OK to replace rear axle tires 2 at a time?

I like to replace 4 at a time. If 2 are still good, you can keep them as spares or just sell them. I just sold 2 decent tires for $150 each the other day.

If they were put on at the same time and one side wore down faster, figure out what is causing the wear. It might just need an alignment or it might be worn bushings or shocks. Maybe even bent wheels.

 

You worry more about mismatched tires when they are bolted together. In what your saying your tire wear will be fine. If your too uneven from left rear to right rear your differential will make it up but it's being abused.

 

When I need tires
I replace the steer tires and put old steer tires on drivers .

 

IF you replace only one side your differencial must do a bigger job

 

Yep, the axle will sit at a slope.. Depending on the tread difference from one side to the other. Replace all 4 is how I normally do it

 

M&D says to put the taller pair on the right side. So older ones on left side.
But there is a limit to the difference in tread depth. Some reason 8/32" rings in my mind, but not sure.

 

An 8/32" difference between right side and left would be about the maximum I'd run. For a 40" tire, that is a 1% difference the differential has to handle.

 

Mismatched tire makes the those small spider gears wear more rapidly inside the rearends. To explain it simply, those spider gears work almost like a clutch, they make up when one tire spins more than the other, like when you turn left or right, it has to catch up. Now this was on a SQHD, if Im wrong, someone can correct me.

 

I wouldn't worry about it as long as it's the same size tires.