Tires

jjlink · Jan 24, 2012

I notice Tirerack has a set of stock tires listed (on back-order status) here: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?tireIndex=0&autoMake=Mitsubishi&autoYear=2012&autoModel=i&autoModClar=SE&frontWidth=145/&frontRatio=65&frontDiameter=15&frontSortCode=37145&rearWidth=175/&rearRatio=60&rearDiameter=15&rearSortCode=33090&tab=All

I am think it would nice to have a spare around since finding one locally may not be that easy. I guess the dealership would have them also. Does anyone know how long you can store a tire before it is considered old and should not be used?

rokeby · Jan 24, 2012

The general rule is 5-6 years.
This site says 6:
http://www.avvo.com/legal-guides/ugc/issues-of-tire-safety-tire-aging-and-tread-separation

Google "tire aging" for lots more info.

By a "spare," do you mean one tire, a set of four, or one of each, front and rear?
(Front - 145/65 R15, Rear - 175/60 R15, according to my official i brochure.)

Separate issues:

How do you rotate these tires, if at all?
Side to side?

If you were going to carry a full size spare, which size should it be?
I would think the front, to keep steering centered/balanced.

OK, a full size spare takes up too much room.
Can you buy a donut spare for the i?

JoeS · Jan 24, 2012

jjlink, without answering your question directly (I figure anything published has an ultra-conservative lawyer-influenced bias), I'd be inclined to hold off buying anything as the world of Low Rolling Resistance (LRR) tires is rapidly evolving, and I would expect to see a better selection of LRR tires available in the near future as our country gets more fuel-efficiency conscious. Our iMiEV's tires sure don't seem to have much of a sidewall - I've been looking askance at them from a pothole-survivability perspective. Inasmuch as the most likely event is a nail in the rear tire, I intend to carry a plug kit with small air compressor, as a gooey sealant will necessitate an expensive pressure sensor replacement. Hmm, I don't recall seeing a jack in the car...

Wee John · Jan 24, 2012

There is no jack. It comes with a puncture repair kit underneath the rear seat cushion, this includes the bottle of goo and an air compressor.

rokeby · Jan 24, 2012

FWIW, most makers of the tire inflaters with patch goo say that they
won't cause damage to TPMS sender units.

Fix-a-Flat

Slime

FiddlerJohn · Jan 25, 2012

I want to buy a spare wheel and tire at a junk yard that will fit the i.

What currently available wheel/tire could function as a temporary spare?

I would leave this tire at home because they are too big and heavy too carry all the time.

The TPMS function may be interrupted with a non-i wheel.

jjlink · Jan 25, 2012

Yes, I was just thinking of having a set of spare tires at home, just in case I get a flat that can't be fixed permanently. Typically local tire stores don't have the specific tire I want. Since the 'i' tires are somewhat unusual, I can see this happening. I had the same issues with my 2002 Prius all they had locally was some crummy Chinese tires in the size needed (I wanted Ecopia EP100, or Dunlop SP10/20s).

Also the local tire stores here claim if you have fix-a-flat or Goo in the tire the patch won't hold. I suspect this is B.S. and they just want to sell you some new tires.

jray3 · Feb 9, 2012

Though our i cars have 15" wheels, the bolt pattern is ultra-common 4x100, and lotsa Mitsu kei cars in Japan have come with 12" wheels. It looks like the 13" rims on my '92 Civic would have plenty of clearance around the brakes. I've been meaning to get around to a test-fit and if they do fit, do a coastdown and range comparison of the squishy studless snow tires I'm running on the Honda vs the LRR rubbers on the i. Due to the car's cost, it'll be a while till the boy racers get ahold of one, but I'd expect their first go-fast trick would be to mount some 12" lightweight rims with low profile rubber to lower the car, rotating mass and gear ratio in one quick shortcut.
And for those goals, who cares about handling and safety?

FiddlerJohn · Feb 9, 2012

jray3 said:
Though our i cars have 15" wheels, the bolt pattern is ultra-common 4x100, and lotsa Mitsu kei cars in Japan have come with 12" wheels. It looks like the 13" rims on my '92 Civic would have plenty of clearance around the brakes.

Most '92 Civic model have 14" wheels. but the 175/70R13 tires on your 13" rims from your '92 Civic have a 22.6" OD which is just what we need. Thanks.

