One tire damaged beyond repair: Replacing just ONE?

[Sulaco]

Hey guys,

So I hit a big nail the other day. Right outside the tread lines. Tire guys say it's irreparable, and I had kind of figured that anyway based on location.

Wonderful.

I replaced all four of my tires last April with Michelin Pilot Super Sports, and have since put about 4,500-5,000 miles on the car and tires.

My question is: Can I replace just one of the tires (passenger front, fwiw) if it's the exact same model and size tire I'm replacing it with?

Again, tread life seems still very good on the other three, and I guess the MPSS have pretty good tread life. But I'm concerned what, if anything, replacing just one tire might do to the balance/feel of the car.

Your input is very much welcome!

 

[JulesMaximus]

What kind of car? If it's just a regular commuter and nothing high performance I'd say you're fine just replacing the one tire.

Worst case you could replace just the two on that axle but unless we're talking about an M3 or a Corvette I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[michal1980]

What kind of car? If it's just a regular commuter and nothing high performance I'd say you're fine just replacing the one tire.

Worst case you could replace just the two on that axle but unless we're talking about an M3 or a Corvette I wouldn't worry about it.

I would add, that it also depends on being awd or not, some systems dont like even small differences in size.

You can measure the amount of thread left on that good tire, and compare that to how much thread a new tire will have.

If you are really worried, I think some places shave tires.

 

[jlee]

Year/make/model and is it AWD?

http://www.weareaccurateautomotive.com/blog-0/bid/128677/Tires-for-All-Wheel-drive-vehicle-Beware

What's the tread depth reading on your current tires? TireRack can also shave tires (for a $25-35 fee) to match a replacement to the other three.

 

[Sulaco]

Oops! Sorry...car is an '06 Mazda MX-5.

 

[RLGL]

Oops! Sorry...car is an '06 Mazda MX-5.

Short answer is YES. Put it on the rear and switch the fronts side to side.

 

[natto fire]

Short answer is YES. Put it on the rear and switch the fronts side to side.

This is what I would do. Any reputable tire shop will put the higher traction tires in the rear. I think the jury is still out as to whether it is a good idea to switch tires side to side anymore.

 

[ultimatebob]

One of the tires on my 2012 Cruze got sidewall punctured at 12,000 miles, and I only replaced that one tire.

It rides fine, but looks kinda funny 50,000 miles later. The other tires are now shot, but that one other tire still looks new

 

[railer]

Even the crookedest tire shop in the known universe wouldn't recommend replacing all four tires if you had a puncture in one. Replace the bad tire and move on.

 

[natto fire]

Even the crookedest tire shop in the known universe wouldn't recommend replacing all four tires if you had a puncture in one. Replace the bad tire and move on.

Or, if you have certain an AWD setup, the tire shop might be trying to avoid blowing up your center differential. The more shady places will ignore that, but the more reputable places will warn you about changing one tire