I have a bubble on my left front tire, so I will be replacing it. I know with All Wheel Drive you need to at least replace 2 tires at a time, so my question is should I replace just 2, as the tires aren't too worn, or would it be better replacing all four.

I cannot find locally the same tires that are already on the car, so I am leaning towards 4 tires so they all match, but with a kid on the way I could use the cost savings of only buying two, what are the pros and cons of buying just two?

 

No with awd you must replace 4 tires at a time. That is if you like having a transmission.

 

I did it for about 2 or 3 months, and nothing ever happend to my tranny. Of course, I didn't know that it could mess it up. Now I have the same tires on all 4 wheels. But I wouldnt chance it now that I know about it.

 

That isn't exactly correct. Every time you drove your tranny/transfer case fluid heated up by allowing one axle to spin faster than the other. This type of fluid will quickly deteriorate due to the higher temps and no longer do its job. It is definately not something one should willingly do.

 

Just so I don't always agree with benebob, get 12 tires. Just in case.

I didn't see your TVR at the Vintage GP yesterday benebob??

 

i got a question,

my rear tires are worn badly, fronts one are worn but they are still in good condition,

so is that bad to my tranny if i don't replace four of them soon?
aftre reading comments here i am worried

 

Yes. Think of it this way. The diameter of a tire varies based on the amount of tread. If the tires on one axle is worn more than the other then the one that is worn will need to spin more often in a mile than the other. No big deal on a f or r drive car but for an awd or 4wd car this is an issue. A part time 4 wheel drive system can only be driven off road or in slippery conditions which allows the tires to be corrected by slipping (same with around corners but that is a different story). If you drive a part time system on a dry road you'll understand what binding is. On an awd or full time 4wd system there is something which allows the slippage to occur internally allowing for the car to be driven in the dry (i.e. transfer case, tranny clutch packs etc depending on the manufacturer). The bad thing is this creats heat and in turn wears the part rapidly that is designed to provide the compensation. AWD cars need 4 tires of the same make and tread pattern with equal tread wear so rotation is a must for this type of vehicle.

 

Get all 4 new tires.

 

indeed

 

IMHO, get one or at most two tires. A certain amount of slip is engineered into the system, and tires having different diameters (we're talking millimeters here) can be accommodated and will wear in. If the car wears out, get another one.

Mind you, if you're loaded with $ AND are ****, get four tires.

 

Millimeters or 3/4 of an inch. No there is not a certain amount of "slip" engineered into the system. The slip you speak of is your clutch packs "slipping". Just like driving your car with your foot an inch down on your clutch. Tires are by far cheaper than a transmission is.

 

yeah, think about how many x-type owners there are and other all wheel drive system cars are out there. You think that if someone gets a nail in their tire they are going to replace the whole set. Maybe here on the forums yes, because we are into our cars but to the common folk that aren't into their cars like we are they will just go and get that one tire replaced. Maybe two so they can have them match on the axle. Just my thinking...

 

thanks for responding,

can anyone agree with this?

(it's not like i don't believe u, i am into cars, i like to take care of them and I am a student so i don't want to pay for big bills either)

if yes, what tires should i get?

i am on a budget, are continental extreme DWS are good or any other cheap tires..

 

Most "good" tire shops won't replace less than all 4 on an awd vehicle... Then again, isn't it funny that awd cars like Subarus and Jaguars have tranny issues as a whole. Most of the time this can be traced back to tire replacement issues at some point in the cars history. Has nothing to do with being on a forum or not. It has more to do with being smart or not. Pay less now or more later. Your choice.

 

Alright you seem adament on this one, so OP its your choice. The cost isn't that much more for 4 tires so if piece of mind is what you want go for all 4. In the long run its better anyways. But if you do decide to go for just 2 make sure its the same tire all around.

 

You can change 2 tires for short amounts of time. I put two new tires on for about a month but then got the other two replaced too. Get all four done at once it will ride alot better than doing two at a time.

 

I just had a flat on my X-type with Conti ProContacts that were getting quite worn (50K miles). I called a number of tire shops and not a one of them would just replace 2 tires because of the 4 wheel drive system. Some of my engineer cohorts agreed and some didn't. Since they don't sell tires, I ended up getting 4 Conti Extreme Contact DWS to replace the ProContacts. Haven't had them long enough to make any judgements other than they are much quieter than the ProContacts.