Will a donut spare from a astro/safari van work as a spare?

[jesse977]

I dont have a spare for my 74 swb. I only drive it on weekends so i never really needed one. I noticed at the junkyard there are a bunch of spare donuts off astro and safari vans. Im thinking of using one of these as a spare. My truck is lowered 4 inches and im running 15x8 wheels. You guys think it will be ok to use these donuts as a spare? Just to get me Home in case of A flat. Thanks
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[v30crewcab]

pretty sure they are diff bolt pattern.

[Da88burban]

I know for sure the bolt pattern is the same because my old safari rims are on my 74' right now. I would think they would be ok as long as they do not rub.
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[77BBGMC]

I have one for a spare. Bolt pattern is the same but if I remember correctly it won't clear the rear drum. I've been watching Craigslist for a spacer to see if that would work if ever needed. Mine's not a dd, I really don't need a spare so it's not a big deal either way.
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[C-10 simplex]

Yes, and i've had to use it once (not a good story). But they work great for temp use:

i orginally wanted to try these spares because i thought i could fit it behind the seat. It will not fit. If you frequently haul heavy weights or tow alot, then you may want to consider a regular sized spare. Otherwise i think they work fine.




Here is the story with photos of the temp spare:

http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/sm...c,21374.0.html

[C-10 simplex]

p.S. i just read that it may not clear the drum?

Keep in mind that i have the 10 bolt rear axle and you guys with the 77 and 74 i think have a 12 bolt. So would that make a difference?

[Dion Hildebrandt]

I had one on my 1978 silverado, it seemed to fit fine. However I had a posi rear and I always figured if I needed to use it I would mount it on the front to avoid any issues with the posi traction, being different size and diameter to the regular wheels.

[RandyP]

Back in the 80/90's we used to get trucks in weekly that were theft recoveries. We had 4 complete sets of donuts, 2 sets for trucks and 2 sets for cars. If I remember from way back then, we used donuts from like the Caprice and Parisienne and they fit/cleared. I do seem to recall we had a couple of donuts that would only work for the front on trucks, or maybe it was only for the back. Something didn't clear from what I recall on a couple of the 5x5 donuts we had.