I had a flat and went to have the tire plugged. They said it could not because of the hole in the side wall. Any way my question is:
I bought a tire from them. It has the code P255/70R15. The other three are P255/75R15. Is this OK or do they need to be the same. Thanks,
The P255/70R15 has a sidewall height 1/2 inch less than the other three P255/75R15’s. Take it back.
That is a sizable difference
The sidewalls are a ? inch (7.0 vs 7.5) different in width and the circumference is an inch different (29.1 vs 30.1) That is enough to cause handing problems under some conditions, like emergency handling situations and I would not want that much difference in diameter on a differential. At the very least get two so they are the same side to side. Put the new ones on the back not the front!
BTW your speedometer will change about 3% It is likely about 3% off now so you may end up more accurate or 6% off.
Yeah, take it back. Someone messed up big time on that one. So consider this just another person validating the same reaction. The sidewall is higher than the other tires. Besides safety concerns, it could cause mechanical damage long term depending on what you are driving.
If they give you any grief, just point out that standard jury awards for such mistakes run at least $800,000 and up. I made up that figure, but it is an incredibly expensive mistake should something go wrong.
Thanks For all the information. Something did not seem right about the numbers. I will be taking the tire back. Last time I go to wal-mart for tires.
Yes, they screwed up big-time, and you are entitled to a tire of the correct size. I hope that your vehicle is not AWD, as their mistake could have caused damage to your AWD mechanism. If your vehicle is a conventional FWD or RWD, it caused no damage but the tire should be replaced anyway due to the handling problems that it will cause.
Wal-Mart tire technicians? I knew that you shouldn’t trust people who have already lost their teeth by the age of 35!