Should I replace 2 or 4 tires?

[crossbow]

Brand new tire tread depth is 8.5/32. My remaining tread depths are:
1x 3/32
1x 4/32
2x 5/32

Costco has a promo - $150 off 4 tires. Cost of each tire is $230. I plan to replace the 3/32, probably the 4/32 as well. Mathematically, would it make sense to replace the 5/32 tires at the same time? My vehicle is a FWD so I don't have to replace all 4 at the same time, but am wondering if I should pay $460 now and $460 later, or $770 now... (factoring in remaining tread).

[Thesaints]

That depends on how much later “later” is.

[Gabelli2020]

My understanding is that 3/32 is the maximum difference between tread that is tolerated ( rotation of the tires is measurably different) and greater can adversely affect your differential. Tire Rack argues for even smaller differences, but they always want to sell 4.
Buy the 2 tires

[crossbow]

That depends on how much later “later” is.

It took 20-25k miles to get from 8.5 - 5/32... I drive around 15K miles per year. So later would probably be around 1.5 years from now.

[crossbow]

My understanding is that 3/32 is the maximum difference between tread that is tolerated ( rotation of the tires is measurably different) and greater can adversely affect your differential. Tire Rack argues for even smaller differences, but they always want to sell 4.
Buy the 2 tires

Thanks!

[MMiroir]

A couple of other questions.

1 - How old are the existing tires? If they are more than 5 years old, just replace all four.
2 - Is the vehicle AWD? If so, having similar tires diameters is more important than if it is FWD or RWD.
3 - What is the vehicle value? If it is a $30,000 Jaguar, get all four. If it is a $2,000 Mitsubishi, replace as few as possible.
4 - Will the tires match? Having different types of tires (brand or specific tire model) will reduce the resale value. It may not make a difference for a beater.
5 - How long do you plan to keep the vehicle? If it a long term keeper, get the tires. If it a short term beater, be cheap up front as you won't get the money back when you sell.

[squirm]

Get the new set of four now, don't penny pinch on tires.

[crossbow]

A couple of other questions.

1 - How old are the existing tires? If they are more than 5 years old, just replace all four.
2 - Is the vehicle AWD? If so, having similar tires diameters is more important than if it is FWD or RWD.
3 - What is the vehicle value? If it is a $30,000 Jaguar, get all four. If it is a $2,000 Mitsubishi, replace as few as possible.
4 - Will the tires match? Having different types of tires (brand or specific tire model) will reduce the resale value. It may not make a difference for a beater.
5 - How long do you plan to keep the vehicle? If it a long term keeper, get the tires. If it a short term beater, be cheap up front as you won't get the money back when you sell.

The two tires I'm contemplating replacing are 2 years old. Vehicle is FWD, 2017 Toyota SUV, all four tires currently and will have same model on as I like the current tire.

[Blake7]

How often are you rotating your tires? The wear-leveling benefit of rotating tires is you usually end up replacing all 4 tires at the same time. I’ve always preferred this outcome by rotating every ~10k miles.

[bloom2708]

Buy 4 new. Rotate every oil change.

You may want to have an alignment as part of the tire change. Those are some different wear numbers.

You could probably put the 2 with 5/32 on the back if not AWD. 8.5 is low tread for new.

11/32nd is more standard. Must be high performance tires.

[Broken Man 1999]

Two now, though not necessary, two later.

Michelin, who has every incentive to sell you tires says this:

Worn-Out Tire
Worn-Out Tire Issues:
- All tires have treadwear indicator bars at 2/32" of remaining tread.
- When the tread is worn down to 2/32" or when you can see the treadwear indicator bars on any section of the tire, the tire is worn out and should be replaced.

https://www.michelinman.com/tireinspect ... tread.html

Broken Man 1999

[lthenderson]

If I were in your shoes, I would continue to drive on if most of my driving was in town until I had two that were 3/32nds or lower. I would then replace all four tires so that I'm not having to make multiple appointments within months of each other to get 2 more replaced. I also don't want to get in a situation where I have to explain which tire goes where when my tires are rotated with my oil change.

If I were driving frequently at high speeds or long distances where a flat tire could be dangerous or very inconvenient, I would change all four now, for the same reasons above.

[crossbow]

How often are you rotating your tires? The wear-leveling benefit of rotating tires is you usually end up replacing all 4 tires at the same time. I’ve always preferred this outcome by rotating every ~10k miles.

