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Old 04-12-2015, 07:24 AM   #11
MAXUM
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It really comes down to the AWD system as to what you can an cannot do far as needing to do tire replacements and when.

Subaru has a very complicated computer controlled torque vectoring system that allows power to be targeted to a single wheel to improve handling and feel. Now all AWD systems can do this to some degree but the system Subaru uses in particular is able to put nearly 100% power to any wheel in the system. This is all of course computer controlled but the key to all this working is the viscus couplings in the differentials which are the weak point in the system. That essentially is what takes the power from the engine and equalizes it to all four wheels. When you have a tire that is not of the same diameter that coupling has to make up for the tire circumference and therefore power applied difference and as a result can heat up and ultimately fail because it's not intended to be in use all the time. In other words this is only intended to be in use on an as needed bases not all the time. SO for all this whiz bang stuff yes you need to be especially careful to make sure you tires wear evenly and consistently rotating them often. While they may get all the raves, they are prone to problems and good luck when they break cause they cost a fortune to fix. Acura, BMW and Audi use the same type of system as well.
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