I bought 4 new tires 18 months ago. I now have to replace the front and rear driver’s side tires. If I buy two new tires and put them in the front, can I place both passenger side tires in the rear?
Yes you can…But if this is a fwd vehicle you want the GOOD tires on the rear.
What condition are the passenger side tires in? Are you trying to squeeze out that last 1/32"? If so, it isn’t worth it. You’re risking an accident.
Your plan is sound, assuming there is still plenty of life left in the pair you are keeping. There ought to be, considering you have only had them for 18 months. Go ahead and replace only the damaged two.
Some consideration needs to go into why the two on that side wore out. No rotation? Alignment issues? Most manufacturers recommend placing the two new tires on the rear, these days. Some require it.
Also note that if the tires are uni-directional, then putting the old tires on as an axle set is a no-go. Check the sidewall for directional arrows to determine if you have these.
I may be fishing, but you’ll be revisiting this again if you don’t alter your driving style. A lot of on/off ramp driving too fast was a problem we had on driver side tires until I asked my wife to drive more sanely. Her commute dealt a lot with interstate on/off ramps. She mended her ways when she got the bill for 4 new tires, the safewst way to go.
Forget what I said if it’s pot hole / curb damage.