Tires for AWD

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Old Feb 12, 2019 | 11:29 AM
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Tires for AWD

One of the front tires was not holding pressure and we got it checked out at a local tire shop. Apparently it has a split which is very close to the sidewall and therefore not repairable. I just want to confirm that both tires on the axle need to be changed (or is it all 4 tires in an AWD model)? Thanks.
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Old Feb 12, 2019 | 12:44 PM
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You want to keep all 4 tires the same circumference size (outside diameter) to avoid car AWD overload. Tirerack offers new tire shaving to a specific diameter for extra charge.
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Old Feb 12, 2019 | 01:01 PM
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Originally Posted by Comfy
I just want to confirm that both tires on the axle need to be changed (or is it all 4 tires in an AWD model)? Thanks.
If you are changing 2 tires, put them on the rear axle. You want the tires with the most traction on the rear for control and not so much for traction.

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Old Feb 12, 2019 | 09:58 PM
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Originally Posted by tech
if you are changing 2 tires, put them on the rear axle. You want the tires with the most traction on the rear for control and not so much for traction.
+1
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Old Feb 12, 2019 | 10:41 PM
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Originally Posted by Tech
If you are changing 2 tires, put them on the rear axle. You want the tires with the most traction on the rear for control and not so much for traction.
i did not understand fully your point. I thought RDX being FWD based, wouldn’t that be beneficial to have new tires on the wheels with most traction?? Could you explain please. Or is it the general recommendation for all such cars?

Last edited by Comfy; Feb 12, 2019 at 10:45 PM.
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Old Feb 12, 2019 | 10:48 PM
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Originally Posted by Clickit02
You want to keep all 4 tires the same circumference size (outside diameter) to avoid car AWD overload. Tirerack offers new tire shaving to a specific diameter for extra charge.
that seems like a silly, but very ingenious and potentially cheaper (one tire) alternative to buying two or more tires.
The local Firestone where we went were planning to replace tires with Firestone tires I guess, I asked them that I need the same brand (Michelin) tires and to put back the original tires for now. They said they will see if they can find one and will call me back.
My other option is to go to Acura dealer which is about 40 miles away.
We have an spare car to drive meanwhile and can wait if necessary.

Last edited by Comfy; Feb 12, 2019 at 10:54 PM.
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Old Feb 12, 2019 | 11:53 PM
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Originally Posted by Comfy


i did not understand fully your point. I thought RDX being FWD based, wouldn’t that be beneficial to have new tires on the wheels with most traction?? Could you explain please. Or is it the general recommendation for all such cars?
By law, tire companies are mandated to put the 2 new tires on the front. Steering outweighs/trumps traction.

Last edited by charlie65; Feb 12, 2019 at 11:55 PM.
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Old Feb 13, 2019 | 08:59 AM
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How much wear do you have on the other 3 tires? If you are getting close to 5/32nd, I would just go for 4 new tires. I would also check out the other 3 tires to see if you have any unequal wear like feathering, scalloped, and/or inner or outer wear. Might be time for an alignment also. I've purchased a single used tire from eBay in my exact make/model on my vehicles a few times with wear at 80% to 90% for about $70 shipped. Perfect match treadwear wise with existing tires since I have sh-awd on my RDX and MDX.
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Old Feb 13, 2019 | 11:11 AM
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Originally Posted by charlie65
By law, tire companies are mandated to put the 2 new tires on the front. Steering outweighs/trumps traction.
Funny, but I just went through this and put the two new tires on the rear per Michelin's recommendation. Having more traction in the rear keeps the car in an understeer setup, which is what most non-racing drivers are comfortable with. Alternatively, having new tires on the front and old on the rear would allow the rear tires to break loose first in a hard turn, causing fishtailing that would result in a spin with an average driver.
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Old Feb 13, 2019 | 11:56 AM
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Originally Posted by mrgold35
How much wear do you have on the other 3 tires? If you are getting close to 5/32nd, I would just go for 4 new tires. I would also check out the other 3 tires to see if you have any unequal wear like feathering, scalloped, and/or inner or outer wear. Might be time for an alignment also. I've purchased a single used tire from eBay in my exact make/model on my vehicles a few times with wear at 80% to 90% for about $70 shipped. Perfect match treadwear wise with existing tires since I have sh-awd on my RDX and MDX.
The damage tire was 6/32 and the other three tires are 7/32 (apparently 70% tread remaining). The tire shop recommends new for the two in front. I asked them to order it. Thanks.
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Old Feb 13, 2019 | 11:58 AM
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Originally Posted by fcostantini
Funny, but I just went through this and put the two new tires on the rear per Michelin's recommendation. Having more traction in the rear keeps the car in an understeer setup, which is what most non-racing drivers are comfortable with. Alternatively, having new tires on the front and old on the rear would allow the rear tires to break loose first in a hard turn, causing fishtailing that would result in a spin with an average driver.
I see. That’s a good reason to place the new ones in rear. I’ll talk to the shop when I go there for replacement. Also I will keep the other good tire just in case I need it in future. Thanks.
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Old Feb 13, 2019 | 03:17 PM
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Originally Posted by charlie65
By law, tire companies are mandated to put the 2 new tires on the front. Steering outweighs/trumps traction.
News to me. Link to source? Or was that forum advice.
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Old Feb 13, 2019 | 11:16 PM
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Originally Posted by Tech
News to me. Link to source? Or was that forum advice.
Personal experience. 4 or 5 years ago I bought two new tires at Discount Tire for my one ton Dodge 4 x 4 and instructed them to put them on the rear. I was told by the employee that by law, he couldn't do that. Huh? I asked for the manager and he confirmed what the employee had told me. I asked for the logic behind this train of thought and he couldn't provide any.
When I got home, I swapped the fronts and rears with each other.

