Buying Second Hand Tires

There is no question about it. Every day, there are great deals on used tires that can be found. If you know what to look for there are tires that would regularly cost $300 each brand new and could be bought used for only a fraction of the original price. There is however the ugly side to buying used tires - If you do not know what you're buying, or what to look for when buying used tires you can end up with a pile of junk tires and money wasted in vain. This article is intended to help you avoid any costly mistakes.

Many people may consider used tires someone else's inherited problem, or piles of junk just because they been previously driven on another vehicle. If you know what to look for in a used tire there are actually quality used tires that you can get for a bargain. These tires could have been on a car that was traded in, a car that was totaled from a wreck, or simply discarded from the previous owner because of personal preference of brand, season type or just simply wanting a better performance tire.

The business you decide to give your business to is also a very important factor to take into consideration. Luckily there are many reputable used tire retailers on eBay that have been in business for many years. They are experts when it comes to used tires and can inspect a tire inside and out for defects. Their tires will usually be mounted on a wheel and test with air for any leaks, belt separations, lumps, or uneven wear. Some of them may even offer a replacement warranty. As a customer it is important to read the full description of an item and ask as many questions that you may have before purchasing. You want to try avoid dealing with any companies that may have a bad feedback rating and try to deal with power sellers or eBay companies that have been around and have a very good feedback rating.

The age of the tire is also another important factor to consider when purchasing used tires, if a used tire is any older than 6 years old you should probably avoid purchasing those tires as they can cause a blow out.

You also want to make sure you stay the with factory recommended tire sizes, speed ratings and load ratings intended for the vehicle. Not doing so will only cause your tires to wear faster than normal making you replace them a lot sooner, and may also cause a tire to blow out and cause an accident. One can always go with a higher load rating or speed rating but never lower. Installing a different tire size on your vehicle that what the factory recommends will more then likely cause your speedometer to be off and may cause clearance issues.

If you have a reason to believe that the tires you currently have on your car are not factory equipment it is always safe to check in your owner's manual. Tire specification can usually be found on the cars door post on the driver's side as well. This would be your safest bet to obtaining the specifications for the purchase of your next set of used tires to avoid any costly mistakes.

When shopping for your next set of used tires it is always a safe practice to obtain your tire information from the tire placard stamped on the drivers side door post or the owners manual. This will give you the peace of mind that you are getting the right tires for you car. If you go off the specification from your current tires, there is always a chance that you could have been running the wrong load rating, tire size or speed rating this whole time.