Getting a flat on a AWD vehicle

[frozenrice]

I know of two people with two very different types of vehicles. One is an AWD Chevy Astro/GMC Safari type of van and the other is a AWD Subaru Outback. In the last few months both of them have gotten flat tires that were beyond repair and were told that because of the AWD systems, that they'd have to replace ALL the other tires, not just the one that was ruined.
Is this a tire dealer rip off or is there some truth to this? Seems fishy to me and doesn't make too much sense.

[DannyO]

Umm WTF, am I just really stoned, or is that fucked up, it shouldn't matter if its AWD, FWD or RWD, a tire going flat is the same thing, only reason you should change all the other tires is if can't replace the flat with the same exact tire (make/size/type), other than that, all you have to do is just make sure to replace the flat with the same type of tire.

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, I'm having trouble thinking.

[djayz]

agreed with DannyO
shouldnt matter the drive system your on a flat tire has nothing to do with that

if its flat you replace the tire thats flat or popped not all of them unless you drove on the flat tire for a very long time and wore out the other tires horribly....but i doubt thats the case

[RickDaTuner]

If your car is equiped with AWD and the tire wear on the car compared to new is pretty noticiable then yeah you should change out all four tires, you stand to blow a rear diff or front diff if you just replace one, and if you replace two, say the two fronts or the two rears, you stand to blow the center diff, even if they are open differentials...

Particularlly on cars like mine(STi) its better not to drive the car even if you have a spare tire, due to its three LSD's. 50km of driving is enough to over heat and damage it.
AWD systems as versitle as they are they can be quite sensitive to varying tire sizes and tire pressure, even if the tire size is the same.
Its not BS they are just trying to cover thier hide, rather tell you to change all 4 then to have you come back to them claiming work on a blown diff

[pitwipe]

^ Rick's right :thumbsup:

[heavyD]

Originally posted by pitwipe
^ Rick's right :thumbsup:

He may be right but the van is an Astro. Four tires will be worth more than the van. I would just get two new tires.

[DannyO]

Originally posted by RickDaTuner
If your car is equiped with AWD and the tire wear on the car compared to new is pretty noticiable then yeah you should change out all four tires, you stand to blow a rear diff or front diff if you just replace one, and if you replace two, say the two fronts or the two rears, you stand to blow the center diff, even if they are open differentials...

Particularlly on cars like mine(STi) its better not to drive the car even if you have a spare tire, due to its three LSD's. 50km of driving is enough to over heat and damage it.
AWD systems as versitle as they are they can be quite sensitive to varying tire sizes and tire pressure, even if the tire size is the same.
Its not BS they are just trying to cover thier hide, rather tell you to change all 4 then to have you come back to them claiming work on a blown diff

DAMN I did not know that, so does this count for 4WD SUVs I take it?

[RickDaTuner]

Originally posted by DannyO


DAMN I did not know that, so does this count for 4WD SUVs I take it?

well 4WD Suv's dont always have power going to 4 wheels all the time, and when they do the power is distrubuted evenly to all the wheels, since it is a direct conection with out diff of any sort, so the only thing to break on a 4WD car if you have one size tire differnt than the other is, the other three tires, or the new tire itself, this is of course if you ran 4WD all the time

[Kaos]

Originally posted by RickDaTuner


well 4WD Suv's dont always have power going to 4 wheels all the time, and when they do the power is distrubuted evenly to all the wheels, since it is a direct conection with out diff of any sort, so the only thing to break on a 4WD car if you have one size tire differnt than the other is, the other three tires, or the new tire itself, this is of course if you ran 4WD all the time

This guy is a genius!!!
:D

[benyl]

Originally posted by heavyD


He may be right but the van is an Astro. Four tires will be worth more than the van. I would just get two new tires.

Well, it would be cheaper to replace the tires than the driveline.

A friend of mine had an AWD Aerostar. They replaced one tire. Then they replaced a $5K AWD system. They didn't learn their lesson and did it again.

$400 seems like a bargain to me.

[T-Dubbs]

i just got a flat on my awd jeep
tire was just patched, and i was on my way

[RickDaTuner]

Originally posted by RedDevil
i just got a flat on my awd jeep
tire was just patched, and i was on my way

I think you might want to re-read the first post :thumbsup: