ANSWERS: 1
  • For the most part "used" tires are something I stay away from. That's not to say that you can't get a great deal on some "good" used tires, but you better know what to look for. Here's some tips. Have a look at the tread depth (use your thumb nail and the side of a dime as a gauge) make sure they're close on all tires in the set. If the tires were never been rotated - one will have a lot less meat on it. Lots of tread is good, but look carefully for the "wear bars" in between the tread. You want to measure from the top of the wear bars to the top of the tread, not from the lower surface (face) of the tire. To the untrained eye a tire that is worn down to the wear bars will still have some tread left and be mistaken for "good for one season". Wrong, the tire is finished and should not be used at all. In the rain that tire will hydroplane you off the road and into an accident. Have a good look at the sidewalls for cuts, gouges, scratches, big lumps and cracks, none of those are good. If the raised lettering on the side wall has been worn off, that's not good either. All of those are clues to the unseen sidewall damage that causes tires to fail. Uneven tread wear (dips and ripples in different spots of the tread) can also indicate cord or belt damage and /or separation (again not good). Next have a look at the lip area that contacts the rim. If it's well chewed up, the tire has been on and off multiple times and is probably stretched - not good. Have an extra good look inside the tire with a flashlight, is it smooth and clean with no signs of blemishes and cracks (good), if you find a small chunk of rubber stuck (that you can't wipe off) under the tread area, it's the end of a plug that was used to repair a flat. One or two in a set of four is normal, but if you find a bunch of them, or worse yet, what looks like those big round (or square) patches from yesteryear .. walk away. If you see those patches on the inside of a sidewall .. run away - the tires aren't worth a penny. Barring all that, if the tires are for a utility trailer or for a vehicle that's only going to live for another year or two I'd buy used, but remember - If you aren't the one who put the mileage on a set of tires in the first place - you can never be sure of what kind of abuse and damage the tires have suffered and, more importantly, when they're going to fail. The consequences of a blowout on a steering tire at highway speeds are usually devastating.
    • Lilo Avli
      You've cured my insomnia. Thank you.
    • Ice man
      Great, now go buy some good used tires with your new found knowledge, and motor off in confidence, and you're very welcome..
    • Lilo Avli
      I think I will stick to my tricycle.
    • Ice man
      The public at large will be most grateful for that.
    • Lilo Avli
      Yes, there are a lot of large members of public round here, too. Probably spend all day sat in front of their computers. Lazy b*stards !
    • Ice man
      Speak for yourself, I'll be off shortly. I've got a luncheon to prepare for 20, then the rest of the day I'll be cooking for another big dart tournament. (150 - 200 people) So I'm in for a hectic day.
    • Lilo Avli
      That's a lot of beer and crumpets to prepare. One hundred and eighty !
    • Ice man
      Good guess, the actual count was 176.
    • Lilo Avli
      That's a lot of food poisoned Canadians.
    • Ice man
      If that were the case, they wouldn't keep coming back. Would you like me to warm up some of your favorite ..tripe for you ?
    • Lilo Avli
      Sure. You got any asparagus ?
    • Ice man
      Would you like that lightly steamed or raw ?
    • Lilo Avli
      Go on, then. With fries, please. And a glass of Dr. Pepper.
    • Ice man
      It won't be long now, I'm just waiting for the blender to stop. Would you like a straw or a spoon.
    • Lilo Avli
      Brenda who ? And yes, please. And a napkin, to tuck into my blouse. I tend to dribble quite a bit. At my age. Especially when I sneeze. That's why I had to rip all the carpet up and replace it with plastic sheeting.
    • Ice man
      And here I thought that it was because of your incontinence problem..
    • Lilo Avli
      That's not a problem to me, only to the people in the apartment below.
    • Ice man
      I guess they got use to wearing their raincoats indoors ?
    • Lilo Avli
      No, they practice the withdrawal method, I think.
    • Ice man
      I hate it when that happens.
    • Lilo Avli
      So does their wallpaper.
    • Rick Myres
      Thank you for your sharing of the basics of buying used tires.That is how I have always done it. But when is comes to radials they must go the same direction as before. When a used radial is put with the others it creates the problem. Two years ago my pickup tires were being rotated and I asked specifically about them crisscrossing them which got denials that it was a problem and 3 months later my good tires had to be replaced at my cost. It's only money ya know. Grrrrr! Lol
    • Ice man
      Tire rotation and directional tires are a whole different question, not all radial tires are created equal. For mounting & rotation of directional tires (direction marked by an arrow on the sidewall, and the tread will only shed water in one direction) you switch the tires between front and back axle on the same side of the vehicle only. The direction of travel has to be maintained. If you do the crisscross you have changed their direction and that will destroy the tires in short order (as you found out). Non directional tires have a different tread pattern, that will shed water from both/either direction(s). For those tires you use the crisscross tire rotation for maximum and equal wear. I don't know who mounted or did your rotation, but often they hire a kid (cheap wages) who doesn't know the difference, but will argue. That's why I do my own.
    • Lilo Avli
      AAaaaaaHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !!!!!!
    • Rick Myres
      That is just it. I can't rotate my own tires anymore. Have not been able to for a few years now. It was a tire store that did that. I tried to get them to go front to back but they would not. They thought they knew more than I do.
    • Ice man
      For your sake I hope that's not the only tire shop around. Is it a one store company, or part of a large chain ?
    • Rick Myres
      I think it's part of a chain. But I can be wrong. I always have to save up for things. This site has had slow spots for days. Must be them sun spots again.

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