I have often heard you can have differential problems on our cars if you run tires that aren't the exact same diameter or drive too far on a donut. I understand completely, but I've never heard a common-sense answer to how much of an issue this really is.
1) Is this only a problem for viscous LSD's? Or is it a problem on any Subaru AWD?
2) If my tires are worn down but I replace one tire with a fresh tread, will this cause me problems? How closely matched does the tread-depth have to be on all 4 tires to avoid said problems? I am not looking for the conservative answer that Subaru puts in the ownders manuals (to be safe and avoid being sued). I am just interested in the common sense answer.
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
3) How far can I really drive on a donut? And what happens to me when I ignore that?
Ideally, I want to be able to drive 300 miles home from the middle of nowhere on a donut - but I know a full-sized spare is probably necessary. In that case, my full-sized spare will have the problem I described in Question 2.
Thanks!
Sam
1990 Legacy L Wagon AWD