View Full Version : Single tire replacement question
vwnobby
05-24-2010, 05:44 PM
So I need to replace a single tire on my car. Dealer must have been too lazy to remove the tire from the wheel to patch a very slow leak, so they decided to plug it instead. Needless to say, they did a botched job and now the tire won't hold any air. Anyway, my concern is that the other 3 tires have ~12,000 miles on them, will getting a new one screw with the quattro system? I've heard that if the tread depth varies, it may cause issues. True or not? Also, the fronts were worn down a bit more than the rears, would this also be cause for concern, again in regards to the quattro system?
bigblue
05-24-2010, 06:05 PM
Well... at my shop we don't patch anything... you can't just glue a rubber patch in since its not safe. The industry standard is to plug the hole, remove the tire from the rim, apply a prebuff solution to the area to be sealed. Then you apply liquid rubber and allow to dry. A lot of places just shove a plug in though which usually tend to just pop out. As for replacing one tire, its kind of risky business. What brand tires are they? size? You should check how many 32nds are on each tire and then get the measurement from the new tire. It must be within 2/32nds difference according to the dealership as I work closely with the local audi dealership. At our shop we usually won't allow replacement of one tire on an awd vehicles since it has been proven to be able to cause damage to the rear end and transmission. I haven't seen many problems with audi but a ton on subaru since they're setups are symmetrical awd and are built of inferior parts.
hercfe
05-24-2010, 06:07 PM
As long as the outside diameter is within about 3% you will be ok. I wouldn't put a brand new tire against a bald tire. As long as you don't drive like an ass, you should have PLENTY of tread left on 12k tires.
vwnobby
05-24-2010, 07:31 PM
My mistake, I thought (and heard) that plugging the tire was not as common any more. Still annoyed that a relatively new tire has to be tossed because the repair didn't work. Anyway, I have Goodyear Eagle GTs 235/40ZR18. I'll have to measure the tread depth tomorrow, but I do know that my rear pair (used to be in the front, just got them rotated) are more worn out than the fronts were. Does that matter as well? Do all 4 tires have to be within a certain depth of each other? Thanks for the info guys!
P0234
05-24-2010, 07:33 PM
As was mentioned, it depends on how much wear the tire had, if you really babied the tires, a new one shouldn't be much of an issue, but if they are more than a 1/4 way down, you could:
- have someone try to patch it the right way
- grab a used tire off ebay
- buy a new tire and have it shaved to match the rest
B-Time
05-24-2010, 10:17 PM
- buy a new tire and have it shaved to match the rest
Best solution. TireRack will shave a new tire to match the others.
beantown
05-25-2010, 06:04 AM
Best solution. TireRack will shave a new tire to match the others.
^^^This
vwnobby
05-25-2010, 06:35 AM
I'm getting the tire from the dealer (I have wheel & tire protection so the cost of the tire is covered). I guess I'll take it to Goodyear and have them shave it down. Thanks for the info!
I'm getting the tire from the dealer (I have wheel & tire protection so the cost of the tire is covered). I guess I'll take it to Goodyear and have them shave it down. Thanks for the info!
Just make sure NOT to mount the tire until it is shaved. They will not shave a tire if it's been on the road due to the possible damage any rocks and debris embedded in the tire could cause to whatever they use to shave.
vwnobby
05-25-2010, 07:41 AM
Just make sure NOT to mount the tire until it is shaved. They will not shave a tire if it's been on the road due to the possible damage any rocks and debris embedded in the tire could cause to whatever they use to shave.
Good to know, thanks!
bigblue
05-25-2010, 08:12 AM
Keep us posted on this shaving.