Every 5k miles. I bought the vehicle CPO and the dealer had 2 worn tires replaced with new ones at time of purchase.

[MMiroir]

A couple of other questions.

1 - How old are the existing tires? If they are more than 5 years old, just replace all four.
2 - Is the vehicle AWD? If so, having similar tires diameters is more important than if it is FWD or RWD.
3 - What is the vehicle value? If it is a $30,000 Jaguar, get all four. If it is a $2,000 Mitsubishi, replace as few as possible.
4 - Will the tires match? Having different types of tires (brand or specific tire model) will reduce the resale value. It may not make a difference for a beater.
5 - How long do you plan to keep the vehicle? If it a long term keeper, get the tires. If it a short term beater, be cheap up front as you won't get the money back when you sell.

The two tires I'm contemplating replacing are 2 years old. Vehicle is FWD, 2017 Toyota SUV, all four tires currently and will have same model on as I like the current tire.

In that case, replace the two tires, put the new ones in front, and hold off on rotating them until the overall level of wear is equalized between front and back. Being FWD, the two in the back will get minimal wear while the fronts will wear faster.

[Monsterflockster]

Brand new tire tread depth is 8.5/32. My remaining tread depths are:
1x 3/32
1x 4/32
2x 5/32

Costco has a promo - $150 off 4 tires. Cost of each tire is $230. I plan to replace the 3/32, probably the 4/32 as well. Mathematically, would it make sense to replace the 5/32 tires at the same time? My vehicle is a FWD so I don't have to replace all 4 at the same time, but am wondering if I should pay $460 now and $460 later, or $770 now... (factoring in remaining tread).

Two tires.

[Figuring_it_out]

If you really want to make it a deal. Get a credit card with a $200 off 500 or 1000 spend in 3 months. Chace freedom or Bank of america cash rewards are two. Then you spend 230 * 4 + install (~$20) + tax pushes you to about the 1100 mark.

You get 150 back from bridgestone then 200 back from BofA and if you choose (online order) from them you get 3% back as well so an additional $33.
Now you have 4 new tires for 1100 - 350 - 33 = $717 out of pocket.
This vs $230 + $20 (Install) Time 2 + tax = ~ $540 out the door. and a return strip schedule for a year out to do it again.

less than $200 more and you get 4 tires and a worry free mind.

Then, keep those tires rotated.

[stimulacra]

Replace all four and keep the two 5/32 as full size spares.

I went through this exact thing last month at Costco.

Two were almost bald and two were near new.

I drive an AWD vehicle and haven't been able to replace a solo tire ever. Also I guessed I missed a rotation and they refused to rotate them, keeping the best tires in the rear and the most worn up front, making them get worn faster (IMHO).

I replaced all four and asked them to give me the two tires with the most thread depth left. Houston streets are debris ridden so it's only a matter of time.

[denovo]

Brand new tire tread depth is 8.5/32. My remaining tread depths are:
1x 3/32
1x 4/32
2x 5/32

Costco has a promo - $150 off 4 tires. Cost of each tire is $230. I plan to replace the 3/32, probably the 4/32 as well. Mathematically, would it make sense to replace the 5/32 tires at the same time? My vehicle is a FWD so I don't have to replace all 4 at the same time, but am wondering if I should pay $460 now and $460 later, or $770 now... (factoring in remaining tread).

I rec shopping the price first. Did you check America's/ Discount tire?

[Jack FFR1846]

Put the 2 5's in the front. When the 3 gets to 2, replace it. When the 4 gets to 2, replace it. At that point, rotate the 2 newer back ones to the front. When the now-rears (both started at 5) get to 2, replace them.

This will maximize how many miles you get out of the tires.

[talzara]

The two tires I'm contemplating replacing are 2 years old. Vehicle is FWD, 2017 Toyota SUV, all four tires currently and will have same model on as I like the current tire.

If your tires are still under warranty, you may be able to get them replaced for free or at least pro-rated. However, you'd have to wear them down to the 2/32" minimum tread depth to file a warranty claim.

Most tire warranties are 6 years or 60,000 miles. Some performance tires only last 30,000 miles.

[talzara]

In that case, replace the two tires, put the new ones in front, and hold off on rotating them until the overall level of wear is equalized between front and back. Being FWD, the two in the back will get minimal wear while the fronts will wear faster.

