Different tyre profiles - will this kill my diff?
Discussion
Hi all
I had fitted by a garage a pair of 215/45 17 profile front tyres where the rears are 215/40 17.
I only managed about 50 miles and my car started really shuddering and stinking of gearbox / diff oil.
Have I caused some damage by having mis matched profiles?
Is it the garage's responsibility for allowing an AWD car to drive off with different diameter tyres?
I had fitted by a garage a pair of 215/45 17 profile front tyres where the rears are 215/40 17.
I only managed about 50 miles and my car started really shuddering and stinking of gearbox / diff oil.
Have I caused some damage by having mis matched profiles?
Is it the garage's responsibility for allowing an AWD car to drive off with different diameter tyres?
The front tyres obviously have a 5mm larger circumference as the profile is 45 not 40.
Problem was I had no other option as my front tyre had split and it was Xmas eve.
Under 40mph it was driveable and I only had bad juddering a couple of times and just went slower and slower to stop it. So it still runs currently but I have left it alone since.
Do you think I may have caught it in time and changing the tyres to the right size will solve it? Or is my centre diff going to be f***ed now for sure?
Under 40mph it didn't smell of diff oil anymore. Only concern was before this tyre issue....I had smelt this smell before just not as strongly.
Problem was I had no other option as my front tyre had split and it was Xmas eve.
Under 40mph it was driveable and I only had bad juddering a couple of times and just went slower and slower to stop it. So it still runs currently but I have left it alone since.
Do you think I may have caught it in time and changing the tyres to the right size will solve it? Or is my centre diff going to be f***ed now for sure?
Under 40mph it didn't smell of diff oil anymore. Only concern was before this tyre issue....I had smelt this smell before just not as strongly.
The 'profile' is the sidewall height as a percentage of the treadwidth. So on a set of tires that are 215mm wide, a /40 profile tire would have an 86mm tall sidewall, and a /45 profile tire would have a 97mm sidewall, so a slightly bigger difference than you first thought.
Hopefully your diff's just overheated and not knackered!
Hopefully your diff's just overheated and not knackered!
Useless AA took 5 hours to come and transport my car to Subaru garage. Thank The Lord it was at home and not on the side of a motorway.
Praying they can fix it tomorrow and don't need any big parts.....
Not sure it will be that simple as the oil smell has been around for a couple of weeks so not convinced this is all down to the tyres fitted only a few days ago. We shall see....
Praying they can fix it tomorrow and don't need any big parts.....
Not sure it will be that simple as the oil smell has been around for a couple of weeks so not convinced this is all down to the tyres fitted only a few days ago. We shall see....
Lefty said:
I think it's gear oil he can smell, it's pretty distinctive!
Maybe, just he said it was smelling for a while before having the tyres fitted. When the oil off a leaking rocker hits the manifold and burns it stinks. Since its a known common problem I just thought that would more likely be the culprit than the diff.SO, it turns out that the different sized tyres were of course the root of the problem.
NOT good news as the garage who sold them to me will not take them back, but the good news is that the car no longer has any problems and with a quick fluid change the diff has not suffered any long-term damage. Phew.
But it does mean i have a brand new (only managed 30 miles!) set of Goodyear Asymmetric 2's 215/45 17 (Y rating!) if anyone fancies buying them off me??
NOT good news as the garage who sold them to me will not take them back, but the good news is that the car no longer has any problems and with a quick fluid change the diff has not suffered any long-term damage. Phew.
But it does mean i have a brand new (only managed 30 miles!) set of Goodyear Asymmetric 2's 215/45 17 (Y rating!) if anyone fancies buying them off me??
Scooby P1 said:
SO, it turns out that the different sized tyres were of course the root of the problem.
NOT good news as the garage who sold them to me will not take them back, but the good news is that the car no longer has any problems and with a quick fluid change the diff has not suffered any long-term damage. Phew.
But it does mean i have a brand new (only managed 30 miles!) set of Goodyear Asymmetric 2's 215/45 17 (Y rating!) if anyone fancies buying them off me??
Volvo lads use that size. If i need them i'd snap them out of your hands. Worth putting on a volvo forum.NOT good news as the garage who sold them to me will not take them back, but the good news is that the car no longer has any problems and with a quick fluid change the diff has not suffered any long-term damage. Phew.
But it does mean i have a brand new (only managed 30 miles!) set of Goodyear Asymmetric 2's 215/45 17 (Y rating!) if anyone fancies buying them off me??
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