If you have a problem with one tire, you might ask yourself, “do I need to replace more than one tire at a time?” The short answer is yes. Depending on your vehicle’s type, you might even need to replace all four tires simultaneously.
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Your vehicle’s tires are one of the most important components that interact with their roads continuously. Therefore, it is important to maintain these tires and prevent sudden problems by checking them frequently and fixing their problems whenever they occur.
While regular maintenance should take care of most tire problems, sometimes you might deal with a single problem related to only one tire. For example, you might drive over a strong element that caused only one tire damage.
It might sound like a very straightforward fix where you must replace that one tire and move on. However, you don't know that your vehicle's tires, either in the four of them or probably two of them at least on the same axle, should be balanced and act the same all the time. In other words, when you use your car, all tires must have the same pressure, the same amount of wear and tear, the same model, and the same design.
Any issues with the mentioned factors can lead to significant problems that might cause your life. Therefore, to prevent such consequences, one of the first questions that could come to your mind is, “do I need to replace more than one tire at a time?”
This article provides you with all you need to know to answer the question, and it will confirm to you whether you can only change one tire or what you must change two on the same axle or probably the four tires. So, let's take a closer look Below!
Do I Need to Replace More Than One Tire at a Time?
The short answer is yes. According to automotive experts, you'll need to replace all four tires if you have a problem with one tire. If you decide to buy a new tire, it won't have the same inflation and the same degree of wear and tear. Therefore, the balance of your vehicle will be impacted.
When the car's balance is impacted, you can easily deal with unpredicted problems, especially controlling your car. Your vehicle will be tilted to one side more than the other, and therefore, all that pressure will be forced to go towards one side, causing some problems not only to the tires but also to the suspension system and the other components.
Let's take a closer look at some of the common reasons why not to change only one tire at a time:
1. Imbalanced tire pressure
The first and most important reason for never replacing one Terra time is the imbalanced tire pressure. The new tire will have more pressure than the old one, and even if you can adjust the tire pressure, that new tire will behave differently, and still, your vehicle will not have the right balance.
2. Uneven tire tread
The only problem is that it will have a deeper tire tread depth when you install a new tire. Typically, it should measure around 32 inches. However, older tires will have way less tire tread. Therefore, the way your vehicle wears out overtime will be different, and that's why driving your car will not be as smooth as it should, and other problems might be introduced to some components like this pension system.
3. Vehicle type requirement
Sometimes certain vehicles manufacturers will require you to replace all four tires simultaneously. Failing to do so might cause issues with your warranty and could probably introduce some problems to your system.
For example, automotive experts recommend replacing the four wheels simultaneously if you're driving an all-wheel-drive car. So you can't even rely on replacing two tires on the same axle. Similarly, even if you're driving a conventional four-wheel car, you are still recommended to replace the four tires.
On the other hand, there are some exceptions for replacing the tires. For instance, some front or rear-wheel-drive cars might allow you to replace only the two tires on the same axle. This, however, is not the common convention in all vehicles, and you must check with your manufacturer to confirm whether you can do this or not.
What to do if I have a bad tire?
If you confirm that you are dealing with only one bad tire, then you must follow certain steps, including:
1. Check with your vehicles type
Depending on your vehicle size, if you are lucky enough, your vehicle's manufacturer might allow you to replace two tires on the same axle. Therefore, you can go from there and replace only the two tires. However, as we mentioned before, many automotive experts and manufacturers will still ask you to replace the forward tires.
2. Check the other tires
Even if are manufacturer confirmed that you can replace two tires simultaneously, it might be the perfect timing now to replace all tires. For example, if you didn't replace the tires for a long time or performed the right number of tire rotations and got to a point where all the tires aren't in bad condition, you should consider listing the four.
