Replacing just one front tyre
Replacing just one front tyre
Author
Discussion

Slyjoe

Original Poster:

1,591 posts

242 months

Wednesday 13th March 2013
quotequote all
Boring MPV Renault Grand Scenic, its the wifes Motability car.
The front nearside tyre has worn down to the wear bars - the offside has a couple more mm's on it.
Kwik-fit have looked at it and will change just the nearside, so we'll have a new and mostly worn tyres on the wagon.
I've always changed my cars tyres as a pair.
What are the thoughts on this please.



M4cruiser

5,235 posts

181 months

Wednesday 13th March 2013
quotequote all
You can sometimes change just one, but the best procedure is to consider the position of the whole set (4, or 5 if you have an identical spare).

Put the best 2 on the back, the next best two on the front, and the worst one in the boot. (So therefore the new one must go on the back.)

Then test drive and swap side to side of necessary to balance the car (this doesn't work if you have uni-directional tyres). I doubt if Kwik Fit will do this for you - if at all.

xreyuk

665 posts

176 months

Wednesday 13th March 2013
quotequote all
I had a thread on this the other day. I changed one tyre only because I still had between 6-7mm left on the tread on the other one (new comes with 8mm). I've since been noticing a pull to the left since, had the wheel alignment checked etc and it's definitely the tyre, so that might be something to bear in mind.

wemorgan

3,583 posts

209 months

Wednesday 13th March 2013
quotequote all
If both front tyres started life the same how are they now 2mm different?

Slyjoe

Original Poster:

1,591 posts

242 months

Wednesday 13th March 2013
quotequote all
wemorgan said:
If both front tyres started life the same how are they now 2mm different?
I just assumed it was because it was a heavy car and lots of roundabouts around here.





Edited by Slyjoe on Wednesday 13th March 21:57

maxdb

1,547 posts

188 months

Wednesday 13th March 2013
quotequote all
wemorgan said:
If both front tyres started life the same how are they now 2mm different?
Could be more weight on one side causing more wear.

Nick1point9

3,920 posts

211 months

Wednesday 13th March 2013
quotequote all
Not wanting to come across as rude but If its motability then you aren't paying for it so you don't get a say.

It's perfectly safe to change just one tyre and won't cause any damage to the car. Just make sure you go back for the other one once its low enough.

Slyjoe

Original Poster:

1,591 posts

242 months

Wednesday 13th March 2013
quotequote all
Nick1point9 said:
Not wanting to come across as rude but If its motability then you aren't paying for it so you don't get a say.

It's perfectly safe to change just one tyre and won't cause any damage to the car. Just make sure you go back for the other one once its low enough.
To be honest that was really my point, if the collective hive knowledge of PH advised it was not the best idea to just replace one, I would replace the other myself. It is after all our family transport.


007 VXR

64,187 posts

218 months

Wednesday 13th March 2013
quotequote all
The pair and keep the other as a spare IMHO

chrisw666

22,655 posts

230 months

Wednesday 13th March 2013
quotequote all
Kwik fit will not be allowed to change a tyre that isn't past certain limits that will have been agreed by MFL when the contract was taken.

I always change tyres on the same axle in pairs, however it depends how fussy you want to be.

Caulkhead

4,938 posts

188 months

Wednesday 13th March 2013
quotequote all
Slyjoe said:
Nick1point9 said:
Not wanting to come across as rude but If its motability then you aren't paying for it so you don't get a say.

It's perfectly safe to change just one tyre and won't cause any damage to the car. Just make sure you go back for the other one once its low enough.
To be honest that was really my point, if the collective hive knowledge of PH advised it was not the best idea to just replace one, I would replace the other myself. It is after all our family transport.
I imagine motability have similar policies to most other lease deals and won't swap a tyre until it's on the bars. Perhaps you could get them to put the 2mm tyre on the passenger side, the new one on the drivers side and heave it round a few roundabouts for a week until the other tyre is on the wear bars. . . . .

williredale

2,866 posts

183 months

Wednesday 13th March 2013
quotequote all
007 VXR said:
The pair and keep the other as a spare IMHO
Only problem with that is they'll charge for each tyre swap and you'll have to store the spare tyre. You could get another wheel on ebay with decent tread and match that up with the newly fitted one though.

KM666

1,757 posts

214 months

Wednesday 13th March 2013
quotequote all
What region are you OP? I know a place in Bristol that can supply a pair of tyres for around the same price kwik fit will supply a single tyre.

I got a replacement silencer for £38 fitted vs the £120 kwik fit wanted from me.

Slyjoe

Original Poster:

1,591 posts

242 months

Wednesday 13th March 2013
quotequote all
KM666 said:
What region are you OP?
Not too far from Milton Keynes, hence my suspicion that its the roundabouts that dunnit!


Sir Bagalot

7,111 posts

212 months

Wednesday 13th March 2013
quotequote all
Slyjoe said:
What are the thoughts on this please.
If it concerns you that much just pay for the other one yourself

blugnu

1,523 posts

272 months

Wednesday 13th March 2013
quotequote all
Slyjoe said:
To be honest that was really my point, if the collective hive knowledge of PH advised it was not the best idea to just replace one, I would replace the other myself. It is after all our family transport.
Sir Bagalot said:
If it concerns you that much just pay for the other one yourself
Do at least bother to read the thread before attempting to be haughtily dismissive of someone just after a bit of advice, eh?

Slyjoe

Original Poster:

1,591 posts

242 months

Wednesday 13th March 2013
quotequote all
Sir Bagalot said:
Slyjoe said:
What are the thoughts on this please.
If it concerns you that much just pay for the other one yourself
Well I'm not going to do that if its perfectly safe... It just does not seem correct to me, but I'm no tyre technician, and its no high performance car either.


smartphone hater

4,300 posts

174 months

Wednesday 13th March 2013
quotequote all
Slyjoe said:
KM666 said:
What region are you OP?
Not too far from Milton Keynes, hence my suspicion that its the roundabouts that dunnit!
It doesn't matter what religion he is! it matters little if he's monogamous or what sort of wood he uses..

For goodness sake op one tyre will be fine..

smartphone hater

4,300 posts

174 months

Wednesday 13th March 2013
quotequote all
hehe

Andyjc86

1,149 posts

180 months

Wednesday 13th March 2013
quotequote all
As someone that fits tyres, I have loads of customers that just change one. As soon as they drive away, they spin off at the first bend and die in a huge fireball**



  • or not- you will be fine and probably won't even notice the difference unless you drive your car on the limit.