tire replacement question

[rh71]

Mom's '10 C300 AWD w/ ~13k miles has a bubble in the left front tire sidewall and it looks like it's getting worse. Tread life all around is about 7/32" remaining. I can get a replacement of the exact model tire still. Can I just swap out 1 tire? I'm reading articles that AWD I should do all 4, but if it's just a "couple thousand" miles on them, I may be able to get away with it. What do you guys think?

Should we do at least both fronts maybe? If so, I'm thinking of switching to better Conti's instead of the current Conti's for the upgrade - then would the 2 sets of different models matter? The other factor is that they are all 4 years old now.

EDIT> 13k miles instead of 7k.

 

[xBiffx]

I think you would be ok with just one tire. New tires are probably around 10/32 so you aren't that far off. I would make sure it goes on the rear however.

If it were me though, given the age, I would change them all.

 

[rh71]

I think you would be ok with just one tire. New tires are probably around 10/32 so you aren't that far off. I would make sure it goes on the rear however.

The problem with that is they are staggered sizes. Fronts are slightly smaller.

 

[Wuzup101]

The problem with that is they are staggered sizes. Fronts are slightly smaller.

If they are staggered sizes you are probably good to just change the 2 on the axle and not the full set. You can also have a tire shaved at tire rack (I'm sure plenty of other places also perform this service). It costs like $30 but they should be able to more closely match your existing tire tread depth (if you only want to change one of them). That would allow you to get a new tire that is also at 7/32.

http://blog.tirerack.com/blog/motorsport-messages-from-marshall/tire-shaving-available-at-tire-rack

If I were to loose a tire on my evo X and have good tread left on the other three, I would definitely get tire rack to shave a new one for me.

 

[rh71]

^ thx wasn't aware of such a thing.

So $290 for 2 new (and better) fronts vs. ~$185 for a new shaved tire.

2 new fronts plus 2 old rears don't affect AWD?

 

[Jumpem]

I would do all four. I know that with Subaru it is a 2/32 tolerance.

 

[tortillasoup]

buy a used tire with the same tread depth and you'll be good to go. Get the exact same model tire though if you buy used.

However if your tires are fairly new which they appear to be, they should be covered under warranty for manufacturing defects and whatnot.

 

[smackababy]

^ thx wasn't aware of such a thing.

So $290 for 2 new (and better) fronts vs. ~$185 for a new shaved tire.

2 new fronts plus 2 old rears don't affect AWD?

It shouldn't really effect much in my experience. The only thing is they always recommend having the most traction in the rear (new tires if you have to buy new ones), to prevent the back end from sliding out. And, with the rear still good, it should be okay. Just recommend the next time to change all 4.

 

[NutBucket]

2 new fronts plus 2 old rears don't affect AWD?

What does the owner's manual recommend? That's the first place to start because of the car's AWD system.