Should I Change All Four Tyres At Once?

[Benjy]

Hello,

I've recently purchased a 2003 Rav4.2 D4-D XT3 5dr. The front tyres need replacing soon and I realised this before buying.

The front tyres are just above legal limit. The rears are around half worn. The tyre shop has said that I should replace all four tyres at once or the difference between front and rear tread depths could damage the diffs. Is this true? Obviously I don't want to damage our new car.

For info all four fitted tyres are Toyo tranpath A11, and spare is original unused Bridgestone dueller. I had hoped to just buy one new Bridgestone and pair this with the spare, keeping one of the worn (but legal) tyres as a spare.

We've only owned the car for a week and love it already! I've (hopefully) attached a photo. Its a one owner from new car with 42k miles, full service history and new clutch / flywheel in january! Paid £5750, so I reckon we got a good deal.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Ben

[Davrav]

Hello,

I've recently purchased a 2003 Rav4.2 D4-D XT3 5dr. The front tyres need replacing soon and I realised this before buying.

The front tyres are just above legal limit. The rears are around half worn. The tyre shop has said that I should replace all four tyres at once or the difference between front and rear tread depths could damage the diffs. Is this true? Obviously I don't want to damage our new car.

For info all four fitted tyres are Toyo tranpath A11, and spare is original unused Bridgestone dueller. I had hoped to just buy one new bridgestone and pair this with the spare, keeping one of the worn (but legal) tyres as a spare.

We've only owned the car for a week and love it already! I've (hopefully) attached a photo. Its a one owner from new car with 42k miles, full service history and new clutch / flywheel in january! Paid £5750, so I reckon we got a good deal.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Ben

Welcome to the club Ben.

Nice looking Rav. Not sure about the tyres but there are plenty of folks on here who will advise I am sure.

[redlew]

Per http://www.michelin.co.uk/michelinuk/en/ca...0314172074.html put new TOROs at the rear and move the part worn Toros to the front. Keep your spare as a strictly "get you home".

[Mereside]

Hi and welcome to the forum,

I would agree with Redlew that you should put the new tyres on the rear as it it always easier and safer to have understeer than if you loose grip at the back and get oversteer.

I don't understand why there would be a problem just because the car can be used in four wheel drive mode as I do not see how this would affect the tyres.

I have had experience of different size tyres on the front which eventually sets the traction control off as it thinks one wheel is moving faster than the other, howver this is not the case so I can see no problem.

Enjoy the car!

Regards :)

[Robert6920]

I'd buy another Dueller and put the new tyres on the rear (kinda counter-intuitive but it's right) You can mix tyre types front/back but not across the axle. It's complete you-know-what (rhymes with white, and is an expression of distain used a lot in Ireland) that different tread depths will do the diff damage. You should have the same size tyres on all four wheels

Happy motoring (the Rav 4 is a great vehicle)

[local hero]

Wecome Benjy, I agree with the above + don,t think you need to change all 4 tyres, just a very slight caution your unused spare is still a 6yr old tyre + believe it or not they can perish, although if it has been under a cover on the rear of your car this is less likely.. Enjoy your RAV its a great car...

[Benjy]

Thanks for all the replies! Your advice is much appreciated.

I'll be moving the rear tyres to the front and putting new ones on the rear. Just got to decide if I buy one new Bridgestone and pair with the spare, or two new toyos. Two new toyos is probably the safest option I guess.

Thanks,

Ben

[anchorman]

Welcome to the club Ben.

I would buy one Bridgestone and get that spare used. I don't think it will take any harm split front to rear just be sure to always keep them in pairs.

[nig.xl]

I used my spare and bought a Bridgestone, only about £80 fitted. ;)

[Benjy]

Wow thats a good price! The cheapest I could find (even on websites) was £99 for Bridgestone D687 or £98 for Toyo A11 fitted, balanced etc. Maybe tyres have gone up in price since the pound has dropped in value.

Cheers for all the advice. I think this is the friendliest forum I've ever used! :)

Ben

[llith]

Deffo use that spare.When I replaced my 4 tyres last year with the same Toyo Tranpath as per original I used the spare and replaced it with one of the new ones .All 4 original tyres had gone down to the same tread depth as I had swapped the front with back after 20000 to ensure even wear.They cost £370 all in

[bothwell_buyer]

Deffo use that spare.When I replaced my 4 tyres last year with the same Toyo Tranpath as per original I used the spare and replaced it with one of the new ones .All 4 original tyres had gone down to the same tread depth as I had swapped the front with back after 20000 to ensure even wear.They cost £370 all in :eek:

did that include the 24 carat valves???

I use the Fawlken high speed tyres and ahm sure I don't pay as much as that!!

[gadgetsa]

I soooooo wish I found this forum yesterday or this morning... its a font of knowledge!!

Setup:

Bridgestone D687 on Front

BFG Macadam T/A on rear.

Wife got yet another nail in the rear tyre, and again, not repairable!

Still got 6mm of tread left so I'm really miffed.

