I just realized something! (IS 300 Tire thread)

Quick recap. I got a hole in the sidewall of the drivers side front tire on my 2002 IS 300. I was told that I need to replace 2 tires at the same time, so the tread will be even.

I just realized I dont need to buy 2 new tires.

The flat tire is in the trunk, and the "spare" tire (which is the same as the other 4) is on the driver side front. I will replace the flat tire. BUT mount the replacement tire on the passenger side front. Then use the passenger side front tire as a "spare"

So there will be 2 new tires on the front, and I only needed to buy 1.

Would this work?

Quick question. (I appreciate this guys!)

Is it bad if the new tire is a different brand name than the other

3? I will buy the same style (tread rating 140, etc)

Do I need them to balance/align all 4 tires? Or only the 2 front ones?
Should I put the 2 new tires in the front or back?

I asked the guy to check my treads. The new tire is "9". The other 3 are "6" He said usually when it gets to 3-4, then you should replace.

18k miles and the tires only went down from "9" to "6", not bad.

Thanks!

The tire dealer is telling you two buy two new tires at the same time so your tires are exactly matched, and wont cause a tire pull one way or the other from differences in rolling resistance. This said, yes it would be a bad idea to have two different models of tires, because different tread patterns, compounds, etc can cause a pull. If you werent having any vibration problems or unusual tire wear, you wouldnt need to balance and align your tires, but because you blew a tire out it would be smart so you can check for any other bent rims, and any alignment problems that it caused. If you are going to have two different tires, (or tires with different tread depths) on the same axle, the best place for them is on the back, because they will not cause a pull from there.