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Can I replace just one damaged tire?


ruspider

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Hi everyone. I have a 2013 SXT fwd and need to replace rear right tire do to a nail real close to the sidewall.

I called CS and she said I need to replace in pairs. She then called the dealership and they said it is only 'recommended' and that I could replace just one.

I have factory Kumho Solus kh16, 225/65/17 with 5/32 left with 31,000 miles.

I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts or suggestions for me?

Thanks

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5/32 is serviceable for two tires. Technically, you can replace one tire at a time (since it's not AWD), but it's not a great idea - especially with nearly a 1/2" difference in outer tire diameter from one wheel to the other. The newer tires should be on the back since you can better correct for understeer due to the fact that you can actually feel the front wheels through the steering wheel.

You're best bet? Get the two closest matching wear tires and put them on the front. Get two new Kumho Solus (or other similar) tires and put them on the back. Discard the tire with a hole and keep the 3rd original as a spare for the front wheels for the next year (if you have space to store it - keeping the tire will save you the cost of a second new pair for the first problem and only cost you about $15-$20 to have it mounted). When the next tire rotation comes around, replace the front tires, move the rear wheels to the front, and put the two newest Kumho Solus (or an exact match to what you put on now) on the back. By that point, the remaining OEM tires will be at or near discard tread depth anyway. Also, when that happens, discard the 3rd OEM tire as it will no longer be a useful spare tire.

Edit: Assuming you go this route, once the second pair of new tires are on, you most likely can resume a normal tire rotation schedule.

Edited by bfurth
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every one will jump on me for this but unless the nail is in the sidewall,as long as it is in the tread part, if you can find some one to plug-patch it you can use it on the rear tire within normal reason. have done it many times. problem is finding a station that will fix it for you. other than that buy some new tires its up to you. good luck.....

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The good news is since you do not have AWD, you can replace in pairs. AWD throws a tantrum when you don't rotate routinely or replace in full sets.

If I was in your position and the one tire was not repairable, I would first consider doing all four. At 5/32, you've less than 25% tread. More than likely, at that point *my* wallet would tell me to go piss up a rope, so I would simply buy a pair of new tires roughly similar to the current set size and put them on the back. By the time you need to rotate, the front factory set will be ready for replacement as well.

If money is truly driving this question, you can go one step down and ask the tire shop if they have a same size used tire in stock with roughly similar tread, and replace the one tire. I did this with my R/T RWD Charger when I had a flat in the dead of the winter and it was -15F without the wind chill. I drove to work (3 miles at the time) on the flat, then went to the shop around the corner at lunch and had them replace that one tire, since driving on it shredded it internally. A couple months later I got my tax return and used it to buy four new tires since the old ones were due anyway. The used tire got me back on the road just fine until I could do that, and allowed me to end up with four identical tires with identical wear.

Having said that, where is the puncture? If the puncture is in the tread and more than two-fingers-width from the sidewall (edge of the contact patch, where the wear on the tire visibly stops), any competent tire shop can dismount the tire, patch it from the inside, and remount/rebalance it for you for not much money. $10-15 for the remount/balance plus a few bucks for the patch. I've had two 20" tires done that way with zero problems, including one now on my summer car that I discovered on a road trip last fall. 5000 miles since repair and it's pressure is still the same as the other unpunctured tires, repaired at Belle Tire (who does it at no charge).

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Thanks to everyone who took the time to reply with great information.

As it turned out, I found a small tire and rim shop(cash only type) to plug it and send me on my way. $13

Since I don't really care for these tires in general, I was going to replace all 4 in the spring.

I first went to Walmart where he put the tire in water, showed me the small nail or part of a staple and said it was too close to the sidewall to repair but left the nail in.

Then got a second opinion from Discount Tire where the tech didn't bother to put it in water. He found the small nail and removed it. Oh no.

That left me with a tire that lost 3-4 lbs a day instead of one that I could fill up weekly basically forcing me to get another tire.

After I mentioned he should of asked me first to remove the nail he offered to put the nail back in.....Humm... no thanks.

I hope the plug works until I'm ready to get new tires.

Hope this tread might help someone like me who may have the same situation as me!

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Thanks to everyone who took the time to reply with great information.

As it turned out, I found a small tire and rim shop(cash only type) to plug it and send me on my way. $13

Since I don't really care for these tires in general, I was going to replace all 4 in the spring.

I first went to Walmart where he put the tire in water, showed me the small nail or part of a staple and said it was too close to the sidewall to repair but left the nail in.

Then got a second opinion from Discount Tire where the tech didn't bother to put it in water. He found the small nail and removed it. Oh no.

That left me with a tire that lost 3-4 lbs a day instead of one that I could fill up weekly basically forcing me to get another tire.

After I mentioned he should of asked me first to remove the nail he offered to put the nail back in.....Humm... no thanks.

I hope the plug works until I'm ready to get new tires.

Hope this tread might help someone like me who may have the same situation as me!

i always have them use the plug that has a patch built into it double protection. sometimes just a plug can fail and come out, usually cost around $20 as they have to break the tire down as vs just plugging it on the rim. i once bought a used truck tire that had a plug patch on the side wall near the tread never had any problem with it of course i didnt drive like a mad man with it and i made sure it was on the rear just in case...

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My tires nail was so close to the sidewall that the patch wouldn't even stay, threw a plug and called it a day, but if I had to change it would change 2 at a time and keep one as a spare, never know when you'll get a blowout or a bubble and a spare time at home helps

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