I got a bulge on my tire 4 days ago and I have some questions. My car is a 2006 WRX TR. The bulge is about 3 inches in diameter and needs replaced. The tire pressure didn't change after the incident and the tire is still in good condition. Since I am currently in Texas and in about one week I have to drive to Iowa, what would be the best thing to do? Replace the one tire with a used or new one? replace the front two? or replace all four tires before my drive?
Thanks!
All four tires must be of the same make/model, and must be within 2/32" of each other, or else you risk drivetrain damage.
You have a few options, both with their pros/cons:
1) Buy a replacement tire that's shaved to spec and have it mounted/balanced
2) Buy four replacement tires
Option 1: You're buying a new tire and then taking life away by shaving it down. For someone on a budget, this is the way to go as it will be like $25-30 to shave the tire in addition to the cost of the tire and whatever mount/balance fees your shop charges.
Option 2: You get all new rubber, but that's a significant expense, and you're left with three working tires that you have to deal with. You can sell them to recoup some of the costs, but you're going to take a financial hit. You'll need to pay for all four wheels to be mounted/balanced.
See what tread depth you have left on your other three tires, and make a financial decision which best suits you. If your tires are relatively new, you're probably better off with Option 1. If the tires are nearing the end of their life, you might be better off with Option 2. Option 2 also gives you the opportunity to try a different tread pattern / compound for different driving characteristics (e.g., you want a more aggressive tire for better traction at the limit or a more subdued tire for better gas mileage and tire longevity).
On our Forester I had a tire go bad and replaced just that one with a new one. Our tires were still fairly new and so a new one made sense. I used a different brand but one with a diameter just less than the diameter of the other three. So in my case I had one new tire with a diameter "very" close to what the three used ones were just by hunting for a tire of any brand with the right diameter. I now, though, run the risk of the two brands wearing differently. I mitigate this by frequent rotations, but still it is a risk.
I've also had this happen. I took a picture and sent it to the manufacturer via their website. They sent me a replacement tire to Discount Tire for me. They saw it as a defect. It's worth a shot. In my case, it was a Continental DWS.
there you go. Most often you buy lifetime warranty's for tires when you go to places - usually just a gimmick to get an extra $9-14/tire from you...but those warranty's are real if the tire randomly blows up or forms a bubble.
I had a tire with ~2000 miles on it totally obliterate itself while hauling with my silverado about 3 years ago (Scary AF). the blow also broke the spare tire mount (allegedly) and we had to break the mount off the truck in order to get the spare tire. New mount was $180
I wrote a letter to the manufacturer with pictures and a receipt for total work of new tire install + new spare tire mount. They sent me a tire gift card for $200. I ultimately paid I think 350 for labor, new tire, and the $180 spare mount. so they basically covered 1.5 tires...worth it to me!
So if I get just 2 new tires in the front, just so i can get to Iowa from Texas safely, that will still potentially damage my car? Cause I want to wait to get all new 4 tires when I get home. Also if I were to find a used tire within 2/32" tread, does it really have to be the same make? Once again this would only be for driving back home.
Thanks everyone who answered you were very helpful. I have one more question, my tires are currently 225/45R17. But the stock size is 215/45R17. Should I go back to the stock size or stay with the current size? Also what would the difference be on my car, like performance or gas mileage wise if any?
Thanks!
Comparing 225/45/17 to 215/45/17 of the same tire, you'll have increased handling due to the increased contact patch, but at the expense of gas mileage (increased resistance and weight of the tire) and acceleration (weight of the tire).
I prefer cornering grip over absolute acceleration, personally, and generally feel that wider tires are worth the sacrifice. If I want faster acceleration, I add power to the wheels vs reduce the contact patch.