Cheap new tires or Used?

[luciusad2004]

Hey guys.

I just noticed the other day that the tires on my car are bald on the inside and I'm worried to drive the car as it probably isn't safe. The problem is that I don't have any money right now for a set of tires and I'm not sure what to do. It looks like I might have $200 to spend on new rubber. Do yo guys think I should get a cheap set of new tires or just look for a decent set of used tires?

Thanks for any input.

[bartvandenberg]

It depends on what kind of a deal you can get. If you buy a cheap set, you might only get the same mileage out of them as you would a used high quality set.

the big problem i have with buying used tires is complete lack of warranty, and if you install them, and figure out a belt inside is torn, it'll wobble and shake, and you cant do anything about it.

plus, if your tires are bald on the inside, you need a serious alignment. Are your fronts worse than your rears? because then you might as well just switch em up for a bit, and save up a bit more money, and get some half decent tires.

Not sure the tire size for your probe, but for my mazda mx-6, the tire size was impossible to find used. And i know the probe and mx-6 were 'sister' cars, at least the gt version was.

So, long story short, IMO, buy new. When it comes to cars, i dont cheap out on parts, and it usually pays off. would you put used brakes on your car? no, so why tires? its all about handling and safety.

[Omega]

Tyres are one of the places on a car you don't really want to skimp out and be cheap. Do you really want to trust your well-being and the well-being of your passengers to cheap rubber? I wouldn't.

Anywho, a few things:

If you can't muster up any more coin for tyres, look for deals at local tyre shops and see if you can score a decent new set

Always, ALWAYS buy new rubber. you don't know what the used stuff has gone through and it probably won't have a warranty. Again, it's the whole thing about trusting your tyres.

if your tyres are wearing unevenly, get an alignment, OR, check your tyre pressure. Low pressure can cause the outside edges of the tread to wear faster than the inside. the reverse is also true (high pressure, inside wears faster).

What tyre size are you looking at? 195/x/y, I am assuming?

[Eclecticos]

Might want to try a junkyard, just find the right lug displacement pattern.
Forget retreads they are dangerous.

[blueonblack]

New tires for sure, as Omega pointed out, anything you buy used comes with someone else's problems and you don't know what they are. Myself I have always bought cheap tires and have been more than happy with them. I cannot in my lifetime see myself shelling out the ridiculous prices charged for most "name-brand" tires. I actually laughed at the guy behind the counter at the Goodyear store. :D

[luciusad2004]

Thanks for the input guys. My buddy said he would ask his dad about pricing on a new set of tires (works in the Auto parts business). I was looking at my bank account last night and i'm thinking I might actually be able to spare up to 300 if I need to. Ill probably be living on bread and water, but i Guess it beats not living after a car accident ami right?

I'm also gonna look in to an alignment but I don't think I can afford that right now. My tires def wear unevenly. Would it be alright to drive my new tires on a poor alignment for 2-4 weeks or am I just going to destroy them in that time?

I'm also gonna try to figure out the correct tire pressure for my car, my moms bf told me 35psi but im not sure if thats right or not.


Thanks guys.

[Datech]

The tire pressure should be listed on a sticker somewhere on the body of the car. It is normally on the door frame next to the seat, and if not there it'll be in your owners manual. You can probably also get the correct info if you google your car+tire pressure.

As far as the tires, definitely go with new, even if you can only afford cheap ones right now. Retreaded tires have their place in the world, but that place is not in passenger cars.

As far as the alignment, you definitely need to get that checked. Take it to a reputable place and ask them to tell you how bad its out of alignment. If they tell you its really bad, get the alignment done before you get the tires or you'll be in the same position you are now quickly. If the insides are wearing then the tires are probably toed out, and depending on the current tire that could be very, very bad.

Take the car to a place you trust. Have them check, not correct the alignment. If it is super bad, get them to align the front and back and rotate the tires. Get new tires later. If it isn't too bad, rotate the tires and save up for alignment AND a new set.

[Airbozo]

Now days I would always go with new tires and NOT from costco or sams club. the tires you get from costco are NOT the same quality you buy elsewhere.

That said, I ran re-treads on 2 of my cars for almost 15 years with NO issues. Ever. My dad still uses them on his truck and has never had an issue in 40 years.

I would never run them on my mustang due to performance issues (would hate to have one come un-done on a high speed corner). I would also never run them on my Landcruiser because of the abuse the tires get in off road conditions.

If you are looking to save some money in the short term, you can usually pick up some slightly used tires at the local tire store. Inspect them before they put them on your car for any sidewall damage or obvious defects.

Alignment: This should be done BEFORE installing tires. Trust me on this. Bad alignment can ruin a set of tires very quickly. One of the discount tire places can usually align your car under $100 and my Subaru costs $65 (the landcruiser only needs alignment if I hit something BIG offroad and it is expensive!). Sometimes they will even throw in an alignment if you ask nicely (explain your monetary situation...).

[Omega]

I don't think wearing on the inside would be a toe issue so much as a camber issue. If his camber is excessively negative, it'll wear on the inside faster.

[luciusad2004]

Thanks guys. depending on the cost of the tires I might be able to afford the alignment. Do they usually run under 100 dollars? It's looking like I might have 300 to spend total, and a little more available if I absolutely need it.

[progbuddy]

Thanks for the input guys. My buddy said he would ask his dad about pricing on a new set of tires (works in the Auto parts business). I was looking at my bank account last night and i'm thinking I might actually be able to spare up to 300 if I need to. Ill probably be living on bread and water, but i Guess it beats not living after a car accident ami right?

I'm also gonna look in to an alignment but I don't think I can afford that right now. My tires def wear unevenly. Would it be alright to drive my new tires on a poor alignment for 2-4 weeks or am I just going to destroy them in that time?

I'm also gonna try to figure out the correct tire pressure for my car, my moms bf told me 35psi but im not sure if thats right or not.


Thanks guys.

My father gets his online for cheap. Forgot the name of the place. But that's why there is Google.

[Omega]

http://www.tirerack.com/

tire rack is the biggest online retailer for tyres iirc.

[luciusad2004]

yeah I would get them online but I need it like done by like, Wed or Thursday. In the future I'll probably get them online.

[XcOM]

my car had an MOT yesterday, and it passed (Just)

but my front tires are starting to wear a little low, even wear, but as its a front wheel drive car they wear down faster than the rears, the tires on my car have 8mm to start with,

The fronts were down to 2.5mm and the rears down to 6.8mm, not bad for them being on the car for 4 years,

but at the price i would expect them to last long at $190 a tire, yes thats correct, just short of $200 PER TIRE.

Saying that thou they are the best tires for the car, i've shopped around and i could get that price down to about $90 a tire but there really cheapo ones, the Michelin tires i have are a harder compound and as such last longer and work out cheaper in the long run, and apperently they reduce my running costs as they allow the car to move more freely.

I am also going to get my tires filled with nitrogen when i get a new set, this reduces wear on the tires prolonging there life by 25%, but for the moment i've swapped the front-rear's round to make them last a bit longer