Help!! My spare is on fire!!

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

May 5, 2003 | 09:03 AM

Tman634

Thread Starter

Freshman User

Joined: Mar 2003

Posts: 32

Likes: 0

From: Colorado

Help!! My spare is on fire!!

Just got back this weekend from racing my motorcycle. On the way back I stopped for gas and smelled rubber burning, I thought I had left the parking brake on but that wasn't it. Walked around to the right side of the truck and looked around only to find my spare tire smoldering and glowing red with half the tread burned off of my new Wrangler MT/R 285/75-16. Has anyone else ever had a spare go nuclear on them? Do they make a heat shield for this thing. I have had these new tires on for approx. 500 miles with no problems. The only thing I can think of is that with towing my trailer the exhaust got really freakin' hot and caused the melt down. I have towed before and never had this problem. As I said the only change was tire size from 265/75-16 to the 285/75-16. Any help would be appreciated.

May 5, 2003 | 09:31 AM

jaxf250

Posting Guru

Joined: Aug 2002

Posts: 1,039

Likes: 6

From: Jacksonville, FL

Help!! My spare is on fire!!

I am about to put a new muffler/exhaust on my SD and in talking with my mechanic, he told me a couple stories of Ford SD spares going into meltdown, both times during towing. Time one was like yours, when a non-standard spare (read: bigger) was installed with OE exhaust; time two was when a new V10 exhaust job was routed too close to the OE spare. Moral: not a lot of room under there, so be careful!

Not sure this helps you much, but at least you know you are not alone in this....

May 5, 2003 | 09:31 AM

RichCT

Senior User

Joined: Apr 2002

Posts: 204

Likes: 0

From: Stratford, CT

Help!! My spare is on fire!!

Maybe the larger diameter spare was rubbing up against the exhaust pipe????

May 5, 2003 | 09:58 AM

Tman634

Thread Starter

Freshman User

Joined: Mar 2003

Posts: 32

Likes: 0

From: Colorado

Help!! My spare is on fire!!

I've been driving around for about 2 1/2 to 3 weeks with the larger tire and not so much as dicoloration to the spare until this weekend. Is it possible it shifted forward and made contact? Just fishing for answers at this point. Discount is going to replace the tire for free. I know the guys over there. And as they said, it's been fine for weeks.

May 5, 2003 | 10:04 AM

SDElwood

Beer Fridge Finder

Joined: Apr 2003

Posts: 14,988

Likes: 1,151

From: Savannah, GA

Help!! My spare is on fire!!

If it were me, I would throw the spare in the bed of the truck when you tow, just to make sure there are no more fires. That or have that Gibson system altered. Something is NOT right. Perhaps headers right through the hood?

May 5, 2003 | 10:23 AM

RichCT

Senior User

Joined: Apr 2002

Posts: 204

Likes: 0

From: Stratford, CT

Help!! My spare is on fire!!

Yes. Definitely headers right out the top of the hood!

Then there's no need to worry about melting another spare, maybe just melt the hood a little.
-Rich

May 5, 2003 | 10:32 AM

Tman634

Thread Starter

Freshman User

Joined: Mar 2003

Posts: 32

Likes: 0

From: Colorado

Help!! My spare is on fire!!

Clearance seems to be ok but the exhaust temps must have climbed pretty good while towing. Removing the spare to tow may be my only option unless I can go get the tail pipe bent back towards the right side a little bit. Thanks, you guys have been great!!!