Replacing two tyres to keep thread depths the same

Gentleman Off The Pitch

Just looking for some opinions on this: The tyres on my car are all of the same type (staggered set up) with the rears being quite new with little wear and the fronts down to about 4-4.5mm

I've a puncture in the front left tyre and I intended replacing it with a tyre matching the other tyres.

While the car I drive is not a sports car or anything, it's a diesel in fact, I have always put premium tyres on it. However it was suggested to me that if the other no punctured front tyre is nearly worn out then sticking a new tyre on the wheel with the puncture would be a bad idea due to the difference in thread depth between the new tyre and the older one still on the car.

Not sure how much of a difference this would make, but it's a rear wheel drive car and the fronts wear relatively slowly so not sure what to do. I can see the logic I suppose in keeping the tyres matched in thread depth but knowing my luck I'll replace both fronts only to get a puncture in one some time later and be back in the same position anyway. (Being a car with no spare wheel, the tyres being asymmetric, and never stocked anywhere when I do get a puncture complicates the issue further, but I'll leave that aside for now)

- what do you think?

Atlantic Dawn

With no spare and if the front tyres are over 2 years old I would replace both.

colm_mcm

You replace tyres every 2 years regardless?

Atlantic Dawn

colm_mcm wrote: »

You replace tyres every 2 years regardless?

No just if one is punctured (and I'm taking from OP needs replacement) and the other is at half it's useful life better to keep them both at same wear.

Alanstrainor

I'd agre e with the lads, replace both fronts while you're at it!

edburg

I personally would change both, use older tyre as spare if you have no proper spare wheel.

Some cars can dislike abnormal tread depths cause issue's with diff's, bearings, steering rods and the like. Old Opel 4wd system use it spit it's guts out on road if you had odd treads, drove on a flat.

corktina

money to burn....put the backs on the front and the two odds on the back and you wont even notice a difference.

CiniO

Maybe a silly question but does tyre need replacing or can it be fixed with a patch?

If so, I would fix it.
If no, I would probably tend to replace both as you say.

Gentleman Off The Pitch

Thanks for all the replieslads , I've ordered two new tyres. The punctured tyre is not repairable, I struck debris on the motorway. I'll hold onto the tyre with 4mm thread left in case I'm stuck in the future, although with it being asymmetrical and the car running a staggered set up it'll probably not be used again

Sheldons Brain

I think 2 is the minimum number of tyres to get and even numbers are the way forward.

Surely a couple of milimeters on tyres wouldn't make any difference?

Especially if they're on the non-driving wheels (which means they're essentially just rolling along?).