Aftermarket Spare Tire Kit for 2024 Prius Prime

I had the same issue when I considered the Modern Spare solution. I even tried to contact them via phone and email to request that a 135/80/R18 (what they use for their Tesla model 3 spare) be fitted on the rim rather than the 135/70R18 that they advertise for the Prius. I was never able to get a human which concerned me even more.

The end result was I went with the OEM 16" steel spare rim ($75), a spare tire from TireRack ($110), and got it mounted at my local shop. It's not as "snazzy" but it's not heavy and the price (and diameter) was right.

 

That's what is great about these forums. lots of good ideas to consider and choose from. As I said, when I get my kit from ModernSpare I will test drive it and report back with the results. Hopefully it works ok, is a good option, and I didn't waste my money.

KH

 

If you are able, would you mind weighing the Modern Spare rim & tire? I'm curious to see how it differs from the "stock" spare. I'll try to remember to weigh mine on Monday.

 

They probably won't deliver my kit for another 6 weeks. In the meantime I emailed ModernSpare help desk and asked them the weight of the spare wheel/tire.

Kevin

 

If you ever get a human, ask if they will put a 135/80/R18 on that rim to get you closer to the correct diameter. I have no idea why they wouldn't use that size by default.

 

ModernSpare says the weight of the wheel and tire is 38lbs. Kit with tools is 48 lbs.
I will see if they will answer the question of putting a 135/80R18 on it.

KH

 

Today, I had a chance to weigh the OEM steel spare rim and 145/90R16 tire and it came to 29 lbs. or a little over 13.1kg.

 

Well, I guess their alloy wheel is not that light then. Also, after messaging their help desk they NOW suggest using the spare wheel/tire for the 2015-2023 Mustang with the following specs:

8×4 Aluminum Alloy Wheel With 5×114.3MM Bolt Pattern.Kumho T135/80/R18 Tire W/ A DOT Rating Of (104M) With A 26.5” Rolling Diameter For Extended Range.

It seems to be a much better fit for our Primes.

I will call them tomorrow and try and get my order straightened out with the best fit possible and report back.

KH

 

So ModernSpare mounted the T135/80/R18 tire on the Prius wheel for shipment out to me to match the OEM tire rolling diameter.. Once again I will see how it works when I get it and report the results. Initially it seems the only difference between this and getting a Toyota spare and mounting the proper size tire is convenience and price. (and a little bit of weight)

KH

 

I don't see much if any advantage, over say scoring the Toyota temp spare rim,, getting the Toyota spec'd temp spare (from TireRack or wherever), and have a local tire place mount it. I don't think they even bother with balancing.

Personally, I'll stick to cars that come with a spare, but that's another discussion.

 

That's what is so great about living in Canada or the U.S. You can choose not to buy a new Prius Prime because it doesn't have a spare tire. Other's choose to buy the car and then post just one solution to that shortcoming. My solution may not be your cup of tea (ironic since you don't even own a Prime) but Prime owner's may find the Modernspare option something to consider especially if they can get the taller tire mounted. I get it, it is more expensive, and I won't know how good it is until I get it, install it, and test it. Different strokes for different folks. BTW, I wouldn't want to mount a spare that isn't balanced especially if it is rated for 80 mph and long distance. Last word on the subject until I get the kit.

KH

 

Ok, as promised here is my review of the ModernSpare kit I received yesterday. They initially said the shipment date may be as late as July 9th but they beat that by a wide margin. Everything was nicely packaged, the custom tire size I wanted was correct and the tool kit and jack were secured and attached to the wheel. All the tools and proper scissor jack were included, even another set of lug nuts if you didn't want to reuse the ones you took off. (the lug nuts provided are smaller diameter and fit a different bolt pattern on the wheel). I weighed the spare and it came in at 31lbs, not the 38 lbs tech support told me, so it is the same as an OEM spare and wheel. The 19" wheel and tire I took off weighed 48 lbs by the way.

The lug wrench is extendable and gave me plenty of torque to loosen the lug nuts. The scissor jack fit nicely on the notch/tab on the body weld and lifted the car with the provided ratcheting handle. It did take a lot of 1/2 strokes on the handle. Multiple deep sockets are included and I tried my 20v Dewalt drill on the scissor jack and it did a nice faster job of lifting and lowering the car vs the handle. It took a little bit of jiggling to get the spare wheel fitted on the studs but once on it was easy to get the lugs on.

Once mounted with weight on wheels I measured the diameter to be slightly less (1/2 in maybe) than the wheel I took off, just as advertised.

I did a five mile test drive with speeds up to 60 mph and could not tell a different tire was mounted. No warning lights for traction control etc and the ride was smooth and quiet.

All in all I'm very happy with what I ordered. Of course now that I spent $500+ it will probably never be used but provides some peace of mind when my wife takes it on long trips or we have a flat in the garage.

I took a few pictures, somehow forgot to take a picture of it on the car, but you get the idea.

KH

https://photos.app.goo.gl/hXFFJfct18xavET36

 

I too bought the Modern Spare. I already had the jack and lug wrench.
Not concerned at all with the small size difference. It’s a spare, to get me to a shop.

 

I can personally speak to the Modern Spare tire; had to use it on the first road trip we took from Seattle to San Francisco... We ended up getting a flat 80 miles out from Medford in the middle of the night. The modern spare tire handled the 80mi drive no problem.

 

Thanks for the follow up info. Questions, does the rim in your ModernSpare kit have the same hub hole diameter as your original toyota wheels, or did you have to use some kind of hub centric spacer? If yes, was that spacer included in your kit? Finally, how/where do you plan to store the wheel, jack, and accessories in your prime? Are you going to try to make some space under your rear floor? Thanks again.

 

Just saw your questions. I'm not sure about the hub hole diameter, I didn't notice any issues when mounting the wheel and securing with the lug nuts, so no hub centric spacer needed as far as I could tell. The wheel and tire ran true and vibration free on my test drive. The tire kit stays in the garage most of the time and will only be carried in the luggage area when my wife drives long distance to see family. I haven't thought yet on how to secure it but since her suitcases aren't secure what is one more missile in a collision. From reading other posts and looking at the underfloor area there is no room in a Prime to put a full size spare in the underfloor area.

KH

 

Yes, they are needed.
Hub Centric rings are needed if the wheel size does not match the hub size.
It's not a matter of opinion.
The wheel studs are handling all the sheer forces without them.

 

I am a bit confused.

Does your aftermarket spare wheel hub hole diameter size exactly match the stock prius wheels? Or, did your spare not match the stock size, but you just mounted it without a hub-centric spacer?

 

Mounted it without a spacer, did not see a need for it, and did not specifically look at the hub diameter issue as I did so. As I said, after mounting it and test driving it, it drove smoothly and without any vibration at all. If it was mounted off center somehow I think it would have been evident on the test drive. I have to admit the hub diameter situation was not something I worried about and it did not seem to matter.

KH

 

Ok, after reading all the posts more carefully I will take a closer look at the wheel hub situation and re-evaluate, maybe with input from ModernSpare. I was not aware of the hub involvement in the stresses on the wheel vs just the studs.

KH