Tire Punchture -- Thoughts/Ideas?

[mcmonroe]

Lets talk about getting a puncture on a rear tire. Lets assume that the puncture is so severe that it requires the tire to be replaced. Common logic says to always replace the tires -- especially the rear ones -- in pairs.

However -- lets say you have a brand new set of tires and 50 miles down the road the rear tires gets a massive puncture. Ahhh -- so perhaps there are points where replacing a single tire makes sense both from a mechanical and economic stand point. :)

I think that was can all agree that if your brand new Corvette/Truck/SUV only has 50 miles on the tires that it would be just fine to only replace one single rear tire if you had a massive puncture.a

Ok -- lets make things more interesting. Lets say the vehicle has 100, 500, 1000, 2,500, 5,000, 10,000, 25,000, 50,000 miles? At what point does the bias start leaning towards replacing both -- versus only one?

I just had such a rear puncture on a set of tires that have 4,900 miles on them and only replaced one. I am one of those Type A obsessives and I am trying to determine whether I am simply being anal with my worries with regards to replacing both tires versus the one.

I measured the tread depth (tires are LT245/75-16 with an overall diameter of 30.5 inches when new) and there about an 1/8 inch difference between the current tires and the new one.

So what should I have done? <huge grin>

:)

Mark

[saywhat]

With a 1/8 inch difference I would just run it and forget it.If it were 1/4 inch or more I probably would drive myself nuts trying to justify buying all four tires.You are lucky!

[Runaway]

Run it and quit worrying!!!

I just replaced my OEM Firestones about two weeks ago because I had a pucnture on rear tire. They had 45,000K. Was just going to plug the tire and run them out , but with another westward trip in a few weeks I just decided to replace them now and be done with it. They were on the wear bars.

If I would have been in your situation, I would have just replace the bad tire if pucture was too large to be repair. ;)

[okauto]

You should be fine. If you had more miles on it, you could still purchase just one and install it along with your spare tire that is probably brand new. Keep your other good tire for a spare. If you do only replace one, put it on the right rear - passenger side-, as it usually wears fastest due to the driveline rotation and torque from the rear end.

[Ranger354]

I would have to replace it with the spare and make the plugged/patched tire your spare. I have a tire on my jeep that has a patch and a boot on the inside. Doesn't leak any air and it makes a good spare tire. Spares are to just get you to the nearest tire store. No sence in buying a new tire when you have so few miles on them. Now, with that being said. That is only if these are the factory tires that came with your new truck. If these are tires bought later. Take it back and get it prorated under the road hazzard warranty.