RE:General question about tires - go buy some Mr. Bubble

[Skip Bogard <skip.bogard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>         Assuming all four tires have about 12,000 miles, yet one of the     
>         tires is losing air (about 2 lbs/psi per week).  I want to have     
>         that tire replaced (left rear tire).

Why?  Did you check the valve stem for leaks?  Do you have caps on?
Answer No?  
Procede to next paragraph...

Go mix up some Mr. Bubble, fill up your leaking tire to about 40 PSI (any
other
people want to make a PSI recommendation?  I'm flexible on this), and brush
the Mr.
Bubble soapy solution on with a small paint brush.   Look for "a happy
party" of
tiny bubbles being actively formed on your tire...if it's not the stem
leaking, test the 
rest of the tire rubber. Paint with Mr. Bubble until you find the leak.   
Be liberal, it's okay to get soap all over the valve stem & tire.
Sometimes you can't
find a leak, but rarely this happens.

>      
>      My question is:   
>        Is it OK to just replace that one tire

No

>or should the right rear tire also be replaced?  

yes, you'd replace two at a time (front pair or rear pair) 

>Will I have problems with un-even wear balance/ if I don't replace all
four tires?

You'll always have uneven wear, depending on which tires are the drive tires.
Drive tires tend to wear faster.  Cars, as material objects, are basically
"problems"
and therefore always have uneven something.   But replacing tires two at a
time
is okay.

>      
>      What is the best approach when you have to replace one of four fairly 
>      new tires?

Assuming your tire valve is okay & you found a hole, if you still want to
dump the tire, 
check your trunk for a full size spare.   If you have one:

1. put the good right rear tire in your trunk as spare, assuming it's
relatively decent
2. buy a new tire for the back, and put your new full size spare (assuming
it is new)
on the back too.
      
>      I would like some independent recommendations before I speak to a      
>      local tire shop.
 
You never said what kind of car, the recommendations could have been
even more specific if you told us, but the Mr. Bubble will get you started.
If you don't feel comfortable doing this, then ask your tire shop to before
they sell you something and watch them (or get them to show you the leak 
location).   If they complain about "we're not insured, you can't come in
the shop"
then either recommend they roll the tire out of the shop where you can
stand, or
leave, because something else might get rimmed besides your tire.

Write back & tell us if you find a leak & where (stem or tire), tell us
what kind
of car you have & what you use it for, and we'll give you further
instructions 
on what to do.

- - Skip

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