We recognize one thing: There’s nothing quite like being behind the wheel out there on the open road from the time we initially receive our drivers’ licenses. Just taking that smooth, comfortable ride is a joy, not to even mention the fact that we use our vehicles constantly to take us from point A to point B, and we want that ride to be as smooth and comfortable as possible. One of the things that make car rides smooth is a high-quality set of tires. The better your tires are, the smoother and safer your ride will be. Though tires, like most other parts on a car, are finite and need to eventually be replaced.
Though, this is where a lot of people end up spending money that they don’t need to spend. Think about needing a new alternator or a similar part. More often than not, you can save a ton of money on used parts instead of shopping brand new, and the part ends up working just as well for you as any new car part. So, why not try this with tires? A lot of people think that once tires have been driven on, they’re no longer any good. This isn’t true at all. You can get a lot of great used tires at places like goodtirecalgary.ca that will work for your vehicle just as well as new ones will, without having to spend nearly as much money on them. However, you need to take care in selecting these tires, as some are certainly better than others.
Quality Tell-Tales to Find in Secondhand Tires
1: Low Mileage
The first thing you want to look for in secondhand tires is low mileage. You don’t want tires that have driven for many thousands of miles, even if they do look good. What you’re dealing with are tires that have had a ton of stress on them. A lot of these tires come into various shops after a car has been totalled or after someone decided to get new aftermarket wheels on their cars, so you may end up finding tires that are actually in pretty great condition, considering they’re used.
It might be hard to find out just how many miles the rubber has on it, so you may have to ask about the overall condition in terms of driving. With a used car, you have that odometer to tell you just how many miles are on the engine. You don’t really get that with tires, so you’ll have to ask a reputable dealer about the sort of trials and tribulations they’ve been through out there on the road.
2: Nice Tread
After you see whether or not those used tires have been overused, you need to check out the tread. The tires’ sidewalls may look like they’re in fantastic shape, nice and dark black and sleek and slick looking. But that has little at all to do with how well the tires are going to perform. You need to check out the tread pattern here. Is it worn down? Is it cracking at all? There are a lot of things that you can tell about a tire by examining its tread.
Keep in mind here that the tread of a tire is what’s actually gripping to the road when you’re driving your car. This is going to determine not only how well it handles but also how well it stops. Tires with worn tread are going to screech and slide and just end up too dangerous for you. If the tires don’t have impeccable tread, keep on shopping until you find ones that do.
3: Minimal Signs of Wear
You also want to check for signs of wear all around the tire. Hopefully, you’ll be able to get a very close look at the tires. If you’re shopping for them online, you should be getting some current photos of the tires that are high-quality. You want to be able to really get a good look at the tires overall. You want to check for those spiderweb cracks and those signs of dry rot. You want the rubber to look shiny and supple, not gray and faded, and you cannot get a good idea of how well the tires are going to perform unless you actually see the physical tire. You won’t be able to tell anything from a description someone has written.
A visual inspection is important, as you never know what sort of condition tires are going to be in just judging by someone’s word or some site’s description. Plus, even if they are good tires, you still want to know if they’re the right fit for your vehicle aesthetically speaking.
4: Solid Inside Structure
You also have to check where your tires are going to make a seal against the rims. How are they holding up here? This is a bit harder to see than your normal everyday wear and tear, and this is yet another area where you might have to ask the people working there how well they’re holding up here. Remember, with car tires there are no inner tubes. Sealant and pressure hold the tire against the rim, so you need it to be very strong here, or else the air is just going to leak out, and it’s going to be very dangerous to drive on.
5: Great Location Selling Them
Perhaps the most important thing you can look for when browsing a range of tires, new or used, is to make sure the location at which you’re shopping is reputable. There should be a quality location right near you, and this location should have a good website and tell you all about their products on their homepage. They should also have a good reputation. People in your area who have shopped with this service should have good things to say about them. If they’re a decent service that has been well-reviewed by your peers, then you know that the products they’re selling are probably high-quality and that you’re going to get your money’s worth.
It’s a good thing to change your tires every few years at least, and the best part is that you will not always have to pay a small fortune for tires. You can always look for used, as long as they’re quality pieces that are going to hold up and work well for you.
