Because I drive such long distances, if I get a flat, I don't want to have to drive slow on the compact spare. Someone suggested I call around and find a FULL size spare tire and wheel at the junk yard. I'll look for the same 185-60R15 on 15x5-1/2J.

At the junk yard, should I look for a tire & wheel specifically from a Fit, from a Honda, or from just any car?

 

It will need to be the exact same bolt pattern (4x100) and center hole bore size (56.1). The offset can vary a bit between +53 and +40 or so.

Finding a wheel from a Fit would be your best bet. A Civic *might* work too - go to tirerack.com or another tire site and you should be able to figure out which cars use similar wheels.

es

 

The spare on the ex appears to be a full size spare to me. Doesn’t look like a typical donut.

 

Look again. It's a T135/80-15 according to Honda.

Being from the sticks myself I appreciate the utility of a full size spare. The diameter of the donut is roughly the same as the standard tire, but the width is 5 cm greater.

 

hmm i guess so, although not as puny as other honda spare wheels.

 

I looked up the specs on Tire Rack and they show that the outside diameter of the 135/80-15 donut is only 0.2" smaller than a 185/60-15 and the section width of the donut is 2" narrower. I wonder if one could fit a full size spare into the well by modifying the cover?

Is it too much to hope that they would have actually left room for a full-size spare?

 

Go find a 14" steel wheel off of a old Civic and put a 185/70/14 tire on it. It has the same lug pattern and hub bore and will work fine. I wouldn't try 13" steel, it will probably have caliper clearance issues.

If you can find a 15" steel wheel that's even better, but I highly doubt you will find one that's 4x100 with a ball seat in a junkyard unless you find a 2001-2004 Civic or something like that.

Whether or not it will fit in the spare tire area, I don't know, it will probably be an issue of the top not closing if anything, I know the GE has issues with that and larger sized spares, but it will physically fit inside for sure since the diameter is the same.

 

Hey George. If you havent done so already, I can pull one of my wheels this weekend and see if it fits in the spare tire well if you would like?

 

I'd love to see that! I'll bet the diameter fits but the width will not allow the lid to close.

Considering that the Fit doesn't have a spare at all in Japan I suppose that we should consider ourselves lucky. The ideal is to build a square compartment that would be storage in no-spare markets and would hold either a donut or a full size spare if the owner wanted.

On my Scion (a no-spare in Japan) the spare tire storage was really kludged. They actually include a net to secure regular tire in the cargo area when the spare is in use because a regular tire won't fit in the spare tire well, even badly. No explanation is given about what one would do with one's cargo so the spare can occupy that space! The sad thing is that there is a lot of unused volume under the spare tire well and Toyota could have made things fit easily, but opted not to do so.

 

Tirerack lists the wheels for the 2015 Fit: 45mm offset 15x6 4x100. But Americastire lists for a "2014" Fit 41mm offset. Does 4mm make than much difference?

 

I have 16x7 +40 wheels for my "summer" tires (205/50R16), and they will briefly rub if I hit a big bump. With the skinnier tires on 15" rims, you should be fine at +41.

es

 

I found a stock rim on Craigslist for $50. A guy was selling his 4 rims from an 2015 LX with same Fumagalli 50 offset. While traveling through NO SALES TAX Oregon I put a tire on it. The foam doesn't fit so I don't use it , instead I put chains, jumper cables, work light, etc. in wheel well.

 

If any of you get a full size spare and want to sell your OEM 135/80/15 spare, let me know! My Fit didnt even come with a spare tire, ugh, stupid Honda Canada.....got a tire inflation kit instead which comes with sealant that expires every 3 years....

So I'm eager to replace this silly kit with a tire... so let me know!