I have always believed (been told) that tyres should be changed in pairs (even toyota said the same) because of the tread difference affecting the Diff, so I just forked out for 2 BFG Macadam T/A @ £175.00.

Ok it's a good price, but if I could have saved £80 I'd have preffered to!

Sounds like I've bben conned again!! :(

I'm interested in the "new tyres on the rear" theory as well, as I've always stuck them on the front.

Does it really make much difference on a Rav with permanent 4 wheel drive?

Just read this on Michelins site as well...

4x4 Vehicles

Michelin strongly recommends that tyres on 4x4 vehicles are used in identical sets of 4, (same size, make, pattern, load index/speed symbol). Except where different sizes front to rear are authorised by the vehicle manufacturer.

The vehicle manufacturer's recommendations should also be followed.

Does this means the same Brand of Tyre on all 4 wheels?

Oh, and I have to say after seeing a lot of people plumping for the Bridgestone that I think they're terrible. Sorry....

They've been on the front for 8 months, where as the BFG were on the front for 6 months, and then moved to the rear for the last 8, yet the Bridgestone has warn down to 6mm already!!!

Anyway, thats my moan for the day.. I'm broke now so instead of a beer or two, I'll just sit and read through this forum.. it's great!

Apologies for all the questions on the first post!!

Cheers all.

[bothwell_buyer]

I soooooo wish I found this forum yesterday or this morning... its a font of knowledge!!

Setup:

Bridgestone D687 on Front

BFG Macadam T/A on rear.

Wife got yet another nail in the rear tyre, and again, not repairable!

Still got 6mm of tread left so I'm really miffed.

I have always believed (been told) that tyres should be changed in pairs (even toyota said the same) because of the tread difference affecting the Diff, so I just forked out for 2 BFG Macadam T/A @ £175.00.

Ok it's a good price, but if I could have saved £80 I'd have preffered to!

Sounds like I've bben conned again!! :(

I'm interested in the "new tyres on the rear" theory as well, as I've always stuck them on the front.

Does it really make much difference on a Rav with permanent 4 wheel drive?

Just read this on Michelins site as well...

4x4 Vehicles

Michelin strongly recommends that tyres on 4x4 vehicles are used in identical sets of 4, (same size, make, pattern, load index/speed symbol). Except where different sizes front to rear are authorised by the vehicle manufacturer.

The vehicle manufacturer's recommendations should also be followed.

Does this means the same Brand of Tyre on all 4 wheels?

Oh, and I have to say after seeing a lot of people plumping for the Bridgestone that I think they're terrible. Sorry....

They've been on the front for 8 months, where as the BFG were on the front for 6 months, and then moved to the rear for the last 8, yet the Bridgestone has warn down to 6mm already!!!

Anyway, thats my moan for the day.. I'm broke now so instead of a beer or two, I'll just sit and read through this forum.. it's great!

Apologies for all the questions on the first post!!

Cheers all.

welcome to the forum ya gruvelling broke person :lol:

I've never used bridgestones on my RAVs - and certainly will never use them after experiences I had with their tyres when I was in Aussieland.

I've had Dunlops, Continental, and various others and use Fawlkens on my number 1. I guess the Fawlkens get horribly abused but stand up to it well. I pay less than £100 for them and they are a 180mph standard tyre.

If you are using the RAV for normal road use with speeds up to 80mph, then you should NOT be paying any more than £60 a tyre fitted/balanced and new valve.

In aussieland, the bridgestones kept bursting and the tyre centres didn't have the right size......so I chose never to use them again.

Even on number 2 RAV, I use 245/45 x 18 tyres and have no bother - I must look to remind me what make the tyres are. The wheel is a MAK mirror....ex Lexus.

[gadgetsa]

Hi bothwell_buyer, and thanks for your welcome.

I'm with you on the Bridgestones.. although not experienced as you have, I just think they're !Removed! compared to others I have had (Pirelli, Dunlop and now my preferred BFG's).

We were offered a pair of Enduro HT which are budget tyres for £140.00, but TBH, I'm not a budget fan...

The Wife drioves the Rav pretty much most of the time, and it is mainly road use, with a bit if dirt track and fields to get to the horse. Whether a budget would suffice I'm not sure?!

I see a lot of posts quote a number for their Rav...

Is that the release version?

Does that make mine a number 2? (1998 Facelift version)

Oooo, what big tyres you have!! I assume you have modded your rav to accomodate that size?

Interestingly (or bizarrely) when i went on Kwik Fits web to get a price, I put in my Reg to get the tyre size up, and it recomended I use 235/70R16 instead of 215/70R16.

Would be nice, but somehow I don't think thtas right!

[STEVIE B.]

about to replace the tyres on my 05 Rav 4. gonna need all four replaced. currently have Toyo Tranpaths. this make seems quite expensive,average price £120!!! is there a good CHEAPER alternative???? i only do about 7k miles a year. thanx to anyone who replies. have just joined the TOC.