When you buy a car, it's essential to maintain each component to prolong its efficiency and safety. However, no matter how well you maintain your vehicle, you’ll eventually have to replace the tires. While you could get the brand-new models, high-end used tires often offer the same performance at a better value. This guide will help you figure out what qualities to look for in used tires to create a smooth and safe ride.

What to Look at When Buying Used Tires?

1. Tread Depth

Tire tread is essential for making sure your vehicle can properly grip the road. When you are making a used tire purchase, it can really pay off to bring a tread gauge with you.

On average, new tires will have a tread depth between 10/32 to 11/32 inches. Generally, you should look for tires that have a depth somewhere between new and 4/32 inches, which is the minimum standard dealerships will accept. Anything lower is not really worth the money to have them mounted, balanced, and installed. Also, tread below 2/32 inches will greatly impair your braking ability and vehicle control, so steer clear of those.

2. Age

Exposure to heat, sunlight, and oxygen will gradually cause tire rubber to dry out and become brittle and stiff. This will eventually result in internal and external cracking and potentially a blowout.

To avoid driving on used tires with severe rubber oxidation, it’s usually best to avoid those older than six years old, regardless of tread depth. You can find the week and year the tire was produced on its sidewall. It will be represented at the end of the DOT identification number as four digits, with the first two representing the week and the last two the year.

3. Defects

While you don’t expect used tires to last for many years, you should at least be able to get one to three years out of them. However, certain damage like bubbles or bulges and visible chunks missing are serious defects that can cause immediate blowouts once you get on the road. Other warning signs of imminent failure include cracking or cuts, holes, and dings.

Uneven tire tread is also an indicator that the tires were previously driven on a vehicle with misaligned wheels or suspension problems. This usually creates a worn inner edge while the outer part of the tire looks fine. If you bought these, you won't get very much mileage before you’d have to replace them.

The Phil's Difference:

This is why at Phil's every used tire we sell goes through a 10 point inspection process before it is placed on our shelf and then just to be extra safe we go through the same process again before we mount the tires on your vehicle.  We know that thinking about used tires can throw up red-flags but that is why we call our tires "Quality Pre-owned" because we know that our tires are a step above anyone else's "used" tires.

When it’s time to replace your tires, head to Phil’s Tire Shop in Saint Louis, MO. For over two decades, this tire shop has provided a quality selection of new and high-end used tires as well as flat repairs, wheel balances, and rotations. They also offer a 45-day tire warranty and will replace them at no cost to you. Visit their website to learn more about their services, or call (314) 544-3181 to schedule an appointment.