Think I'll have issues replacing only 2 tires?

I had the same problem & replaced the 1 tire. No handling problems.

 

Here is the the way tire replacement goes, in order, from Best to Worst IAW manufacture specs:

1) buy all 4 same brand and size. (Best)

2) buy 2 and put them on the REAR of the vehicle. (Do not put the new tires on the front).

3) buy 1 and place it on the rear opposite the best tire left from the original set of 4.

It is always best to keep same brand and series of tire, because the same size of two different manufactures are in truth - two different size tires.

 

Maybe not a bad idea to post some "WTB: one nokian i3 tire, Sacramento/Bay Area" threads on Craigslist?

 

Hey, I assume that you cannot get the tire fixed or plugged? That would be the absolute cheapest way. If you have just one or two tires that are worn and the others are fine it should be perfectly acceptable. Especially because the manual calls for rotating the tires back to front, and not diagonally side to side.

Good luck,

 

I am ridiculous when it comes to reading things. Sometimes for some reason I totally miss lines of data. I blame it on that eye-q program that taught me to speed read. I scan the lines like 3-5 at a time and only get a general idea of what I'm reading. HAHA

I'd go with two if you can take that hit, otherwise just do the one wheel and I'm sure you'll live. hehe

 

Yeah, I must warn you though! Keep it under 100mph. HAHA

 

I replaced two, however, I plan on replacing the remaining two at some point this year to match. I switched to Energy Saver A/S, and it was a "no time like the present" moment.

 

I always heard that you put the best 2 tires in front, to better prevent a blow out, so you will handle the car better if the front tires are good in the event of a (rear) blow out.

 

According to car talk the best tires go on the back

 

They're made from oranges? Let us know what the tire smoke smells like!

The best tires go on the back? Even with front wheel drive? That sounds weird.

I would have phoned around and replaced just the one, but then I can be without a car for a few days (or weeks) if I need to. You could turn the 3 Nokians into a planter on the deck for now, though they're probably best kept indoors for when you want to use them on the car again. How about a laundry hamper in the corner?

 

Soon you'll know if you prefer the colour of burnt orange, or the smell.

If I had to choose between the two, I think I'd take oversteer (rear slides first, aka fishtailing) over understeer (front end slides first). I've tried both, on two wheels and four, and I'd have to say I prefer a bit of drifting over not having the steering do what it's told. Maybe it's learned behaviour, but steering into a skid seems less stressful than just sitting there patiently waiting for the fronts to find some grip. Ideally, the tires should match and the handling should be balanced so this doesn't happen, right?

 

Much safer to put the better pair at the rear. Understeer is nature's way of telling you to slow down; oversteer is nature's way of telling you you're going to die.

One of the beauties of front wheel drive is that the front pair almost always wear faster, and so the only time anything needs rotating is when the front pair have worn out and must be replaced (by the old rear pair).

 

Sidewall punctures are not good to try and patch, especially if there is already a bulge in the rubber. In the desert, we constantly patched tires (tread patch) to keep from wasting tires that still had life left in them, but when you have a sidewall puncture the tire is done for.

I would personally suggest finding a scrap yard if the budget is tight, I bought two almost new identical tires (came from the same wreck) for my minivan for $40 when I treked across Alaska getting to New Mexico. I also bought a truck tire that i'd trust on the road any day of the week for $30 from the same folks.