New tires are installed on the rear axle.

Most tire dealers will not put new tires on the front axle. They're not willing to accept the liability risk.

[jabberwockOG]

A couple of other questions.

1 - How old are the existing tires? If they are more than 5 years old, just replace all four.
2 - Is the vehicle AWD? If so, having similar tires diameters is more important than if it is FWD or RWD.
3 - What is the vehicle value? If it is a $30,000 Jaguar, get all four. If it is a $2,000 Mitsubishi, replace as few as possible.
4 - Will the tires match? Having different types of tires (brand or specific tire model) will reduce the resale value. It may not make a difference for a beater.
5 - How long do you plan to keep the vehicle? If it a long term keeper, get the tires. If it a short term beater, be cheap up front as you won't get the money back when you sell.

The two tires I'm contemplating replacing are 2 years old. Vehicle is FWD, 2017 Toyota SUV, all four tires currently and will have same model on as I like the current tire.

In that case, replace the two tires, put the new ones in front, and hold off on rotating them until the overall level of wear is equalized between front and back. Being FWD, the two in the back will get minimal wear while the fronts will wear faster.

This is good advice assuming your old tires are not too old. Check the manufacture date code on the tire sidewall to verify actual age of the tires. The age of a tire is from manufacture date not the date it was installed. Some shops will install 3+ year old tires on a car as new tires. Generally once a tire is more than 5-6 years old it should be replaced.

[finite_difference]

Replace all four and keep the two 5/32 as full size spares.

I went through this exact thing last month at Costco.

Two were almost bald and two were near new.

I drive an AWD vehicle and haven't been able to replace a solo tire ever. Also I guessed I missed a rotation and they refused to rotate them, keeping the best tires in the rear and the most worn up front, making them get worn faster (IMHO).

I replaced all four and asked them to give me the two tires with the most thread depth left. Houston streets are debris ridden so it's only a matter of time.

Good idea. You will need to buy one wheel to mount the tire if you want to use a full size spare. Then the other tire could be used to replace an irreparable tire.

[Beensabu]

If you can afford it, just do it all now. It's easier that way.

[johnny]

Get the new set of four now, don't penny pinch on tires.

+1

Tires are the most important component of your car for safety. And after replacing all four, you get the benefit of a more enjoyable, quieter ride to boot.

[Nysinvestor]

Tires are something that I don’t get all cheap on. They are literally the only thing between you and the pavement. 700 bucks every 5 years is like 10/month. Money well spent. I’d replace all 4 before unless selling car soon.

[goldendad]

I told my kids - don’t try to get the last 10% on oil, belts, batteries, brakes, and tires. Replace on-time or early and save yourself a lot of trouble.

[TexasPE]

As I understand it, the less the tread left, the longer the braking distance required to come to a stop. If you live where heavy rain/ puddles are frequent, tendency to hydroplane increases with reduced tread depth.

https://www.rospa.com/rospaweb/docs/adv ... -depth.pdf

I would replace all 4 tires.

[helloeveryone]

Brand new tire tread depth is 8.5/32. My remaining tread depths are:
1x 3/32
1x 4/32
2x 5/32

Costco has a promo - $150 off 4 tires. Cost of each tire is $230. I plan to replace the 3/32, probably the 4/32 as well. Mathematically, would it make sense to replace the 5/32 tires at the same time? My vehicle is a FWD so I don't have to replace all 4 at the same time, but am wondering if I should pay $460 now and $460 later, or $770 now... (factoring in remaining tread).

Only thing I would add is that if you buy four - consider selling your four used tires on craigslist. I’ve done that twice before and gotten an easy $160 for four used tires. I took pics w the penny in tread so the buyer knew what they were buying.

There seems to be a market for used tires. (I don’t recall costco having a waste fee to take your tires but the reason I did it one year was to avoid the $2 waste fee per tire at discount tires and see how easy the tires sold.)

[helloeveryone]

I told my kids - don’t try to get the last 10% on oil, belts, batteries, brakes, and tires. Replace on-time or early and save yourself a lot of trouble.

+1 on the battery from personal experience. Cost time, effort, and by having to buy right away didn’t have time to hunt down the typical coupons at autozone or adv auto parts.

[IMO]

How often are you rotating your tires? The wear-leveling benefit of rotating tires is you usually end up replacing all 4 tires at the same time. I’ve always preferred this outcome by rotating every ~10k miles.

