Armed Polite Society
Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: BridgeRunner on January 07, 2010, 12:45:28 PM
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So, how does one go about purchasing a set of used tires? Is this something junkyards sell, or do I have to find a used tire dealer?
My regular mechanic will install them for me pretty inexpensively, and I really can't afford $400+ for a set of 55R16s.
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http://craigslist.org/
Under "For Sale" Click "Auto Parts", on the next page, type "tires" into search
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A lot of tire dealers will sell used tires. The Discount Tires I've been to have done so. You just have to ask and if they have some that are still servicable they'll usually sell them to you. That much less they have to send out for recycling. Hunting partner had to do that when were out after mulies south of Tombstone. Had a tire on his horse trailer disintegrate on the highway :O.
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Check the yellow pages for used tire shops. They should mount, balance, and install them for you, too.
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Our junkyard, Pick-n-Pull (http://www.picknpull.com/), sells them very inexpensively.
An R16 would run you about $19 per tire, in any condition you can find them. IE: Someone might wreck their car 5k miles after having a new set put on.
Tires are nice because it's pretty easy to judge how much life they have left, provided they don't have any internal damage (broken cord, etc)
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I've had $500 beaters for most of my life, and I could never justify spending $400 for new tires to put on them.
Most auto repair shops I've dealt with have some used tires laying around. I've gotten them for $25 to $50 per wheel, including mounting and balancing.
Just check the tires for dry rot or other defects.
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Check yellow pages or look online for used tire places in your area. You can also check junkyards in your area.
Just inspect the tires they want to give you, I've bought used tires in the past that were damn near knew and had them try to give me ones before that had, at best, a few thousand miles left on them. You also want to make sure they aren't selling tires as used which have been plugged. Recapped tires are OK, plugged tires I would pass over.
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Beware of the manufacturing date as well.
There is a DOT code on all tires that contains the manufacturing date. It will be a 4 digit code the first two will be the week number followed by two digits for the year. As an example my new tires had a code 4207, the 42nd week of 2007. I bought them new in march of 09.
A number of years ago there was a "scandal" where >6 yr old tires were being sold as new. They had been in a climate controlled warehouse for 6 years before being sold. Tire adhesives are rated for 6 years, after that the tread might come off while driving.
I know you aren't being too picky, but I wouldn't go to far past '03 if I were you.
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Thanks a lot. I thought it was a pretty moronic question, but most of you already know I'm a moron anyway, and now I have a lot more ideas and knowledge. =)
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alex_trebek, that's awesome info, I didn't know about manufacturing dates. Thanks for that! =)
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No prob. I believe tires are the most important part on a car, glad to help.
The code will have a border around it, and is located with the other numbers. It can be hard to find sometimes.
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if it matters to you, when you get your tires this stuff (http://www.armorall.com/products/view_product.php?product_id=24&main_group=0&category_index=wheel_tire) will make them look like new =D oh and avoid goodyear triple tread, after about 30,000miles they sound like a 18wheller next to your car going 60mph [tinfoil] great tires though, best ice traction i have ever had [popcorn]
oh and you might want to price a set of coopertires (http://www.coopertire.com) before buying used i am running a set of CS4's and there doing really good =) ouch there 90 some bucks a piece now =|
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The nice thing about used tires is that it's not so bad to ruin one on a rock.
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Be careful. Make sure you get tires with some tread remaining.
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If you have a Big O around you check them out. They always have used tires at good prices. I've had them give me one till I could get back and buy a whole set. Most are good folks.
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Well, here is another suggestion:
If you ever manage to buy some new tires, keep your old ones (instead of paying to get rid of them ;/ ) if they have any use left in them.
That way, if you ruin a tire sometime along the way, you have a used one to replace one of your now used set.
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Well, here is another suggestion:
If you ever manage to buy some new tires, keep your old ones (instead of paying to get rid of them ;/ ) if they have any use left in them.
That way, if you ruin a tire sometime along the way, you have a used one to replace one of your now used set.
This brings up a good point. Especially if you go to a used tire shop, I wonder if you could get some trade-in value for the used tires you are replacing.
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Be careful. Make sure you get tires with some tread remaining.
Fistful, were you being facetious again? ;)
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Fistful, were you being facetious again? ;)
Speaking from painful experience, although it wasn't the lack of tread so much as the blow-outs that tended to be a problem. :O