How would the i's tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) deal with these 13" rims from a '92 Civic?

jray3 · Feb 9, 2012

Yep, the base model 92 Civvys roll on lucky thirteens. I think that the TPMS would simply display a trouble light. Easy to ignore this superfluous feature if you know how to use a pressure gauge.

There are aftermarket valve stems that incorporate TPMS sensors, but I haven't researched one for this vehicle.
I'll try to try the wheel fitment this weekend.

archie_b · Feb 9, 2012

Can someone verify that the bolt pattern is 4x100? Most Mitsubishi use either a 4x114 or 5x114 bolt pattern. A 4x100 bolt pattern has a lot more options when trying to find aftermarket alloy wheels, no matter what diameter (13, 14 or 15").

If you want an extra OEM alloy wheel they are $450 and $480 each from Mitsubishi.

Thanks.

jray3 · Feb 9, 2012

archie_b said:
Can someone verify that the bolt pattern is 4x100? Most Mitsubishi use either a 4x114 or 5x114 bolt pattern.

Sure thing Archie; page 9-9 of the owner's manual says that the Pitch Circle Diameter is 100 mm and the wheels are 15x4J with a 35mm offset up front, 15x5J with 35mm offset in the rear.

My 92 Civic 13" rims should be 13x5J with positive offset between 35 and 45mm. I haven't found a spec on the iMiEV lugs. The lug holes in the Civvy rims are 12mm.

Aftermarket options a-plenty!

jjlink · Mar 17, 2012

Can anyone tell me what torque the lug nuts should be tighened to for the mag-wheels? I don't see it in the owners manual.:idea:

Also has anyone actually mounted a spare wheel and tire yet? I'm looking for something low cost.:idea:

jjlink · Mar 18, 2012

Ok, I just mounted up the spare tire from my 2002 Toyota Prius on to the 2012 Mistubishi i-MiEV and it fit fine. The tire diameter was 26" for the original tire and the spare. I ran it around the block with no issues.

Spare Tire (2002 Toyota Prius) by JJLINK, on Flickr

JoeS · Mar 18, 2012

jjlink - cool!

Thanks for posting.

TaosEV · Apr 27, 2012

Living in Taos with a lot of dirt roads, we want to have a mounted spare tire handy. Turns out that Dunlop makes a 145/65-R15 72H and a 175/60-R15 81H for the i. Can't buy them direct on the web, since apparently Dunlop has a requirement that they be sold to consumers only through brick and mortar tire dealers. Same thing with Continental.

Our Mitsubishi dealer is attempting to get me a price on a steel front wheel for the i ... thus far, all he can find are the part numbers for the alloy wheels. My thought is to buy a front wheel and mount the 145/65-R15 for use as a spare, and also keep a 175/60-R15 at home in case we need to swap out a rear tire. I'm assuming that for a short drive to a tire shop, the 145 should be fine on a rear wheel if needed ... kind of like those narrow mini-spares.

Any thoughts on that?

jray3 · Apr 27, 2012

As one who's driven on many an old, mismatched and under/oversized tire, I'd say that anything round and black that holds air and fits on the hub will work for a temporary spare.

Since we'll always be less than an hour from home in this car, I've instructed the wife unit on where to pull out one of the our Civic's studless winter wheel/tires in case of a flat on the i that can't be slimed and pumped up, so she can come to the rescue. (Hopefully the '92 Civvy will be retired by next winter and I'll have a ready set of winter tires for the i.) Haulin a spare in these cars doesn't sound like fun, given the limited storage space and range penalty for added weight (but might be a good excuse to get the hitch receiver from Torklift Central- you'd have a rally-ready i with that spare hanging out back). For a dedicated spare, getting an unused compatible donut spare from a wrecking yard should be super-cheap, as those things are nothing but a liability (not supposed to send mounted tires through the car shredders, and it costs more to demount a tire than the scrap steel rim is worth).

TaosEV · Apr 27, 2012

Thanks for the idea to check a scrapyard, jray3 ... I hadn't thought about finding a spacesaver spare already on a 4x100 wheel.

We don't plan to carry the spare with us in the i. Our other car is a Ford Escape Hybrid ... plenty big to bring the spare and a jack along if we need the pit stop.

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