Hole In Tire Sidewall

Hi All,
Just noticed a hole in the sidewall of my tire and I'm pretty sure I'm going to need to replace it.

Anyways that being said I'm sure I'll have to buy 2 new tires right?
If the shop recommends 4 should I or no?
I have 16k miles on the tires and they still have a lot of tread.

Also can you recommend a good tire store!
Thanks

 

Does the tire spare match? If so, have them put that on and then just get a cheaper one for your spare.

 

This is the perfect answer.

 

Awesome idea.

Will that be okay with the difference in wear?

 

Agreed on using the spare as long as it matches.

Do you have a locker or LSD? If so make sure that both those tires on that axle have the same amount of wear or close on them and be the same size (only an issue if you spare is undersized). Rotate the spare to one of the front tires. As far as new tires go, I am a Discount tire fan. Their warranty would have covered that hole and they would have given you a new tire. Maybe something to look into when your old set wears out.

 

I have LSD yes so in that case I will need to replace 2 tires?
My current tires are stock.

 

It would be ideal for them to have the same level of wear. I would rotate the front tires to the rear, put the good rear tire and the spare on the front, and get a new spare. That would suffice for now. Then if you need a new tire down the road replace two or all of them. Unless you really want new tires now, then go for it.

 

It's a lease I really only need it to last about another year and a half.

Thank you for the suggestion! Will probably go this route

 

Replace all 4?? WTF?

Worst case scenario you replace two at most. You don't want a brand new tire on one side and a worn tire on the other. But with 16k miles on your tires I can't imagine they are that far gone.

Definitely replace the damaged tire. But definitely do not buy 4 new ones to fix one.

 

If your considering the factory button to electronically lock the diff as a LSD dont let the new tire on the rear bother you. I did this very thing when I put a hole in my sidewall- I had the spare mounted onto the aluminum rim and away I went. Zero issues. Now I may or may not have taken the opportunity to use the super charger to resize that tire to match the other 3 after a month or so....

 

Is this a proper hole all the way through or is it just a cosmetic gouge that doesn't go through the sidewall plies? P rated or C or E?

 

No idea on the rating whatever comes stock on a Sport.
When I got home I put a tooth pick in it and it barely went it.
I think it's just cosmetic

 

Dude I love your FJ40 in your avatar. Looks almost exactly like mine ( 1980 Model ) same color and all. God I loved that vehicle. Then I got married and ended up trading it in on a kid. Paid 12K for it brand new.

 

Looks pretty deep to me. I would not trust that tire on the highway at all. None.

 

I would use the spare. That is exactly was I did when I had a cut on a tire on my 2009. As long as there is no air leaking from the hole then use that tire as a spare. The cut on my sidewall was about 2". Discount balked at putting it on the spare rim. I just told them that I had been driving on it like that for months and could just take my business elsewhere. In 7 years I have never had a spare on the ground.

 

you have to replace all 4 if you have 4wd and want to use 4wd on pavement

different diameter tires front / back in 4wd on pavement without a center diff will beat on the transfer case
as it tries to eat the difference between front end and rear end shaft speeds

it can handle it but while doing so will scrub the tires hard and beat the gears harder
than if all tires were equal

so just change 2 but stay out of 4wd like, forever

 

I don't think a little difference in tread depth is really going to cause any problems. Not supposed to use 4wd on pavement anyway. Although, I do for short distances in a straight line if I have not been off road in a while.

 

Thanks! It was a goal of mine to own one at some point in my life. I bought it a few years ago and have been tinkering with it since. Build thread for anyone interested: http://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/irishs-slow-1978-rustic-green-build.802114/

Not to start an online debate, but I agree. offroad that difference isn't noticeable. On road he shouldn't be driving for an extended period in 4wd on pavement anyway, more so driving at highway/freeway speed where I feel that would do the damage. It is the difference in one tire being lower in inflation compared to the others, depending on the tread wear that is. If all 4 are low on tread or bald and you introduce a fresh one that would be an issue.

 

oh yes that little difference in diameter matters a lot more than you think

if anything it will lead to more stress on everything in the driveline
making wear-induced slop including ujoints

pi * diameter = circumference

mm's in wear turn to centimeters in effective gear ratios

 

But if the diff is normally open....does that not nullify the difference. I have driven cars with open diffs and lsd- I will agree you can notice a tire circumference difference based on tread depth alone on a lsd but when the diff is open should be good to go. If all he has is the e-locker like me run it.