# Change All Four Tires?

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/change-all-four-tires/57611>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [November 15, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/change-all-four-tires/57611 "2010-11-15T22:17:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![barrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b19c9b/32.png) [@barrya](https://community.cartalk.com/u/barrya)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/change-all-four-tires/57611/1 "2010-11-15T22:17:41Z")

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I have been told that, with an all-wheel drive car (such as an EVO x or Subaru), if I should, by chance, mess up one tire, I should replace all four tires, rather than only the bad one, or else I can do damage to some part of the drive train by running on uneven tires. Is this true?

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**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2010, 10:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/change-all-four-tires/57611/2 "2010-11-15T22:18:27Z")

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Yes. Just look in the owner’s manual. All 4 tires have to be exactly the same diameter.

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**Author:** ![Bladecutter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@Bladecutter](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bladecutter)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2010, 10:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/change-all-four-tires/57611/3 "2010-11-15T22:23:47Z")

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Its that, or you disable the 4WD system on the Subaru by removing the fuse, and just run the car as FWD.

BC.

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**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2010, 10:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/change-all-four-tires/57611/4 "2010-11-15T22:24:39Z")

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Yes, the only other option is to have the new tire ‘shaved’ to the identical diameter, but you’ll want to figure this out (find a place that does it) before the problem comes up.

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**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2010, 10:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/change-all-four-tires/57611/5 "2010-11-15T22:54:10Z")

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That is true IF that particular Subaru has a provsion for inserting a fuse in order to enable FWD/disable AWD.

If the vehicle in question has the more advanced Variable Torque Distribution (VTD) AWD system, there is no provision for inserting a fuse for this purpose. While the VTD system is much more resistant to damage than the “regular” Subaru AWD system, it is still a very bad idea to drive more than…let’s say…50-100 miles…on mismatched tires.

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**Author:** ![andrew\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@andrew\_j](https://community.cartalk.com/u/andrew_j)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 1:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/change-all-four-tires/57611/6 "2010-11-16T01:34:28Z")

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The disable AWD only applies to majority of automatic Subaru models. However none manual transmission models you can disable it.

Even disabling, it is considered a temporary measure.

Evo I have no idea.