Whether to replace one or two or four tires.
I have a tire that cannot be fixed and needs replaced. My tires have 6/32 tread still on them. Should I get two new tires – replacing the bad tire – putting them on the front, get four new tires, or just replace the bad tire?
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Your tires have quite a bit of tread left on them. If the tires are worn irregularly or if they have a datecode indicating they are 10 years old or older, then they should be replaced. Otherwise, you need only replace the one damaged tire. Tires with the best tread should always be mounted on the rear axle (not the front) because that promotes vehicle stability during adverse conditions. If you desire a tire inspection performed by a certified Mechanic, dispatched by YourMechanic right to your location, please request a tire inspection and wear diagnostic and the responding certified mechanic will get your concerns addressed and resolved. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.
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It`s always best to replace all 4 tires at the same time. This is because all 4 tires spin independently of one another, and different tread depths and/or styles can cause them to spin at different speeds. That could potentially damage the drive train, and possibly affect an indirect TPMS system if the vehicle has one.
To achieve optimum vehicle handling, ride comfort, and road traction, it`s generally recommended that you have all four tires replaced at the same time.
If two of your tires wear out faster, it may only be necessary to replace those two instead of replacing all four. If you do, it`s important to have the two new tires installed on the back and the partially worn tires moved to the front – even on front-wheel-drive vehicles.
If your tires are pretty new, you may be able to get away with just replacing one or two tires. If your tires have worn down and there will be more than 4/32” difference between the new tires and old tires, you should get all new tires.
Most of the cars on the road today are front-wheel-drive, and a few are rear-wheel drive. These don`t necessarily need to have all four tires replaced at once. Usually two at a time is sufficient. But all-wheel-drive systems are becoming more popular, and they do require all four tires to be replaced at one time.
For optimal safety and performance, Continental recommends fitting the same tires to every wheel position on your car, so drivers should have the same brand, size, tread pattern, load index, and speed rating on the front and rear tires.
Rear tires provide the vehicle stability, and if they have little tread, then stability is lost. Although new front tires will spread water and maintain traction, worn tires in the back will hydroplane and may cause the vehicle to spin out, says Tire Review.
“Tire Rack`s advice is that if rain and wet roads are a concern, you should consider replacing your tires when they reach approximately 4/32″ of remaining tread depth.” Obviously the tread will wear away over the life of the tire and the volume of its tread grooves will be reduced.
If half or more of the tread on all four tires is gone, replacing just one tire will result in one wheel spinning at a slower rate than the others, possibly sending false signals to the traction control and antilock braking systems.
Ideally, you need to replace two tires with matching new ones. However, the most important thing is to install tires with similar performance features. For example, you should never put two high-performance tires with two touring tires. Generally, it`s smart to replace tires in pairs (both in the front or in the back).
Tire wear patterns: What can cause uneven tire wear? Uneven tire wear is usually caused by improper alignment, overinflation, underinflation or a worn out suspension.
For all-wheel drive to work properly, all four tires must have the same tread design, make and model. If they don`t, the computer won`t be able to get the correct reading, which could burn out the drivetrain.
It is recommended to replace all four at once because your tires are key to the performance and handling of your vehicle, it`s important for them to be as identical as possible. If your tires don`t match, one end of your vehicle may not be able to respond as quickly as the other, making it difficult to control.
Buying four tires will also open the door to cost savings per tire. Tires are periodically less expensive per tire when purchased in a set of four. Tire manufacturers often have special discounts that are only eligible for full sets of tires.
Under normal driving circumstances with a front-wheel drive vehicle (passenger cars, minivans, etc.), the front tires will wear at a slightly higher rate than the rear tires.
On average, people drive between 12,000 to 15,000 miles a year, which means the average good quality all-season tire will last somewhere between three and five years, depending on maintenance, driving style and conditions, etc.
So, how long should tires last? The straightforward answer is “it depends.” A normal set of tires should last for 60,000 to 75,000 miles, or about four to five years.
Replacing only one tire can cause that tire to spin at a slower rate. This can send false signals to antilock braking systems and traction control, which can cause dangerous errors. On AWD vehicles, it can cause the system to engage for no reason, wasting fuel at best and damaging the system at worst.
How long do tires typically last? Nowadays, tires are designed to last around 80,000 to 95,000 km, but that depends on the brand and type of tire as well as other factors, such as road conditions, climate, driving habits, whether or not you have neglected tire maintenance, and improper tire usage.
Two common causes of early tire wear out and irregular tire wear are improper inflation pressure and out-of-spec alignment conditions.
For instance, one of your right tires (front for a front-wheel drive car, rear for a rear-wheel drive car) will be subject to the most wear and tear, especially in a powerful vehicle. This is because slightly more power goes to the right side of the vehicle, because that is the side that hosts the drive wheel.
You do not want to mix old and new tires because they will have different wear and tear and different tread patterns. These differences can result in larger issues with your vehicle, such as things getting out of alignment, less traction with your vehicle, poor gas mileage, and more.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
Whether to replace one or two or four tires.
ANSWER : Your tires have quite a bit of tread left on them. If the tires are worn irregularly or if they have a datecode indicating they are 10 years old or older, then they should be replaced. Otherwise, you need only replace the one damaged tire. Tires with the best tread should always be mounted on the rear axle (not the front) because that promotes vehicle stability during adverse conditions. If you desire a tire inspection performed by a certified Mechanic, dispatched by YourMechanic right to your location, please request a tire inspection and wear diagnostic and the responding certified mechanic will get your concerns addressed and resolved. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.
Read Full Q/A … : Whether to replace one or two or four tires.
My tire is to the metal with no tread – I only have enough to get one tire. What tire do I replace?
