Looking for tires for cheap prices can actually be a dangerous thing to do. Some of these cheap tires are actually old tires that the store is trying to get rid of. They have been sitting in a warehouse somewhere. Although protected from the environment and brand new, they have been deteriorating. The rubber deteriorates from heat and the compounds in the rubber begin losing their strength over time. Every tire has a date stamp on it that will tell you when the tire was manufactured and how old the tire is. Ask your dealer to show you and to tell you the age of the tire. They may be reluctant to give you this information. If they are this should be a red flag to any consumer. You probably want to move on to another dealer. Even large companies that are well know will routinely engage in this practice.
Older Tires are Dangerous
A tire that is older than 6 years should really not be put on a car. The rubber in the tire has deteriorated to such an extent that they may not be safe at high speeds or when the tires over heat due to poor inflation, high speed or high temperatures. Tires for cheap prices may sound great, however we are urging consumers to be careful and only purchase tires that are relatively new.
Some consumers will purchase used tires. These are tires that have been pulled off of old cars, perhaps cars that have ended up in the junk heap due to accidents and so on. They may look relatively new and can save a customer a lot of money. Check these tires over very carefully to make sure that there is still sufficient tread on the tire and the age of the tire as previously mentioned. You will also want to carefully check them for any damage from accidents, especially to the side walls.
Tires for Cheap – Buying Used Tires
Consumers can also buy used tires from friends and family. Or from strangers selling tires on some of the free advertising sites. They can save literally hundreds of dollars. However once again we urge consumers to check these tires over very carefully. You may also want to make sure that they have not been stolen. However this is difficult to tell in many cases. Give the tires the once over and verify that there is no damage and the age of the tires are within spec.
The opportunity to save money is difficult to resist, however your safety is at stake. Tires can over heat if under inflated and they can over heat if they are not wearing properly and this can cause those old tires or tires that are not in the best shape to disintegrate suddenly. If you are traveling at high speed, very potentially dangerous situations can develop and major accidents can occur. If a tire goes flat suddenly especially the front tire, drivers will lose control and the car could end up in the ditch end over end. Your life is at stake so make sure those tires are in good shape and not too old.
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February 7th, 2013 on 9:23 am
i used to buy tires from a guy that sold all kinds of used tires. never had a problem, but i always wondered about those tires. I do not buy this kind anymore.