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.!

 

[NoMe cruiser]

If you need to lock the center differential chances are you are on a slippery surface or loose rock etc… at that point the difference in tire size becomes moot. A lot of people with jeeps get all 5 the same. The aggressive spare hanging off the rear gate looks cool.

 

[DD214]

My 2 cents is to get ll 5 and ask for a 5 tire rotation at the dealership for services. Seems like you would get 20% more tire life.

 

[Area 51]

Leave your spare alone as a spare if you standardize on a top rate tire like a Mich LTX, either version.
Rotate the four on the ground, change out together as a ROT.
You always want your spare to be perfect and have no doubts. The rim is different as well.
If you perceive changing tire types you should consider two sets of rims, seasonal changes work well. Two distinctly different tire types is always fun. If you run the same size regardless of the type you can fake it with the spare if you ever need it.
You may want to learn how to use tire repair kit for field us and carry an air tank or pump, you can usually repair punctures that way and keep going,,,,,, without a tire change.

 

[uraniumrich]

Leave your spare alone as a spare if you standardize on a top rate tire like a Mich LTX, either version.
Rotate the four on the ground, change out together as a ROT.
You always want your spare to be perfect and have no doubts. The rim is different as well.
If you perceive changing tire types you should consider two sets of rims, seasonal changes work well. Two distinctly different tire types is always fun. If you run the same size regardless of the type you can fake it with the spare if you ever need it.
You may want to learn how to use tire repair kit for field us and carry an air tank or pump, you can usually repair punctures that way and keep going,,,,,, without a tire change.

Maybe you don't realize that the spare on the LC is identical to the other four wheels (both the rim and the tire)???

 

[Area 51]

Maybe you don't realize that the spare on the LC is identical to the other four wheels (both the rim and the tire)???

Nope sure did not ,I thought the spare rim was aluminum.
Still would always keep the pare perfect for if and when needed.

 

[uraniumrich]

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?

I think a lot depends on your planned use for the LC. I went through a pretty long process deciding what to do both for rims and tires on my LC. Here's a link to the thread: Method 703s & Falken WildPeak AT4. With more than 2000 miles on the new setup, I'm thrilled. Check out the thread if you want an extended explanation for my choices.

Short version - I chose Falken WildPeak AT4Ws in 255/80R17 (true 33") to go with Method 703 (+35) rims. I purchased a full set of 5 rims, 5 OEM TPMS, and 5 tires. I will rotate the tires including the spare over time. I also kept my OEM 20" wheels. I'll use the WildPeak during the winter months and summer months (when I'm taking the LC off-road). During the rest of the year, I'll take advantage of the better ride/handling and higher MPG of the OEM tires. Again, rotating out all 5.

My speedo with the 33" tires matches almost exactly to my measured speed (based on radar readings I see from roadside speed checks.) The small increase in size may have actually improved the accuracy of my speedo.

If you aren't off-roading and will only use the spare as a spare, you absolutely could go with four new tires. The small difference in rotations between two similarly sized (but different) tires would be easily absorbed by a Torsen diff. Plus, you should never have a spare on for very long anyway. Thinking over the past 30 plus years of driving, I think I've had a spare on my vehicle only once and for less than 60 miles. That's over 1,000,000 miles of driving. I've had more than one flat, but I always noticed the flat at home and took the tire off and got it repaired, no spare required.

Having said that, I went with 5 because I'll be off-roading.

 

[Markarian421]

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

FWIW, running strong AT tires (mostly BFG ATs, Duratracs, one set of General Grapplers) I've never had to replace a flat. I get very few flats, mostly slow leaks at worse that are easily repairable. I also don't rock crawl a lot, sidewall damage hasn't been an issue. And several of those were LT E load, you might not want that much weight on the Land Cruiser. But I guess what I'm saying is, if you get a tough AT tire, no guarantees but maybe you won't have to replace flats as much as you're thinking?