jesmed1 said: “… I seriously doubt they would have made that specific allowance if it could damage the differential. …”
There have been numerous examples of owners manuals that have not kept up on things. The one that jumps into my head is a Volvo AWD car that didn’t mention tire diameter matching at all - and yet, they have a TSB out on the subject…
So be very careful assuming the owners manual is definitive on the subject. In many cases, it isn’t revised for many, many years.
I apologize if this was already alluded to, but noting the concerns about matching tires on AWD - on a standard 4WD (or, at least the part-time that is available on light trucks and Jeeps) does that same concern attend?
I addressed it above.
The problem with 4WD is that there are quite a few different systems and it is hard to make general rules that cover every possible situation. What is worse is that vehicle manufacturers don’t always give warnings in their manuals.
It’s best to consult with the vehicle manufacturer - but as a general rule 4X4’s don’t have the same porblems, but there are exceptions.