Evaluate These Factors Before Buying A Used Tyre
Buying used tyres is perceived by many people to be an excellent deal. After all, it costs far less to purchase an old, used tyre than to purchase a new one. However, tyre retailers say that this decision isn’t, or rather shouldn’t, be as simple and straightforward. They argue that used tyres aren’t governed by any specific set of standards, because of which there is a strong possibility that you may end up with an inferior quality tyre that would land you in trouble. Also, not all used tyre retailers take all requisite steps in order to that their tyres are in perfect condition. So, if you are considering purchasing used tires online, we’d advise you to tread with caution. You can start by evaluating the following factors:
Exposed Steel Cords
Irregular wear of tyres could result in an exposure of steel cords present in car tyres. The car tyre could be deemed dangerous if you can spot the cords or a small number of slender steel wires poking out from its tread.
Liner Damage
When a car tyre loses pressure, its sidewalls start collapsing till they fold over and start rubbing against each other. This will ultimately result in scrubbing the liner off till the time the sidewalls suffer irreparable damage. The presence of rubber dust could be an indication of such damage.
Bead Chunking
Bead areas are the rubber rings that facilitate the point of contact for the wheel and tyre. You need to look for the absence of rubber pieces in such areas as they hamper the proper sealing of tyres.
Aging
When tyres age, they deteriorate both internally and externally. It becomes very hard to estimate if they are safe or not. So, ask the used tyre retailer about the tyre’s age. If the retailer is genuine, you can expect an honest answer. In accordance with popular practice, tyres older than 6 years are a part of the ‘no go zone’.
Improper Repairs
Apart from looking for punctures, you must also look at punctures that have already been fixed. If you manage to spot a full patch on the tyre’s inside, then it would suggest that the puncture was fixed properly. But if you observe that the puncture was simply fixed by inserting a plug, then you must tread carefully.
These 5 factors merit consideration before buying old tyres. The information presented in this blog has come from a reputed tyre retailer and car care company.