Do I Need New Tires - Tacoma

**markcjr** · 11-06-2011, 12:10 PM

I was broke last year, so I drove my new winter tires all year. I got them rotated (front to rear, as they are directional) and balanced and now the fronts have about 20-30% tread and the rear's have about 80% tread. Will this mess with my 4 wheel drive engagement? 2006 Toyota Tacoma, 4wd on the fly, Sport model.

Hoping that as long as the front tires spin at the same speed and the backs at the same speed I'm good? The tire shop didn't say anything and I forgot to ask.

Thanks,

Mark

**Bobcat Sig** · 11-06-2011, 12:26 PM

No, it shouldn't. Ohter than reduced traction with those lower treaded tires, you'll be fine.

If you really want detailed info on tires as they relate to the Tacoma, go check out YotaTech.com or TTORA.org.

Oh, and throw some weight in the bed for added traction and don't run snow tires in the summer. The added heat chews the rubber all to hell.

**bfree** · 11-06-2011, 01:11 PM

Yeah should be fine, just don't rotate such that you have a 20% and an 80% on the same axle.

And a lot of tire shops will do rotations for free (even if you didn't buy there), while others are around $10. No matter how broke you are, doesn't make sense to trash the good investment.

**stuckathuntermtn** · 11-06-2011, 04:08 PM

Ditto on not messing up the 4wd and weight in the back.
You should be fine. I have crappy worn out tires on my Subaru and I'm fine on the Snowbowl road.
Only issue I could see is that in a pickup you're so front heavy, but that's why you put the sandbags in the back.
Have you driven in snow before? Are you not a dumbass mouthbreather like all the drivers around here? You'll be fine.

**markcjr** · 11-06-2011, 06:25 PM

Sweet. Thanks for the info. Yeah, I got them balanced to, so it was $30 for rotation and balancing.
I've lived in snowy places all my life, so I'm not worried about traction and driving. Just wanted to check that I wasn't going to mess up my four wheel drive. When I had a subaru, I blew a winter tire and I had to buy a used tire to match the others, as a different circumference tire would bind up the differentials due to four individually rotating tire speeds. Maybe they gave me a load of horse shit.

**wolfy** · 11-06-2011, 08:46 PM

mark- with 20% on a tire or two check to how close you are to legal. CHP and Truckee PD check tread depth if you're in an accident during winter snow conditions. And the tire guys gave you good subie info- tire diameters are critical. We have both subies and Tacos in our household. Last year I think we kept about 25% of the Tacos at the local high school in parts and tires off of the Reno CL. I can remember that 2 really decent Taco size tires were in the $60-75 range plus $10 per skin for mount and balance. If you're concerned enough to post- that would be cheap insurance. good luck

**hutash** · 11-07-2011, 11:41 AM

You can also buy a new tire and shave it to match the other tires.

**stuckathuntermtn** · 11-07-2011, 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by markcjr

Sweet. Thanks for the info. Yeah, I got them balanced to, so it was $30 for rotation and balancing.
I've lived in snowy places all my life, so I'm not worried about traction and driving. Just wanted to check that I wasn't going to mess up my four wheel drive. When I had a subaru, I blew a winter tire and I had to buy a used tire to match the others, as a different circumference tire would bind up the differentials due to four individually rotating tire speeds. Maybe they gave me a load of horse shit.

No, I got a flat, and had to go buy a used tire. There's something to it. Then again, there are interwebs debates on it, endlessly. It's different with 4wd. Different kind of system somehow. Something about flux capacitors and asymmetrical flange calibration via the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle.

Have fun, drive safe.

**Chowda** · 11-07-2011, 01:49 PM

Having mismatched tires will increase wear on your diff and transfer case. Assuming you are only running 4x4 on snow packed roads, dont worry about it. The more traction you have while in 4x4 the more problematic. Subies have big problems because they are always in awd and it engages based on variable wheel speed, and the system isn't terribly burly.

Your Tacoma doesn't have those issues, so you can get away with more variety in actual od. If you are doing damage, you will feel binding or wheel skip, and see premature darkening of your transfer case oil.

**Snow Dog** · 11-08-2011, 12:19 AM

Originally Posted by markcjr

When I had a subaru, I blew a winter tire and I had to buy a used tire to match the others, as a different circumference tire would bind up the differentials due to four individually rotating tire speeds. Maybe they gave me a load of horse shit.

Subarus are AWD (with traction control) which is different than 4WD. The TC tries to force the wheels to the same RPM and that's where the trouble begins.

**stuckathuntermtn** · 11-08-2011, 08:24 PM

Originally Posted by Chowda

Having mismatched tires will increase wear on your diff and transfer case. Assuming you are only running 4x4 on snow packed roads, dont worry about it. The more traction you have while in 4x4 the more problematic. Subies have big problems because they are always in awd and it engages based on variable wheel speed, and the system isn't terribly burly.

Your Tacoma doesn't have those issues, so you can get away with more variety in actual od. If you are doing damage, you will feel binding or wheel skip, and see premature darkening of your transfer case oil.

It's a little more complicated than that.