Every 5k miles. I bought the vehicle CPO and the dealer had 2 worn tires replaced with new ones at time of purchase.

So here is where you post gets confusing to me. So the 2 NEWER tires (2 years old replaced by dealer as part of the CPO deal) are more worn out than the two 4 year old tires? That would seem odd to me with your regular rotations AND presuming you cars aligned.

a. Check the tire dates to verify.
b. If only replacing 2 tires, the older worn tires will be put on the front of the vehicle due to liability issues from the installer.
c. Check the date and condition of the spare tire (if it has one). In theory it would be 4 to 5 years old.


So if I were to balance cost with reasonable desire to not throw out tires with reasonable wear left on them:

a) I'd buy the 4 tires now because tires can/do get discontinued or changed as far as tread patterns. In the future, you may not find the same
matching tires.
b) I'd install 2 new tires on the back (as required for liability).
c) IF the two 5/32 tires are actually 4-5+ years old, then I'd probably go ahead and replace them. If they are just 2 years old, then I'd have them
mounted on the front (as required for liability).
d) I'd check the spare vs. the tires being discarded to assure my spare was the newest age and ideally also the best tread.
e) If I didn't feel I really must install 4 new tires, then I'd hold onto 2 of the 4 new tires I bought and consider installing them in 1-2 years (presuming
you have good storage space available).
f) Flats happen, and if it was significant non-repairable OR it resulted in the sidewall being crushed with no air in it (weakening the sidewall), then
I'd replace the tires at that time. (If it's one of the newer tires then you're back to deciding if your okay with slightly uneven tread wear!)
g) I'd look elsewhere than Costco. Places like Discount Tire will likely have the buy 4 tire rebate on the tires and will likely match or beat Costco and
IMO they provide better customer service in most situations. They would also likely be okay if you didn't want to mount all 4 tires at once and
do it later for you.
h) Also, lets say you don't get an alignment done. Putting the 2 used tires on the front for some mileage first to verify f they are not getting worn out due to a slight misalignment before you put your other 2 new ones on the front.

But it just may be easier to buy 4 new tires now and throw the other's into the tire graveyard. That's the safest and easiest way to go. If you don't have a spare tire, then buy a cheap steal rim and have the newest/best used tire mounted on that and take that with you on any long road trips that go through desolate terrain.

[rob]

In that case, replace the two tires, put the new ones in front, and hold off on rotating them until the overall level of wear is equalized between front and back. Being FWD, the two in the back will get minimal wear while the fronts will wear faster.

New tires are installed on the rear axle.

Most tire dealers will not put new tires on the front axle. They're not willing to accept the liability risk.

Yeah... It's a little counterintuitive but cars will tend to rotate around the new pair in a mixed set which for most people will work out better on the rear (more understeer). I've never had a place refuse outright but a couple in the past were hesitant about it - I tend to replace four now days because it's cheaper in the long run and this is the place for that and now I share a vehicle with spouse & kids, so they would not react the same way as me if something happened.

[Jeepergeo]

Replace all four and keep the two 5/32 as full size spares.

I went through this exact thing last month at Costco.

Two were almost bald and two were near new.

I drive an AWD vehicle and haven't been able to replace a solo tire ever. Also I guessed I missed a rotation and they refused to rotate them, keeping the best tires in the rear and the most worn up front, making them get worn faster (IMHO).

I replaced all four and asked them to give me the two tires with the most thread depth left. Houston streets are debris ridden so it's only a matter of time.

Buying tires at Costco is always a headache. Even though my F150 and Suburban have the tires that match the door label, they dont show up in the Costco database, which leads to tire purchase issues at Costco.

I switched to America's Tire and have been pleased. They will generally match Costco tire prices, but are more expensive in installation and warranty. But, the have great service, allow for and keep appointments, and getting in and out for rotations us easy with an appointment.

Back to the OP... I'd go with 4 new tires. New rubber is safer rubber and stretching to the minimum is not worth it. Keep the best tire as a spare.

[Jeepergeo]

Replace all four and keep the two 5/32 as full size spares.

I went through this exact thing last month at Costco.

Two were almost bald and two were near new.

I drive an AWD vehicle and haven't been able to replace a solo tire ever. Also I guessed I missed a rotation and they refused to rotate them, keeping the best tires in the rear and the most worn up front, making them get worn faster (IMHO).

