

Todd

Automatic or manual transmission?

 

If you have an auto, then pop in the FWD fuse if you need to use the spare. Also, the spare should go on the rear. If you have a manual, I would treat it the same as what Subaru says about donut spares. Limited speed and limited distance until the full sized tire can be repaired.

 

As to the statement...

 

It "sounds" like the person is trying to say that if you have an odd sized tire on one axle and another odd sized tire (of the exact same size) on the other axle, then you would be ok as far as the center diff (clutch pack or VC) goes. This makes sense, since the rotational speeds of the front and rear axles should be the same under this scenario. However, the front and rear diffs will be constantly working a bit. I wouldn't like to see that for an extended period of time.

 

Commuter