New Tire and Rotation

[Marinna]

I am still on the stock Michelin ATX Trail and are looking to get a more versatile tire

One debate I have is that whether I should replace all 5 tires and have them rotated as 5 or never to bother with the spare and just do the 4 tires? LC has all the MTS and lockers and I don’t know if I simply replace one tire for the roadside event would it cause any issue, after my tires get old and wear significantly?

Any suggestion?

 

[jenos96]

I am still on the stock Michelin ATX Trail and are looking to get a more versatile tire

One debate I have is that whether I should replace all 5 tires and have them rotated as 5 or never to bother with the spare and just do the 4 tires? LC has all the MTS and lockers and I don’t know if I simply replace one tire for the roadside event would it cause any issue, after my tires get old and wear significantly?

Any suggestion?

Get all 5, especially if you’re out on rocky trails. The OEM Michelins puncture if you look at them wrong.

Last thing you want is for your only spare to get a flat

 

[Marinna]

Get all 5, especially if you’re out on rocky trails. The OEM Michelins puncture if you look at them wrong.

Last thing you want is for your only spare to get a flat

I am worrying the problem before I get the chance to flat my spare.

The question is really about what is LC's tolerance for unevenly worn tires?

If I get 5 and rotate all of it, I can only tolerate 1 tire failure otherwise I worry I might need to get a new 5-wheel set again if they are unevenly worn. With 4 I don't really know how much LC can still run with a spare that has slightly different size. Some car like Subaru is extremely sensitive to this.

Perhaps people coming from 4-Runner can share their experience?

 

[PACruiser]

If money is no concern the get the 5 and rotate. In many cases, it will be better/necessary to replace the flat tire so you will be buying a new tire anyway at a time when you may not have much choice or purchasing power. Thus there is an argument that in the long run, you will pay about the same and having 5 equals will give you more flexibility.

 

[NoMe cruiser]

I always purchase 4 tires. I’m not one to get aggressive tires that are 3” larger in diameter than OEM. My rule of thumb is that if your tires are within an inch (height)of your spare I would not worry about it. Anyone who goes 4wheelin far from civilization should carry some plugs and compressor. Imo a spare is just that and get your tire fixed asap.

 

[Marinna]

If money is no concern the get the 5 and rotate. In many cases, it will be better/necessary to replace the flat tire so you will be buying a new tire anyway at a time when you may not have much choice or purchasing power. Thus there is an argument that in the long run, you will pay about the same and having 5 equals will give you more flexibility.

Say I get 5 new tires

4 years later they are worn, one of them got punctured and I put spare tire on. Then I will have to buy another brand new one, say 1/2 inch bigger since it is branch new.

Now three months passed, I get the second flat. When I put my brand new tire on, they will be 1/2 inch bigger than my other 3.

This is where my question comes in. What should I do now? I could, instead of buying another one, buy two and put the old one back to spare. But now can I still engage central diff knowing my front tires are not in the same size as rear. or it does not matter?

This is a new problem for me because my last SUV does not have central diff or MTS. It is dumb and simple as hell

Only healthy solution I can think of is that when the second tire in the original set is done, replacing all 4 tires with the same new one I placed in the spare calling the end of its life cycle

 

[neema2k]

This is up to the person. Like it was said before as long as you're close in size. The 5 out is nice but there are some things to consider.

If you go 265/70/18 then the spare would fit for that same size and maybe a 5 out is a good option.

Let's say you go 275/70/18. Well the spare situation is pretty ugly for 275s as they don't really fit well in the spare spot and you end up losing ground clearance for that spare hanging low under your car. Maybe in that case you can get away with a 265/70/18 spare. The difference in radius is only 7mm.

Also if you keep a tiny air compressor and a flat repair kit in the car, you may be able to fix your flat and not even use the spare.

I keep a repair kit in the compartment by the battery where they have the lug wrenches.

Take your time with your research and see what's right for you. I almost made a couple of decisions that I would've regretted if I rushed my upgrades. Look into weight differences and impact on your car's get up and fuel mileage. You may even end up deciding between E rated and SL tires.

 

[PACruiser]

I haven't checked what the tolerance is on the LC yet but this article has a good summary. Vendor recommendations range between 2/32 (6.25%) to 30% variance on the same axle.

Interestingly, there is also a service costing about $25 per tire to "shave" the larger tires down to within tolerence . That might be a useful option for a new single tire replacement.

Do All 4 Tires Need To Match On An All-Wheel Drive Or Four-Wheel Drive Vehicle?

 

[Marinna]

This is up to the person. Like it was said before as long as you're close in size. The 5 out is nice but there are some things to consider.

If you go 265/70/18 then the spare would fit for that same size and maybe a 5 out is a good option.

Let's say you go 275/70/18. Well the spare situation is pretty ugly for 275s as they don't really fit well in the spare spot and you end up losing ground clearance for that spare hanging low under your car. Maybe in that case you can get away with a 265/70/18 spare. The difference in radius is only 7mm.

Also if you keep a tiny air compressor and a flat repair kit in the car, you may be able to fix your flat and not even use the spare.

I keep a repair kit in the compartment by the battery where they have the lug wrenches.

Take your time with your research and see what's right for you. I almost made a couple of decisions that I would've regretted if I rushed my upgrades. Look into weight differences and impact on your car's get up and fuel mileage. You may even end up deciding between E rated and SL tires.

I am replacing my OE tire to KO3 but I am not messing with tire size. Too many things get messed up with size upgrade. Only the spare rotation is a tricky thing for this type of car

 

[neema2k]

I am replacing my OE tire to KO3 but I am not messing with tire size. Too many things get messed up with size upgrade. Only the spare rotation is a tricky thing for this type of car

Well if your OE tires are 265s and you replacing them with 265 I wouldn't worry about the spare. As long as they're the same size.
I doubt any dealership would do a 5 out rotation.

 

[J44]

I am replacing my OE tire to KO3 but I am not messing with tire size. Too many things get messed up with size upgrade. Only the spare rotation is a tricky thing for this type of car

I agree, and just leave the OE spare….making work for no reason. That spare will get you home if needed.!