Last edited by charlie65; Feb 13, 2019 at 11:18 PM.
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Old Feb 14, 2019 | 05:43 AM
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Discount tires tried to sell me 4 new tires on my 08 RDX when one tire was destroyed when I ran over road debris on the hwy. I just wanted two new tires and place them on the same axle. Discount was telling me I had to purchase 4 new tires because of sh-awd (they applied the same rule for all awd vehicles). I had to show them in the owner's manual that 4 new is preferred; but, 2 new is A-OK on the same axle. So glad I had a copy of the owner's manual pdf in my Dropbox.
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Old Feb 14, 2019 | 07:55 AM
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Okay related question. Let’s assume two new tires are placed on the rear. What happens when you rotate them? Won’t they get totally screwed up with the tire diameters then?
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Old Feb 14, 2019 | 10:01 AM
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Originally Posted by charlie65
I asked for the logic behind this train of thought and he couldn't provide any.
That is usually the case. They heard or read it somewhere maybe even on a forum and it becomes "law". I heard it from a co-worker who worked for a government vehicle testing centre.

Not an issue in my case since my tires all wear evenly and if I needed a new tire or pair of tires, if the other two are that worn, I just get a set of four. God, the amount of money spent on useless bling on cars and people can't afford what is really important...tires.

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Old Feb 14, 2019 | 08:32 PM
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Hey all, sorry if this has already been answered but what if ya need new sets of tires what is the "recommended" go to?
I think the RDXs come with Michelin. Can any one suggest better ones in terms of thread depth / wear, mileage, ride, etc ?

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Old Feb 15, 2019 | 06:04 AM
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TireRack.com has a ton of info and will make your decision an easy task.
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Old Feb 15, 2019 | 11:11 AM
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Originally Posted by Comfy
Okay related question. Let’s assume two new tires are placed on the rear. What happens when you rotate them? Won’t they get totally screwed up with the tire diameters then?
If your front and rear tires are different, you should only rotate onto the same axle. Left rear to Right rear, Right rear to Left rear, ditto for the front.
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Old Feb 16, 2019 | 08:48 AM
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Tire shop called to say they have the tires ready. But mentioned something like Michelin Premier; but the RDX has M Primacy isn’t it. Are they close enough in characteristics so that it doesn’t matter if I use it for the other axle or should I insist on getting the Michelin Primacy?
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Old Feb 16, 2019 | 01:38 PM
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This may help - https://www.tirerack.com/tires/surve...S&sortValue=20
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Old Feb 16, 2019 | 05:18 PM
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I had the Michelin Premier LTX on My RDX.They were much better than the primacy's.Quiet and great in the rain or snow.They lasted about the same as the primacy,38,000 miles.
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Old Feb 16, 2019 | 06:52 PM
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Originally Posted by NBP04TL4ME
Originally Posted by Brown13
I had the Michelin Premier LTX on My RDX.They were much better than the primacy's.Quiet and great in the rain or snow.They lasted about the same as the primacy,38,000 miles.
Thanks guys. So basically both are the same in all categories with a slight edge to the premier in ranking. Don’t know why it costs less then?
Anyway the tire shop ordered the correct ones this time and will call me sometime next week.
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Old Feb 20, 2019 | 08:30 AM
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Originally Posted by Brown13
I had the Michelin Premier LTX on My RDX.They were much better than the primacy's.Quiet and great in the rain or snow.They lasted about the same as the primacy,38,000 miles.
Brown13:
Will need new tires soon; only used OE Primacy up to now. Did you notice any increase in noise level on the Premier LTX as mileage increased?
Price being quite a bit lower has made me reluctant to try them.
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Old Feb 20, 2019 | 05:29 PM
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Originally Posted by trcollins59
Brown13:
Will need new tires soon; only used OE Primacy up to now. Did you notice any increase in noise level on the Premier LTX as mileage increased?
Price being quite a bit lower has made me reluctant to try them.
Premier's are quieter that Primacy's and better grip.No noise level change with mileage.
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Old Feb 20, 2019 | 08:38 PM
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Update



Just want to keep you in the loop. I got the tires changed today with the OEM Michelin primacy MXM4.
It was ironic that even though the tire shop’s window prominently displayed the reason for putting new tires in the rear, the guy convinced me otherwise. He stated that my tires have very minimal wear and therefore that logic doesn’t apply in my case.
He stated that newer tires on the front would wear a tiny bit faster on the fronts and eventually all fours would end up with relatively same wear.
Now here’s a picture of what I found in my damaged tire. A screw. The head is barely noticeable outside since it sits so flush but inside was a different story.


Just to wrap up, I had requested my good tire back as I handed my keys earlier but they forgot and had to look for it when I asked. But I made sure I got it back before I left the place.
Later on I checked the invoice which stated scrap tire recycling fee 2:00 x 2 =$4:00.
Did they really intended to destroy that good tire?
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