If your vehicle needs replacement tires and you’re not looking forward to paying a fortune for a new set of wheels, why not opt for used car tires and save hundreds? While the thought of putting used tires on your ride might sound a little sketchy, it’s totally possible to find high-quality, pre-owned tires that have tens of thousands of miles left on them.
But here’s the catch: To score a great deal on a set of quality used car tires, you need to know what to look for to ensure you choose wisely. Let’s take a look at what you need to know to select used tires that are worth your hard-earned cash.
Used Car Tires: 3 Quality Characteristics to Look For
When you head to the salvage yard to pick out a set of used car tires, you can’t just grab the first set you find. Before you buy, make sure each tire in the set features the following characteristics:
● Tread depth. To ensure you’re getting tires that have plenty of life left in them, measure their tread depth before you buy. It’s worth picking up a tread depth meter for around $5 at your local auto supply store to make sure you’re getting an accurate measurement. Try to avoid buying tires that measure less than 4/32nds of tread.
● Tire age. Since tire manufacturers recommend replacing tires every five or six years, you’ll want to check out the age of each tire, which you can find on its sidewall. Old tires are more prone to cracking and other forms of deterioration that could put your safety at risk on the road. If you find older tires that appear to be in great shape, they may still be a viable choice, as long as they don’t have any visible defects and the tread depth checks out.
● Quality seams. Visually inspect the seams along the sidewall of each tire for bubbling, unevenness, splitting, patching, or signs of plugs. It’s also a good idea to feel along each seam with your fingers to detect minor defects you may not be able to see with your naked eye. If you notice any seem defects, don’t buy the tire.
Installing Used Car Tires
If you end up finding a great set of used car tires at the salvage yard, it’s always a good idea to see if the yard offers tire installation services too. That way, you can feel confident the tires are properly installed, balanced, and aligned.
It may be worth asking the installation techs to perform a quick once-over on any tires you find as well. Since they likely have far more experience in tire selection and installation than you do, it’s in your best interest to have an expert set of eyes inspect for quality issues.
Not sure how to tell if you need new tires? Check out these tips to determine if you need a new set of wheels.
Looking for High-Quality Used Tires in the Twin Cities? Visit Ace Auto Parts Today
If you’re on the hunt for used car tires you can rely on, look no further than Ace Auto Parts. Since 1929, we’ve proudly provided Twin Cities drivers with a wide range of high-quality, used auto parts and we’re here to help you out too! In addition to selling tires, we also offer tire maintenance and installation along with used transmissions, bumpers, auto glass, radiators, engines, and much more.
To see what we have in stock at our salvage yard, feel free to browse our used parts inventory or give us a call today at 651-717-4299. We look forward to hearing from you!