Plugged tire finally starting to leak air. Make sense to replace 2 tires versus the leaking one?

Hi everyone, removed a screw in one of my stock Firestone Destination tires a week owning the truck. That was 5 years ago and now I'm starting to lose air. Going to replace the tire and was considering two which I would put in the rear (better traction). I only have 18,000 miles on the truck and of course they are original tires (P245/75R16). Not ready for 4 new ones and was wondering if I replaced just the bad one it would screw up the alignment, etc. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

Well, I know you don’t want to hear it, but 5 years on stock tires is a long time. It won’t screw up the alignment to replace just one. That’s more of a CVT transmission thing. If the wallet can handle it, this would be a good time to do 4 instead of chasing which tire wears out or has a problem next tire by tire.

 

It is BEST to replace all 4 but at that age and miles you need to do at least 2 on the same axle. If the old tires were less than a year old and with only 5000 or so miles then I might do just one. New tires go on the rear. If you have a 4X4 then all 4 tires need to be replaced at the same time unless you never use 4X4.

Regardless of miles I'd think about replacing all 4 anyway. They recommend tires be replaced at 6-7 years regardless of miles. The rubber deteriorates over time and while you may have good tread the wet traction may not be very good. Plus the odds of a blow out increase with age. A lot depends on where you live and how the truck is stored. It is sunlight that breaks down tires. Sunbelt states ruin rubber fast. If the vehicle is garaged and the tires are kept out of the sun most of the time you may get more life out of them. Ten years is the max life of a tire.

I put new tires on my Tacoma in June. They were 4 1/2 years old with 42,000 miles, Tires were rated for 60,000. I still had plenty of legal tread but over time the rubber had gotten hard and they would not grip wet pavement. It had become dangerous.

 

Thanks for these suggestions. Yeah, these tires aren't the best in the rain right now. And yes, it's 4WD but I only engage it a few times a year. The thought of doing all four did occur to me, too. 8 just don't want the OEM tires again and also don't want to go down the tire search rabbit hole, haha!

 

That struggle is very real, but also a fun struggle to have. I say get round ones that are all the same. About 48 more people will have more input than that.

 

At 5 years, age is going to start to become a deciding factor before wear is. Now is the right time to just replace all 4, and step up to the proper 265/75R16 size while you're at it. There are plenty of good options for a mild all terrain since it sounds like you don't venture off the beaten path all that often.

Cooper Stronghold AT
Hercules Terra Trac AT X-Venture
Firestone Destination XT
General Grabber ATX
Kumho AT52
Nitto Terra Grappler

 

Thanks for your suggestions. I was thinking about the tire size, too, but not interested in off road adventures now, at least. I use my truck for carrying things for my business--mostly screen doors and windows. These tire suggestions don't need any mods I'm assuming?

 

The biggest tire you can run without modification is a 265/75/16. Very rarely there is a very slight rub on the plastic bump on the front mud flaps. Easily remedied. With this tire size, the speedometer should be right on.

 

Honestly I would suggest sticking with the stock size in a mild street tread if this is for a business vehicle (that is unless you have some need for looks or something).
The Michelin Defender LTX is a good tire that should last a long time (not just treadwear, but also should not dry-rot as fast).

 

No modifications are necessary. The increased tire size isn't only about off-roading. They provide better grip on dry, wet, and icy roadways, and oftentimes correct the factory speedometer discrepancy.

If it's the cost that is an issue, there are actually some pretty decent off-brand tires that perform very well.

Achilles Desert Hawk AT3
BlackHawk Ridgecrawler AT
Sumitomo Encounter AT
Sailun Terramax AT2
Mastercraft Courser Trail HD