DUE TO CONFLICTING INPUT; AN MD80 CREW FLEW AN ACFT THAT HAD ONE MAIN MOUNT TIRE CHANGED; BUT ONE MAINT SOURCE SAID IF ONE IS CHANGED THEN BOTH MUST BE CHANGED. THE CREW COULD NOT VERIFY THIS DURING PREFLT AND LOCAL MAINTENANCE DISAGREED.

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DURING PREFLT; THE FO AND I REVIEWED THE MAINT LOG. WE NOTED AN ENTRY STATING THAT THE #1 MAIN TIRE HAD BEEN CHANGED AND THAT THE #2 MAIN WAS SCHEDULED TO BE CHANGED. NOT HAVING SEEN THIS TYPE OF ENTRY BEFORE; I CALLED MAINT CTL ON MY CELL PHONE; AND PUT THEM ON SPEAKER; SO THAT THE FO COULD LISTEN IN. WHEN ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION REGARDING THE STATUS OF THE #2 MAIN; MAINT CTL SAID THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN TOWED TO THE GATE AT ZZZ WITH THE #1 MAIN FLAT. THE #1 HAD BEEN CHANGED; BUT NO OTHER TIRES WERE AVAILABLE AT THE STATION. HE SAID THAT THE MAINT MANUAL REQUIRES US TO CHANGE THE ADJOINING TIRE (#2); BUT THAT IT ALSO ALLOWS US TO FLY THE AIRPLANE ON TO THE NEXT STATION IF ANOTHER TIRE IS NOT AVAILABLE AT THE CURRENT STATION. BASED ON HIS EXPLANATION; WE DEPARTED FOR ZZZ1. UPON ARR AT ZZZ1; A MECH CAME OUT TO THE AIRPLANE AND TOLD US THAT WE HAD 'FLOWN AN ILLEGAL AIRPLANE; AND THAT THE FAA HAD BEEN NOTIFIED.' I ASKED WHAT HAD BEEN ILLEGAL ABOUT IT; AND HE SAID THAT THE #2 MAIN WAS REQUIRED TO HAVE BEEN CHANGED AT ZZZ. I EXPLAINED TO HIM WHAT THE MAINT CTL MAN HAD SAID; BUT HE RATHER ADAMANTLY DISAGREED THAT IT HAD BEEN LEGAL. BASED ON THIS APPARENT CONFLICT WITHIN OUR OWN MAINT DEPT; I SUGGEST THAT WE IMPROVE OUR COM TO ALL CONCERNED REGARDING THE LEGALITY OF FLT IN THIS CONFIGN. I STILL DON'T KNOW WHO IS RIGHT -- THE MAN AT MAINT CTL OR THE ZZZ1 MECH. WHO IS? WAS I LEGAL OR NOT? PRIOR TO DEP; BASED ON THE APPARENTLY LEGAL SIGNOFF OF THE LOGBOOK; AND THE EXPLANATION FROM MAINT CTL; BOTH THE FO AND I WERE CONVINCED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS LEGAL TO FLY; AND MORE IMPORTANTLY; WAS SAFE TO FLY. OF COURSE; IT PERFORMED NORMALLY THROUGHOUT THE FLT. ALSO; THE ZZZ1 MECH SAID THAT IT APPEARED TO HIM AS THOUGH THE #2 MAIN HAD BEEN PARTIALLY REMOVED; PERHAPS IN ANTICIPATION OF CHANGING IT; BUT THAT THE NUT HOLDING IT ON HAD BEEN RECONNECTED IMPROPERLY. HE SAID THAT THE BOLT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TIGHTENED TO A SIGNIFICANT TORQUE VALUE; BUT THAT IT WAS ONLY 'FINGER TIGHT;' AND WAS; IN HIS OPINION; CLOSE TO SEPARATING FROM THE AIRPLANE. HE SAID THAT IT WAS AS THOUGH SOMEONE HAD BEGUN REMOVING BOTH WHEELS; AHD THEN REALIZED THAT ONLY ONE WHEEL WOULD BE CHANGED DUE TO LACK OF AVAILABILITY; AND HAD NEGLECTED TO REATTACH THE PARTIALLY REMOVED #2 MAIN. HE DID SAY THAT THE INSTALLATION OF THE NEW #1 TIRE HAD BEEN DONE PROPERLY; HOWEVER.