Tyre time again - 19"

Freely admit I'm not a car guy so looking for some advice.

My wife took the car to ATS this afternoon because offside front has wear on the outside edge and probably needs changing. They put it up and took a look then said that they would have to change both front because "the system wouldn't allow just the one" and that changing just the one "could damage the gearbox" because of the difference between the tread depth on the new tyre and the existing nearside...?

Is this legit' and/or reasonable?

Cheers. FL2 TD4 XS manual, XS style pack, Martinique Blue

Correct, no. Reasonable, possibly depending on the state of the tyres.

It is good practice to change tyres in pairs on any car - you don't really want to end up with a car which has more grip turning left than turning right, for example. So if the tyres are fairly well worn I'd probably change both.

But, on the FL2 you will not damage the gearbox, or diffs, or the Haldex by running tyres with different tread depths. This is a myth carried over from the FL1, where one did have to be careful about such things, but the FL2 has a completely different architecture which doesn't have the same issues.

You'll even find that where LR supply a spare tyre it can be a different size from the normal tyres! This is true of my car - the spare is a size smaller than the rest - and if that doesn't damage the drivetrain a bit of tread wear won't!

Sounds like ATS are getting like Kwik Fit, your'e lucky they didn't condemn the shocks and brakes whilst they were at it. FL2 SD4 Metropolis Auto Santorini Black / ivory completely stock.

It's true that light travels faster than sound, some people look quite intelligent until you hear them speak.


Stop global winging.

IME, look for a good independent specialist and stay away from the big chains. You will get better advice and most likely better value. ATS has never been my choice. 10MY (Sept 09) TD4 HSE Auto in Stornoway Grey (Now Gone)

08 FL2 TD4 SE Manual in Rimini Red (Now Gone)

Cheers all, much appreciated. FL2 TD4 XS manual, XS style pack, Martinique Blue

pab wrote:

You'll even find that where LR supply a spare tyre it can be a different size from the normal tyres! This is true of my car - the spare is a size smaller than the rest - and if that doesn't damage the drivetrain a bit of tread wear won't!

The wheel may be a different size but whether it is a 17", 18" or 19" you will find that the tyre rolling radius is exactly the same. Smaller 17" wheel = bigger, fatter tyre, 19" wheel = lower profile tyre.  Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

You also need to investigate why the tyres have worn unevenly. Tracking check?

Steve D wrote:

The wheel may be a different size but whether it is a 17", 18" or 19" you will find that the tyre rolling radius is exactly the same. Smaller 17" wheel = bigger, fatter tyre, 19" wheel = lower profile tyre.

Surely that's the same rolling size, just different width?

Off topic, some info

My spare is also same size as alloys but it's steel and limited to 60mph I think, I found out its only limited to 60mph because of the alloy wheel bolts being used on a steel wheel.

wizking wrote:

Surely that's the same rolling size, just different width?

This must be particularly annoying - if your spare is the same size you can switch it around and save the cost of one new tyre when you buy a new set. If it's a different size it's not much use to you except as a spare. And tyres have a finite life anyway, so after 5 or 6 years your original spare is a dodgy proposition.

You're right, of course, but in my case it's not so much of an issue as the spare wouldn't match the General ATs I have on the car anyway.

As for tyre life, AIUI the main factor in long-term tyre degradation is UV light. Being kept in a dark wheel well should prolong life well beyond 5-6 years, so it's not something I'd worry about.

Didn't realise that the width made a difference. Cheers for info Pab.