Tire Bulge
 

I just found a bulge in my front drivers side tire. They're Kuhmos that I got with my rims from Sedona Bugeye... I did some research and basically, I think I need to get the tire replaced. I dont think I can get it replaced under warranty because I'm not sure of how old they are and if it truly is a manufacturer defect...

What are my other solutions to this problem? Is it just to replace all 4 tires?

yup unfortunate got to change all 4

Pretty much two choices...

Change all 4 tires.

Or...

If there is a lot of tread left on the other 3, you can buy a matching 4th tire and have it shaved to match.

Depending on how common a tire it is, you may be able to find a used one as well. Anything within a few thirty seconds is fine. if you buy new, TireRack will shave them before they ship them.

How big of a bulge is dangerous? It's not a giant one, it's about an inch across and maybe half an inch raised.

How would I be able to tell how much to shave?

Also, if Sedona is around here, maybe you could tell me how many miles you put on the car before I bought them so I could make a decision on how old the tires actually are.

Take it from me, who had a tire shaved to match a set, don't bother lol. It was a pain. Cheaper yes, but a pain as well. If you can afford a cheapish new set of tires I would just go with all 4.

Any bulge is dangerous. The tire has failed.

Getting a tire shaved to match is a good idea if there's still life left in the other tires. It doesn't have to be perfectly matched either. Just run the tire on the front of the car, it'll scrub downthe fastest there and because the front diff is an open diff you won't put heat into the drivetrain.

Did you try pushing on it?

What does that matter? Any bulge means the sidewall has delaminated and/or had a belt/cord fail. Either could be really bad at any time.

A thin ruler works, or I have a tire depth gauge. Basically, you are trying to figure out how many 1/32" deep it is in the main grooves that go all the way around the tire.

If you are down in the 3-5/32" or under range, you might be better off getting 4. A Reno winter on that little tread could be ugly. Anything over 5, I'd try and get a match. The Tirerack or manufacturer's web site will tell you what the original full depth was.

Lots of used tire shops in town.

Something within 2-3/32" should be fine. That is often within the way tires wear around the car. at 1/8" or over difference and I would think about shaving.

I've got my stockers outside in the shed. Since my front diff is an open diff, could I put that on as an almost-full sized spare without ruining my diffs?

Your center diff will still be affected, though by about half as much as the rear would be, if my assumptions about the mechanics are correct. I'd still follow the 2/32'nds rule, or whatever it is. Maybe go as far as 4/32'nds (1/8") if they're on the front. You're going to have a hard time figuring out the differnce in radius from the tread surface to the center though. You could use a string to get the OD and some math to translate to radius, but it won't be accurate. Maybe measure from the ground to the center of the wheel?

If you can afford to address the issue properly now, I'd do so. Temporary use of a spare is fine, especially on the front and keep it under 55.

Hmm, alright. Well my next question is this. What tires should I get? I really liked my Kumho ASX's and they're relatively cheap ($96 compared to $87 from tirerack) from Mr. Hubcap and Wheel with rotation and balancing for life. My reasoning for keeping Kumhos is that I'd be used to them (if there is a major difference in handling in different conditions) and that they've been good to me this far.

Are there any other tires I should look at? I -need- all-seasons and need to keep it around $90 each.

I think Falken Ziex 912's are the most commonly recommended all seasons on most Subaru sites...for bang for the buck. Discount tire has them.

What size do you want? 17s?

I liked my ASXs. If that is what is on the wheels, then you can keep one or two of the best old ones. I'd vote for that. I have also ahd a set of HTR+s that were pretty good and cheap.

Though Discount Tire has a $50 BF discount good on orders until Sat. See if the local discount tire will match...

Just bite the bullet and get a set of dedicated winter tires. Then by the time summer rolls around you will have enough saved to get some decent summer tires.

The local stores are doing the same promotion, it's on the website.