Zack Posted May 4, 2005 Share Posted May 4, 2005 Hello - I just blew out the front passenger side tire on my 1990 Legacy AWD wagon (auto shift) -- ran over a garden hoe left in the middle of the interstate next to a construction site! My tires are nearly new, and have only 3,800 miles on them (Yokohama Avid Touring). Can I buy a new Yokohama Avid Touring tire and assume that the circumference will be sufficiently close (1/4") to that of the other tires with 3,800 miles of wear to avoid any transfer clutch problems?? Incidentally, I had to drive 100 miles on the doughnut spare in order to get home last night. I put the spare on the passenger side front, disabled AWD by installing the FWD fuse, and kept my speed under 45mph. Is there any chance I might have damaged the transfer clutch? Thanks for any advice! Zack 1990 Legacy Wagon AWD auto 158,000 miles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuBrat84 Posted May 4, 2005 Share Posted May 4, 2005 Sounds to me like you should be alright! Best of luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderhound Posted May 4, 2005 Share Posted May 4, 2005 If you are really worried about it you can get the tread depth measured on the used tires and take the new one to a tire shop that will shave it down to the same depth. But those are like 70K mile tires right? So I can't see 3800 having used up any measurable amount of tread unless you drive hard or have a poorly aligned car. Like my 75K mile tires that are looking half worn after 16K...ouch. As for driving on the spare I wouldn't worry about it...it the clutch pack goes out soon you can blame it on yourself but who's to say what did it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swc7916 Posted May 4, 2005 Share Posted May 4, 2005 This is why I purchase the hazard warrantee when I buy new tires. I had a set of Michelin tires on my '96 Outback with about 20,000 miles on them when one of the tires got a puncture in the sidewall that was unrepairable. Because it is an all-wheel drive care, Discount Tire had to give me credit for all four tires. I know that the warrantee seems expensive when you are trying to save money on your tires but it can pay off, especially with a Subaru. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zack Posted May 5, 2005 Author Share Posted May 5, 2005 But those are like 70K mile tires right? So I can't see 3800 having used up any measurable amount of tread unless you drive hard or have a poorly aligned car. Right - they're 70k tires, I drive very gently, and the alignment is decent - at the edge of the official spec, since a slightly bent strut makes perfect alignment impossible... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerFahrer Posted May 5, 2005 Share Posted May 5, 2005 Just what powderhound said, check your treadwear on the others. I think you'll be okay, but it's definitely worth checking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setright Posted May 5, 2005 Share Posted May 5, 2005 Sounds like you have done everything by the book. You'll be fine to replace just the one tyre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjwirth Posted May 5, 2005 Share Posted May 5, 2005 Because it is an all-wheel drive care, Discount Tire had to give me credit for all four tires. is this hazzard warrentee (for AWD) good only for Discount Tire or is this a common practice among other tire retailers? After getting an unrepairable flat last year, I would consider getting somthing like this on my next set of tires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swc7916 Posted May 5, 2005 Share Posted May 5, 2005 is this hazzard warrentee (for AWD) good only for Discount Tire or is this a common practice among other tire retailers? After getting an unrepairable flat last year, I would consider getting somthing like this on my next set of tires. I don't know. All that I know is that I was pretty surprised and pleased when the salesman told me that since Subaru recommends replacing all four tires at the same time, then they had to replace all four when one was damaged beyond repair. I believe that Discount Tire will sell you a warantee on your tires even if you didn't buy them there - say you bought a new car and wanted to warantee the tires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rizzo Posted May 5, 2005 Share Posted May 5, 2005 is this hazzard warrentee (for AWD) good only for Discount Tire or is this a common practice among other tire retailers? After getting an unrepairable flat last year, I would consider getting somthing like this on my next set of tires. most places i've bought tires (town fair tire, firestone, other garages, etc) have offered the hazard warrantee on the tires. i am pretty sure that most will cover all 4 tires... honestly, most people who like their cars would want 4 matching tires even if it was FWD or RWD. best bet is to ask about it when you get your next set of tires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjwirth Posted May 5, 2005 Share Posted May 5, 2005 I don't know. All that I know is that I was pretty surprised and pleased when the salesman told me that since Subaru recommends replacing all four tires at the same time, then they had to replace all four when one was damaged beyond repair. Well, I just called 3 tire places, including a Discount Tire, and they all said the same thing- that the road hazzard warrenty applies only to the damaged tire. So for whatever reason, your store replaced the other 3 tires and I would consider yourself lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger83 Posted May 6, 2005 Share Posted May 6, 2005 Auto parts stores have tread wear gages. NTB will give you one, free. After nearly 20,000 miles my HydroEdge had worn 1/32nd, so at 3,800 it should be like new. You'll be able to tell if it's too big because the car will pull to the side of the old tire. Unlikely, though. They wear fastest when the tread is thick, so the new one will "catch up." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brus brother Posted May 6, 2005 Share Posted May 6, 2005 Incidentally, I had to drive 100 miles on the doughnut spare in order to get home last night. I put the spare on the passenger side front, disabled AWD by installing the FWD fuse, and kept my speed under 45mph. Is there any chance I might have damaged the transfer clutch? I read recently on this site that the recommended position for the donut spare is on the rear. I haven't had the time to check this information out. Probably just a fine detail but worth a look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zack Posted May 11, 2005 Author Share Posted May 11, 2005 Just bought a replacement Yokohama Avid Touring 185/70R14 tire. Just for the record, the new tire (inflated and under load) has 8mm tread depth. My 'old' tires (with 3,800 miles on them) have 7mm tread depth, so I match the maximum 1mm difference in tread depth allowed by Subaru. Lucky me. I'm a bit surprised that 3,800 miles of gentle driving would be enough to wear 1mm off of these tires, which are rated for high mileage (something over 70,000) and have a reptuation for longevity. Zack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frag Posted May 11, 2005 Share Posted May 11, 2005 Sorry to repeat myself, but if you want to be sure about things, do the following. Find an empty parking lot or something similar. Put a chalk mark on the front and back tires sides were they contact the ground. Drive the equivalent of 40 wheel revolutions in a straight line. Compare the marks. If front and rear circumferences are more than 1/4 inch apart, the marks will be more than 10 inches apart. That is much easier to see an measure than a 1/4 inch difference in circumference. When I did that test on my tires (5 year old Toyo Spectrum), the marks where less than 1 inch apart. That means that the difference in circumferences front to rear is around 1/40th of an inch. That really gave me some peace of mind. N.B.: Its important to check front and rear tire pressure before doing the test if you want the result to mirror actual driving conditions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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