3. Consult your mechanic
Sometimes it can be unclear to inexperienced drivers inside that they should replace all four tires simultaneously. That's why reaching out to your mechanic would help you save a lot of time and give you some insights into whether you should replace the four tires or only two on the same axle. Your mechanic might even notice any unclear wear and tear on your vehicle's remaining tires to recommend replacing all of them simultaneously.
4. Consider ways to save money on replacing your tire
While there are some standard prices for tires cost, especially if you're driving a luxury car, there are simpler ways you can implement to save on tire replacement costs. For example, you can check with your vehicle's warranty and see if certain repairs are covered. Also, you might want to consider checking any coupons or other discounts through local repair shops or dealerships that you can take advantage of.
Sometimes, if you don't have the budget and think replacing the four tires might be a big deal for you, you can check some of the used ones. Plenty of used tires should cover you for a specific season where you don't have to break your budget. However, you must get these used tires from or liable resource to prevent buying tires that have problems or could put your life at risk.
5. Think twice before buying tires online
Although everything is online, you can almost order anything you're looking for. However, when it comes to buying tires, many automotive experts recommend not to rely on online resources.
There are many reasons to prevent you from buying tires online, including risks of buying tires wrong sizes or probably poor quality. In addition, sometimes our plenty of scammers out there who might post the tire and say it's brand new, and then at the end of the day, you get surprised that the tire is not in good condition.
The other thing to think about is the installation. When buying a tire through a local dealership or repair shop, you must worry about the installation. However, buying tires online requires figuring out how and where to install the tires. Therefore, you must evaluate the situation and confirm whether it works for you to buy tires online or not.
Do I Need to Replace More Than One Tire at a Time? FAQs
In this section, we will cover some of the FAQ about replacing the tires, especially those related to the number of tires needed to be replaced simultaneously.
1. Is it OK to replace just one tire on a car?
As we mentioned earlier, it is never OK to replace one tire at a time. You should consult your mechanic or your vehicle's manual to confirm whether you can replace only two but not one.
2. Is it better to replace all tires at once?
It depends. Sometimes if you just replaced your tires a couple of weeks ago and one of them got sudden damages, your mechanic might assume that these tires are still in good shape, and installing a new tire will not make a huge difference. Therefore, we highly encourage you to consult your mechanic and understand what's possible before spending too much money.
3. Is it OK to only replace two tires?
It could be OK if your vehicle's suspension system and design allow it. However, as we mentioned earlier, some of the all-wheel-drive vehicles might not accept replacing only two tires simultaneously because all these wheels work together to brake and accelerate. So if you decided to replace only two tires, the whole system could get Disturbed.
4. Do I have to replace all four tires on 4WD?
Unfortunately yes. Automotive experts mentioned that replacing less than four tires on your four-wheel drive vehicle leads to significant problems on the tires and the drivetrain. In addition, as you might already know, the amount of money you're trying to save by not replacing the tires can introduce problems that should cost you thousands of dollars which is way beyond what the four tires cost.
5. Should you change all four tires at once?
Most likely, yes. If you want to stay on the safe side and you don't want to deal with problems, it's better for you to replace old tires simultaneously.
6. How much does it cost to replace all four tires?
The price range differs significantly depending on your vehicle's type, the tier status, the location where you get the job done—typically, replacing the four tires that cost you somewhere between $525 and $725. However, if you're driving a luxury car, repair costs can jump significantly to approach 1000, if not more.
Therefore, if you got to a point where you think that repair costs are piling up, you should think of ways to save money on replacing the tires, or probably you might want to rely on using decent used tires for a little bit of time before switching all the tires to the original or the better quality ones.
Final thoughts
Tires problems are very common, and when they happen, you should take care of them immediately if you want to continue driving your car safely. Unfortunately, one of the very challenging situations is when you're dealing with a problem only in one tire. Many people think that you can easily replace that one tire; however, that's not the case.
This article provides you with details about why you should never replace one tire simultaneously. Instead, you should replace all four tires, but in some instances, you might be allowed to replace two tires on the same axle.
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