How good are used tires?

It is undeniable that new tires always have the quality compared to used tires, but in some cases, used tires can be a good choice due to several factors. You probably have a car but one of its tires looks damaged, so you decide to replace it with the new one. Somehow, you can actually buy a used tire to replace your damage tire instead of buying the new tire.

How durable is a used tire?

Of course, if we compared the durability between a new tire and a used tire, the new tire will win it. But, it is not a bad idea to choose a used tire for temporary use. The fact shows that a used tire can last up to 5 years when you buy it in good condition. If you prefer to buy a 2 years old used tire with a normal condition, then you can use this tire for 5 years. Somehow, if you buy a 4-year-old used tire that has a flaw like cuts or plugs, then you probably can use it up to 2 or 3 years only. Actually, when we talk about the durability, it also depends on the condition or how often you use your car and it is unpredictable. In this case, we cannot estimate the exact lifespan of a used tire and you will find it out after using it.

What factors can give impact toward the lifespan of a used tire?

In fact, there are a few factors that can really influence a used tire lifespan or how long you can use the used tire, among others:

• – Treadwear
• – Age
• – Maintenance
• – Damage and Repairs

Age

Somehow, it is not a good idea to buy a used tire that has been used for more than 5 years because it may have some cracks or plugs on the sidewall. Therefore, if you prefer to buy a used tire, a 2-year-old used tire can be a good choice. Meanwhile, if you buy a used tire that has been used for more than 10 years, it will not be good and you can notice its bad condition at the first time you see it because the rubber material is already damaged.

So, how can you estimate the age of a used tire? Simply, when you want to know how long it has been used, you can check the dot code that you can find on its sidewall. It refers to the week and the year of manufacturing where you can check the last four digits of the code. For instance, when the code shows 2407, it means that the tire was manufactured during the 24 weeks of 2007. Maybe, it was already manufactured ten years ago, but when it is still in good condition, the used tire is not a bad idea to choose.

Treadwear

Basically, a used tire may have tread available up to 10/32”, which is considered as 85% good compared to a new tire. When it already reaches 2/32”, the used tire is not good to use anymore according to the legal treadwear limit. In this case, when you still use this low quality used tire, you can have a problem with the braking system and your car may not respond well. So, it is important to consider the treadwear limit at least you choose 7/32” or higher.

Damage and Repairs

Somehow, when you want to buy a used tire, you need to check whether there are cuts, bulges, plugs, and cracks. In this case, you may repair a plug hole, but you may not be able to repair the other damages. You can consider these following serious problems on a used tire, including:

Exposed Cords

The cords that are embedded inside the tire may appear on the surface when it is too old. This can be a serious problem which can make the tire fail and even the tread can separate from its tire body.

Belt Separation

When you find a bulge or bump on its sidewall of a used tire, it can cause internal damage. In this case, the belt may separate from its place and this condition may occur when the previous driver drove its car on an even terrain fast.

Bead Chunking

In the bead area, the chunk of rubber is placed, but when you see it missing from this spot, it will be not good if you use it. Somehow, it can make the beads come out of the rims, but you cannot predict it due to the growing damage.

Liner Damage

The liner is also the important part of a tire that must be always available because when it is damaged, it will cause sidewall collapse, air loss, and much more. As a result, the tire will suddenly fold and you cannot use it anymore.

Well, you may consider those tire condition above and make sure the used tires do not have all of them. Somehow, if there is one bad condition such as a plug, you can still use it because it is not a big issue. In a certain case, you cannot repair some damages like sealed cracks or cuts, so you are not recommended to purchase it.

Why do tires get damaged?

Of course, when you start to use your car, the tire will start working, and there will be some damages that may occur including bulges, cuts, cracking, and much more. What are the causal factors?

– The tire gets hit by a screw or a nail as your drive it on the road

– You hit the car with curbs, potholes, and obstacles

– You drive in an extreme temperature terrain

– You drive the car in high speed and commit sudden braking

– It experiences over inflation

– The tire gets exposed too much to oil, oxygen, ozone, and other dangerous substance

– You drive the car with a flat tire

– You use the wrong tires in certain conditions

Maintenance

When you want to use used tires, it is also important to consider the prior and future maintenance that really gives impact to its lifespan. But, you can follow the important process below:

• Tire Balance

Usually, you can find some stiff spots on most tires in which you have to make it balance. In this case, you can try to put some small weigh opposites the tires. You can do it at home or you just go to a tire repair shop.

• Tire Rotation

You also need to pay attention to the used tire rotation so it can avoid uneven wear, and then it will make your used tire last for a longer period of time. It a certain case, the weight is not distributed equally to each tire due to the extra load. As a result, the overloaded tire will wear quicker, and it the tire rotation will even the wear.

• Wheel Alignment

You must make sure that the wheel is aligned with one another and it must be parallel to the others. When you do not align the tires very well, it may cause some troubles when you drive the car. Moreover, it also can influence the suspension system.

How to make used tires last longer?

Somehow, tire lifespan is unpredictable, but you can still make it last longer by following these tips below.

• Regular Air pressure check

Whether you drive your car on regular basis or once a week, you need to check the air pressure regularly.

• Rotate your tire

You also can make the used tire last longer by rotating it when you drive it in 10000 km.

• Check the tire balance

After you drive the car in more than 7000 km, then you need to check the tire balance.

• Never let the tire get exposed to direct Ozone and UV too much.
• Do regular tire wash.

Purchasing Used Tires

When you want to buy a used tire, it is important to check its condition so that it can last longer according to the explanation above. Of course, buying a used tire will save your money because the price is much cheaper than the new one. Basically, a new tire will be about $1000, but you can buy a used tire for only $200. Still, a used tire does not offer a warranty and you may not know the exact condition of the used tire.