I replaced all four and asked them to give me the two tires with the most thread depth left. Houston streets are debris ridden so it's only a matter of time.

Buying tires at Costco is always a headache. Even though my F150 and Suburban have the tires that match the door label, they don't show up in the Costco database, which leads to tire purchase issues at Costco.

I switched to America's Tire and have been pleased. They will generally match Costco tire prices, but are more expensive in installation and warranty. But, they have great service, allow for and keep appointments, and getting in and out for rotations is easy with an appointment.

Back to the OP... I'd go with 4 new tires. New rubber is safer rubber and stretching to the minimum is not worth it. Keep the best tire as a spare.

[anoop]

I'd go with 4 new tires and be sure to rotate tires. Does Costco provide lifetime free rotation?

[Kagord]

I have experience with this, at my Costco, they would not let you install 2 (a policy) if the tread difference is greater than a certain amount, like 3/32 or something like that.

[lthenderson]

Replace all four and keep the two 5/32 as full size spares.

I went through this exact thing last month at Costco.

Two were almost bald and two were near new.

I drive an AWD vehicle and haven't been able to replace a solo tire ever. Also I guessed I missed a rotation and they refused to rotate them, keeping the best tires in the rear and the most worn up front, making them get worn faster (IMHO).

I replaced all four and asked them to give me the two tires with the most thread depth left. Houston streets are debris ridden so it's only a matter of time.

Good idea. You will need to buy one wheel to mount the tire if you want to use a full size spare. Then the other tire could be used to replace an irreparable tire.

I've bought several cheap rims from the local salvage yard for creating full sized spares. I can usually pick on up for $5.

[Quahog Guy]

My first post on this forum and it's about tires. Strange.

I had exactly the same problem this week with my Audi Q7 which is normally very quiet. Road noise was getting louder and my wife also complained (a lot).

I believe the origin of the issue was when one tire had a puncture and it could not be repaired. So I ended up with three tires with 17K miles and one new one. Eventually the 3 needed replacement and there was the older one left.

My tire measurements were similar to yours. Additionally the tires showed signs the car was out of alignment and the surface of the tires was rough. Just how they were wearing apparently.

There was no safety issue but I did replace all 4. Not without some hesitation as they are expensive (Am Eagle Sport run-flat tires). Figure I lost 10-15K miles. But the new tires and alignment completely eliminated the road noise. We have quite a lot of driving coming up this spring and now we're all set.

[Jack FFR1846]

Only thing I would add is that if you buy four - consider selling your four used tires on craigslist. I’ve done that twice before and gotten an easy $160 for four used tires. I took pics w the penny in tread so the buyer knew what they were buying.

There seems to be a market for used tires. (I don’t recall costco having a waste fee to take your tires but the reason I did it one year was to avoid the $2 waste fee per tire at discount tires and see how easy the tires sold.)

Tires always sell. I'm actually buying a set this afternoon. The guy is in the process this morning of trading in his car. He has snow tires on wheels. One of our cars is near last legs of tires. My younger son drives it and puts on a ton of miles. I'm paying $200 for snow tires on Subaru OEM wheels with 5000 miles on them. I've been looking at both new and used tires recently, knowing that mounting and balancing tires would cost me $100. So with this purchase, not only will I get the tires to use, but when they're spent, I can sell the wheels. I'm pretty cheap when buying tires.

[tibbitts]

Brand new tire tread depth is 8.5/32. My remaining tread depths are:
1x 3/32
1x 4/32
2x 5/32

Costco has a promo - $150 off 4 tires. Cost of each tire is $230. I plan to replace the 3/32, probably the 4/32 as well. Mathematically, would it make sense to replace the 5/32 tires at the same time? My vehicle is a FWD so I don't have to replace all 4 at the same time, but am wondering if I should pay $460 now and $460 later, or $770 now... (factoring in remaining tread).

Only thing I would add is that if you buy four - consider selling your four used tires on craigslist. I’ve done that twice before and gotten an easy $160 for four used tires. I took pics w the penny in tread so the buyer knew what they were buying.

There seems to be a market for used tires. (I don’t recall costco having a waste fee to take your tires but the reason I did it one year was to avoid the $2 waste fee per tire at discount tires and see how easy the tires sold.)

Remember to account for the time it takes you to correctly file and pay the sales tax paperwork. As a practical matter that has discouraged me from any personal retail sales. And then there are the liability and just ordinary customer dissatisfaction issues. Ugh.