ANSWER : Temporary spare tires are not meant to exceed 50 mph or be mounted on the car indefinitely. The safest route to take would be to replace the bad tire and return the spare to the trunk as soon as possible. That way, you have a new tire on the vehicle and use of the spare should another tire go bad before you can replace it. Driving with the spare on and no replacement tire should you get another flat will leave you stranded.
Read Full Q/A … : Whether to replace one or two or four tires.
How do I know I have two resonators? Can I have two mufflers in each side with one resonator? Which side is most important? Thank You.
ANSWER : You may have a single small resonator in the middle of the car that splits to the two mufflers. One on each side with single or dual tip outlets. The two mufflers are equal to each other to exit the exhaust flow. For more concrete advice, I’d recommend having an expert technician check out your specific muffler situation in person. A technician from YourMechanic can come to your home or office inspect your exhaust system and assist with any repairs that are needed.
Read Full Q/A … : Whether to replace one or two or four tires.
Advice for winter tires
ANSWER : 205/55R17 may be too tall for your vehicle. A couple of good sources to check size compatibility for your vehicle would be tirerack.com or maybe discounttire.com. Sites like Tire Rack specialize in winter tire packages and is a good source for fitment options. I have personally used Bridgestone and Dunlop snow tires and would recommend either. However, it is highly recommended that winter tires be mounted at all 4 corners. Having different tires with different capabilities not only makes the vehicle unstable, it will effect systems like the anti-lock brakes and traction control. Winter tires perform much better than summer or all-season tires do in ice and snow conditions. Having two tires with good winter traction and two with poor traction will have the anti-lock brake system working overtime. Also, sticking with a smaller tire for winter use is advisable. For ice and snow driving, you want the opposite for summer driving. Wide, low profile tires improve warm, dry weather driving. Tall, narrow, tires provide better control on snow and ice. Consider keeping your stock 16 inch wheels for winter use with winter tires mounted on them and maybe a nice set of 17 inch wheels and tires for summer use. I’ve done that with nearly every vehicle I’ve owned whether front, rear, or all-wheel drive.
Read Full Q/A … : Whether to replace one or two or four tires.
My audi q3 needs only one one tire replaced. It is a 2016 model with less than 5k miles. Will I still need to replace all 4 tires
ANSWER : Hello, thank you for writing in. While most will tell you replacing all four tires is necessary under most circumstances, if the other 3 tires are in good condition, replacing just the flat tire is acceptable. The problem with replacing one or two of the tires at a time, is that it will eventually lead to further drive train damage. In this situation you want to make sure the tread depth on the other tires is close enough to the tire tread on the new tire. It is also standard practice to run all four tires as the same make and model of tire. Having multiple brands and styles at once can add more stress to the system. Your owner’s manual will have more information on the vehicle and how to service the tires. If the flat tire is beyond repair, then you can just replace the one, assuming the other 3 tires do have good tread.
Read Full Q/A … : Whether to replace one or two or four tires.
Can I replace my 225/45R18 tires with 215/55R17 tires? The 215’s are what ALL tire sites say are original factory size
ANSWER : I owned a 2008 Sonata and currently own a 2015 Sonata Sport 2.0T Limited. With your generation as well as my 2015, the Sonata with the 2.0T engine has larger brakes so the 18 inch wheels make more room for them. Since yours is a 2.4 Limited, it only has the 18 inch wheels for appearance as all 2.4 ltr versions whether Base or Limited, have the same size brakes. I do not recommend a 215mm section width with the 18 inch wheels. The ride and handling will deteriorate badly. If you are sticking with the 18 inch wheels, then stick with the 225/45R18 tires. You can most certainly change down to the 215/55R17 tires AND wheels. Any 17 inch wheels listed for the Base, SE, GLS, etc will fit fine. The ride and handling will be different. It will ride a bit smoother as you are increasing the sidewall aspect ratio – 55 vs 45%. The will also be narrower – 215mm vs 225 mm. It may not grip as well in dry weather but you may notice a little better traction in wet and snowy conditions as there will be more weight concentrated on a narrower tread area. Your speedometer may be slightly off however. The average overall diameter of a 225/45R18 tire is 25.9 inches. So that makes for roughly 802 revolutions per mile. The 215/55R17 will have an average diameter of 26.3 inches and approximately 790 revolutions per mile. A slight difference that may only cause your speedometer to be off by 1-2 mph. On the up side, you may get a slight bump in miles per gallon. The taller tire will reduce engine rpms at highway speeds slightly. So if you are willing to reduce the wheels from 18 inch to 17 inch, then go ahead with the 215/55R17 tires. If you are keeping the 18 inch wheels, then stick with the 225/45R18 tires.
Read Full Q/A … : Whether to replace one or two or four tires.
Inside edge of tires wearing out too fast
ANSWER : There is a technical bulletin from the manufacture to check the alignment camber, and if the camber is out of specification, replace the right rear lower control arm to correct the alignment. As far as the other tires, you should have the complete system alignment checked, and if out of adjustment then the suspension checked for damage or worn out parts. Your camber is out of adjustment if it is wearing on the inside or outside of the tires. Make sure you get the alignment done at a place that has a state of the art newer machine, and not some old machine that may make things worse than they are now. Alignments need to be very precise to keep the tires from abnormal wear.
Read Full Q/A … : Whether to replace one or two or four tires.
I don’t know if I have two mufflers or one if I do have one what does the other one do ? Thank you.
ANSWER : When you look under the back of the car and you see only one pipe out the back then you have only one muffler and a resonator. The resonator is near the back and is used for lowering the exhaust noise more and giving it a better tone. If you see two pipes out the back then you may have only one muffler but two resonators. Next time you have a service done, then ask the mechanic to see what you have since there are different models of Accords and they may have different exhaust configurations.
Read Full Q/A … : Whether to replace one or two or four tires.
