Flat! Replace 2 or 4?

[Morzada]

Driving on the freeway today and the low pressure light came on.  Pulled off in Sun Prairie and the car was pulling hard to the right - OK, its the front passenger tire.  Got to a nearby gas station and the tire wouldn't take air.  Odd, given that the tires are runflats, but oh well, stuff happens.  Limped the car over to Broadway tire for a repair and they tell me the tire is shot - about an inch and a half slit in the inside wall.  Mounted a new-ish standard tire for me and I was on my way.

Now I'm home and shopping for a runflat replacement tire and I have this question for the group - should I replace 2 tires or 4?  I'm normally a 'replace all tires guy', but am angling towards just 2 (I don't like like the idea of replacing just one tire, and I'm not keen on driving much with a mismatched new tire on one corner).  The tire set is only 2.5 years old and all tires have 7/32 tread left.  The tires start new with 11/32nds so they are not even half used up. I've got other places I want to spend my car allowance.😕

PS - Major props to Broadway Tire in Sun Prairie - walked in off the street with no warning and drove out less than 30 mins later for peanuts.  Not the most polished/clean shop, but hella service.

PPS - WTF runflats?  This is twice I've been left with a ruined sidewall and the third overall failure - although the first failure was a blown valve stem, of all the crazy things.

[straight6pwr]

30 minutes ago, Morzada said:

Driving on the freeway today and the low pressure light came on.  Pulled off in Sun Prairie and the car was pulling hard to the right - OK, its the front passenger tire.  Got to a nearby gas station and the tire wouldn't take air.  Odd, given that the tires are runflats, but oh well, stuff happens.  Limped the car over to Broadway tire for a repair and they tell me the tire is shot - about an inch and a half slit in the inside wall.  Mounted a new-ish standard tire for me and I was on my way.

Now I'm home and shopping for a runflat replacement tire and I have this question for the group - should I replace 2 tires or 4?  I'm normally a 'replace all tires guy', but am angling towards just 2 (I don't like like the idea of replacing just one tire, and I'm not keen on driving much with a mismatched new tire on one corner).  The tire set is only 2.5 years old and all tires have 7/32 tread left.  The tires start new with 11/32nds so they are not even half used up. I've got other places I want to spend my car allowance.😕

PS - Major props to Broadway Tire in Sun Prairie - walked in off the street with no warning and drove out less than 30 mins later for peanuts.  Not the most polished/clean shop, but hella service.

PPS - WTF runflats?  This is twice I've been left with a ruined sidewall and the third overall failure - although the first failure was a blown valve stem, of all the crazy things.

1. Runflats - not designed to take air if they are flat, FYI. They are only designed to get you off the road, as they clearly did for you. BMW totes them as 'safer' since drivers dont have to change flats on the side of the road, which is true, but it just adds a different headache/more cost to the driver. It is most likely implemented by bmw to eliminate the cost, weight, and space taken by a spare. Not implemented to actually be better for drivers. although, I did find myself with a torn sidewall on a non-run flat tire, and that resulted in the car losing control and crashing into a freeway barrier at speed. So, maybe runflats could have saved my car. whatever.

2. Nothing wrong with replacing just two tires. Just don't go off and get two new tires with vastly different tread/compounds. Like super sticky summer tires matched with eco-tires, for example.  However, you would be starting the cycle where you will be constantly replacing two tires at a time, instead of all four, since they are wearing at different stages.

[Morzada]

Thanks.  The tires are new enough that they are still available and I'll get the same.  Except for this issue, I've liked them well enough.

 

[RobZR]

27 minutes ago, straight6pwr said:

2. Nothing wrong with replacing just two tires. Just don't go off and get two new tires with vastly different tread/compounds. Like super sticky summer tires matched with eco-tires, for example.  However, you would be starting the cycle where you will be constantly replacing two tires at a time, instead of all four, since they are wearing at different stages.

If you park the car in the winter or use snow tires. put on 2 new ones, and replace the old ones when you burn them up.  if you need snow traction 7/32 is getting on the thin side. most places will tell you to replace them at 4-5/32.  You can still replace 2 just put the new ones on the front to help steering/braking.  The handling will be a little different in snow and heavy rain, just need to compensate.