[smitcat]

Brand new tire tread depth is 8.5/32. My remaining tread depths are:
1x 3/32
1x 4/32
2x 5/32

Costco has a promo - $150 off 4 tires. Cost of each tire is $230. I plan to replace the 3/32, probably the 4/32 as well. Mathematically, would it make sense to replace the 5/32 tires at the same time? My vehicle is a FWD so I don't have to replace all 4 at the same time, but am wondering if I should pay $460 now and $460 later, or $770 now... (factoring in remaining tread).

Only thing I would add is that if you buy four - consider selling your four used tires on craigslist. I’ve done that twice before and gotten an easy $160 for four used tires. I took pics w the penny in tread so the buyer knew what they were buying.

There seems to be a market for used tires. (I don’t recall costco having a waste fee to take your tires but the reason I did it one year was to avoid the $2 waste fee per tire at discount tires and see how easy the tires sold.)

Remember to account for the time it takes you to correctly file and pay the sales tax paperwork. As a practical matter that has discouraged me from any personal retail sales. And then there are the liability and just ordinary customer dissatisfaction issues. Ugh.

"Remember to account for the time it takes you to correctly file and pay the sales tax paperwork. As a practical matter that has discouraged me from any personal retail sales."
Selling personal property for less than you paid for it requires no tax filings.

[crossbow]

Thanks for all the tips and advice. I've decided to change all four; the hassle argument won over money/principles of not being wasteful. Thankful for BH for allowing me to be in the financial position to do so; not too long ago I would have been the one on Craigslist looking to purchase.

I told my kids - don’t try to get the last 10% on oil, belts, batteries, brakes, and tires. Replace on-time or early and save yourself a lot of trouble.

That's golden, dad.

[myleaf]

In the past at Costco, I was able to buy 4 and have only two installed. I kept the other two until it was ready to replace the remaining two tires. Not sure if this is generally allowed.

[bmdack]

Your safety is not worth the small price you're discussing. Buy all 4 tires and live to save money in other places to invest for your future.

[Gooch1226]

Something I was told was you never cheap out on what separates you from the ground . Tires and shoes ! Get them all done , and Costco is the way to go .

[helloeveryone]

Brand new tire tread depth is 8.5/32. My remaining tread depths are:
1x 3/32
1x 4/32
2x 5/32

Costco has a promo - $150 off 4 tires. Cost of each tire is $230. I plan to replace the 3/32, probably the 4/32 as well. Mathematically, would it make sense to replace the 5/32 tires at the same time? My vehicle is a FWD so I don't have to replace all 4 at the same time, but am wondering if I should pay $460 now and $460 later, or $770 now... (factoring in remaining tread).

Only thing I would add is that if you buy four - consider selling your four used tires on craigslist. I’ve done that twice before and gotten an easy $160 for four used tires. I took pics w the penny in tread so the buyer knew what they were buying.

There seems to be a market for used tires. (I don’t recall costco having a waste fee to take your tires but the reason I did it one year was to avoid the $2 waste fee per tire at discount tires and see how easy the tires sold.)

Remember to account for the time it takes you to correctly file and pay the sales tax paperwork. As a practical matter that has discouraged me from any personal retail sales. And then there are the liability and just ordinary customer dissatisfaction issues. Ugh.

"Remember to account for the time it takes you to correctly file and pay the sales tax paperwork. As a practical matter that has discouraged me from any personal retail sales."
Selling personal property for less than you paid for it requires no tax filings.

I was wondering about that post because I've sold many things on craigslist over the years and did not file.
Even if you sell a car it's the buyer that has to fill out the form and pay the taxes to county.

[criticalmass]

When you rotate (or someone rotates) your tires in a standard cross pattern, you will have new and old tires on different axles. Why not have all four tires match?

[abuss368]

I would consider going with 4 new tires. I am getting 4 new ones for my truck this weekend.

Tony

[smitcat]

When you rotate (or someone rotates) your tires in a standard cross pattern, you will have new and old tires on different axles. Why not have all four tires match?

Some cars do not call for a cross pattern - only side to side.

[finite_difference]

When you rotate (or someone rotates) your tires in a standard cross pattern, you will have new and old tires on different axles. Why not have all four tires match?

Some cars do not call for a cross pattern - only side to side.

Are those the cars that have larger tires in back vs front?