# Subaru tire circumferance **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** subaru\ **Created:** [June 24, 2007, 3:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/subaru-tire-circumferance/911 "2007-06-24T15:30:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kelpat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@kelpat](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kelpat)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 3:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/subaru-tire-circumferance/911/1 "2007-06-24T15:30:26Z")
I own an 02 subaru forester. my dealer told me the front tires have an inch difference on their circumference and this can ruin the differential and that i should get four new tires immediately, or get the larger tires buffed to the smaller tires size. I have plenty of tread on all four. My question is, how imperative is it that i fix this problem ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 3:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/subaru-tire-circumferance/911/2 "2007-06-24T15:47:20Z")
They should be about the same circumference. Is there a particular reason you took the car into the dealer and for them to measure tire circumference? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 5:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/subaru-tire-circumferance/911/3 "2007-06-24T17:09:20Z")
i took it in for an oil change. two of the tires were bought a year ago, the other two are about four years old, the dealer noticed that and measured them. all four are 205,s. ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 5:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/subaru-tire-circumferance/911/4 "2007-06-24T17:47:39Z")
The dealer is right. That AWD can be seriously damaged by running with even a small difference in circumference. It is possible to shave a larger tyre down to match the smaller ones. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 5:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/subaru-tire-circumferance/911/5 "2007-06-24T17:49:19Z")
Replace all four ASAP. Hopefully you have a manual transmission which is more tolerant than the automatic due to differing AWD. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 6:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/subaru-tire-circumferance/911/6 "2007-06-24T18:06:25Z")
dealers recomend keeping 1/4" or less in circumference, however, variations of even up to a 1/2" is quite normal from tires bought from the same manufacturer ,at the same time. Unequal tire pressures can easily cause a 1/4" difference in circumference. Shaving or buffing a tire costs upward on 35 to 40 dollars, so it hardly seems worthwhile to make a new tire smaller to fit. I do not know repair stats on subaru differentials due to unequal circumferences, but it should be very high for not many people would follow these though guidelines