Flat tire yesterday
 

On the way home in my 2003 base, I hit a bump which felt much worse then it looked. After another mile or so the car started to feel funny, so I started to work my way out of the fast lane to the side of the freeway. By the time I got stopped, the left rear tire's inner sidewall was shredded. There are no nails or any signs of a puncture except the big holes in the sidewall. The 18" lightweight wheel thank goodness does not look damaged. I changed to the never before used mini spare and made it home.

My question is, can I get away with just replacing the one tire, or should I do both rears, or should I do all 4?

All 4 tires are Continental Sports with 11k miles, I would say half used up.

Just my opinion, but I would replace only the one tire, with the same tire. But when the half used up tire got down to 4/32", replace both tires on that axle. Again, my opinion.

If you don't already have one, a tire gauge generally costs $4-5.

what about just putting a "used" tire on there until they both need changing? don't know if that is an absolute "no-no", but it could save you a penny if you are in a bind.

It's really more about how much tread is left in the remaining tires. For me if over half the tread-life remains, I would probably just do one and see how it handles. Did you buy them new? If so, did you purchase road-hazard insurance? If so, that may help soften the blow.

+1

Also check the rim, these guys bend easier then you would expect. Of course when you get the new tire they will tell you while balancing it if it is bent. The inside of rims bend when hitting things and you don't feel it until driving around 70. It happened to me on my previous Benz and I had it fixed by a mobile rim straightening company.

luckily you had a spare. mine has a can of goop and an air compressor. when i last picked up a nail, i took it to the P dealer to fix. i was told P doesn't repair tires. yikes. took it to my indy where they patched it.

Make sure they first "balance" the bare wheel to see how imperfect it is. If it calls for more than 1.5oz to balance you will need to use the following procedure to minimize vibration: The cause of vibration is that the tire and the wheel assembly isn't exactly round. When the high spots on the tire and the wheel match to each other, it doubles the amount of runout , or "hop." If there is a hop the vibration will not end when you rebalance your tires. A hop can often be fixed by simply loosening the tire on the wheel and turning it 180 degrees, reinflating the tire after relubricating the bead. If the problem persists, rotate the tire another 90 degrees, and again 180 degrees if there is still vibration. Doing this allows for the high spot to be tried at each quarter of the wheel, and at one of the points, the tire should be round. From here, rebalance the tire and test drive to check for remaining vibration. If you still feel it, the problem is either in the tire itself of elsewhere in the vehicle.