Hey guys, so today I switched from my summer to winter setup. Using my OEM F-Sport wheels for the winter, The rears have about 20k on them, and still have pretty decent life on them, more than enough to get me through a winter here in NY.

I changed the two front tires due to camber wear, i got a deal on Cooper all season tires. and changed to two fronts only.

Yes i know its a Lexus,and i own this car, (purchased brand new) so i feel a little weird about cheaping out and only changing two tires but i felt like this was a good decision at the time. $325 for the two tires mount and balance included.

Can anyone advise me as to if have two new tires in the front and worn tires in the back will damage anything? it occured to me after the fact that i read a post of someone saying with an AWD car you MUST change all 4 tires... i really hope that is not the case.

Someone please advise and let me know if i screwed up or my car will be okay, and any other thoughts about what i did...

Thanks

 

any input guys?

 

Short answer is yes...you need to change all 4 tires to have similar tread depth and pattern.

1. Mismatched tires are often a primary factor in drivetrain damage.
2. To minimize variances, always match tires: same brand, size and type.
3. The tread depth difference between front and rear tires should be no more than 3/32nds of an inch.

Four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles are equipped with additional differentials and/or viscous couplings that are designed to allow momentary differences in wheel speeds when the vehicle turns a corner or temporarily spins a tire. However, if the differentials or viscous couplings are forced to operate 100% of the time because of mismatched tires, they will experience excessive heat and unwarranted wear until they fail.

Also, rear tires provide stability, and without stability, steering or braking on a wet or even damp surface might cause a spin. If you have new tires up front, they will easily disperse water while the half-worn rears will go surfing: The water will literally lift the worn rear tires off the road. Always put tires with the most tread depth on the rear.

 

Isn't the recommendation to put the new tires in the rear? But you're staggered so I guess it wouldn't matter.

 

Thanks for all the responses guys. I think ill just do the rears as well, for peace of mind. Also noticed the car hydroplaning a bit today with the heavy rain, not sure if it was me or if it actually was after reading posts here and google....lol.