Daily Driver...Used Tires

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
I am fortunate to live in a rural area. Years ago I bought a
basic manual tire changer and a good bubble balancer. Year
after year I drive on others'cast-off tires. I was just adding
the numbers on my daily driver yesterday....126,000 miles
on free tires, with very little trouble. Anyone else do this?

Glenn
 
Glenn,

I've used used tires for years but I buy mine at a local junk yard (I've also picked up some at yard sales). They aren't free, but they're a whole lot less expensive than new.

I used to live near a guy who did re-caps. I used them also.

I've never had any special trouble with them.

Tom in TN
 
When I was younger I used to use cast off Maypops all the time. Learned why people used to throw out almost new looking Firestone 500 radials that way. Usually buy new stuff online these days.
 
I have used other peoples throw away tires on my #14000 equipment trailer for many years. 16 inch 10 plys are very common around here. A new set for this trailer would me close to $ 700 . With my tire machine I feel I'm ahead of the game 10X over.
 
All my tractors have second hand tires , and my trucks too , depending on availability . I had to buy new Coopers for my Dodge last time ,couldn't find a decent set of used ones.
 
I, too have a bubble balancer as well as a bead breaker and tire tools.
I have never bought new tires for my '93 Dodge D-150 in the 10 years I've owned it. I usually find them at garage sales. The last ones I bought I paid $20 for four. 'course one was all worn out but the rest were real good. When I see 235/70 or 75 X 15 tires cheap, I buy them and I never seem to run out.
Never do that with my Wife's Subaru with the aluminum wheels tho! LOL
 
I have the same set up. I use exclusively used tires on my little mazda, and dodge pickups, and all 4 trailers I use regularly. Our dump has a 4 used tire a day limit, for residents to bring in old tires. Many's the time I brought in my 4 and took out 8 others!

I may not get the first mile out of a tire, but I d amn sure get the last mile out of 'em!
 
Boy, you got that right. I remember when I was a kid (53 yrs old) were lucky to get 25,000 miles on a new set of (bias ply) tires. I drive very easy, and it's a rare tire (free cast off) I don't get at least 20,000 miles out of it. Like you, when I'm done with 'em there only good for starting fires.


Glenn F.
 
My Dad had a late 60's-early 70's F100. He used to buy recaps from the Monkey Wards catalog store in town. I think they were $7.00 each. I don;t think he ever got 2500 miles out of a set, but that was because the front end was way out of alignment.
 
South central Texas, you are more likely to find hens teeth than 15" second hand tires. You just can't find them. I don't know about other sizes.
 
(quoted from post at 18:14:50 01/15/13) South central Texas, you are more likely to find hens teeth than 15" second hand tires. You just can't find them. I don't know about other sizes.

Likewise with 14" tires on a seldom used implement. Kind of looks like I should buy a pair of 16" rims.
 
Yes, but they're not free.
Flea markets and garage sales get $15-25 each. Used dealers are up to $45 each. Still a good deal.

Anyone have a Bada Precision bubble balancer instruction book?
 
I've got one utility trailer that uses 14's and a tandem axle trailer that uses 15's. You can find them new but you are right about finding them used.
 
My farm truck has been rolling on used tires for quite a while now.. But, it usually eats tires on the front (got to love the twin I beam Fords.. But that's another story.. new parts this week and alignment next week should remedy that)..

Just put my first used set on my 05 Chevy, but since I drive the company's vehicle now and not my own, I don't worry so much about having tire troubles (at one time, I was driving out of town quite a bit)..

Also use a few used tires on wagons and implements..

OH.. and I just bought a tire machine about 3 months ago.. Before that, we used the slide-hammer bead breaker and spoons.. That tire machine makes changing tires a lot better than it ever was.. I almost don't mind doing it these days.

As for balancing, the local tire shop will balance them very reasonably, just as long as I take em to him off the vehicle.. Cheap enough that it's not hardly worth buying my own balancer and weights, but I have looked into it..

Brad
 
Brad, I don't know how many miles your Ford has on it, but are the bushings in the axles, (Where they bolt to the frame) in good shape? and also the bushings in the radius arms? I have owned several Fords with twin I-Beams and only had a problem with one, and after replacing about two tires on one side I found it had a bent axle. Just some thoughts.
 
Shadetree,

I'm unsure of the actual mileage on my ride myself.. I bought it with 95k on the clock.. but was it really 95k, or 195 or 295?

We just rebuilt the front axle Monday/Tuesday of this week.. One side had bad ball joints, and both of the leaf springs were SHOT.. (the bump-stops were hitting). The center pivot bushings were OEM. All of the half-shaft joints were pretty well out of it too..

With all the new parts on it, the camber is opposite of what it used to be LOL.. It'll go in for an alignment within the next few weeks (as soon as I get a few extra bucks).. The truck is a lot quieter when the hubs are locked now though.. no more banging u-joints at least.

The truck still has other problems, but will become a project when my other project is up and running.

Brad
 
My balancer was $12.00 at auction, and the weights come off of
other wheel/tire combo's I tear down. I just slide the weight
around, till the bubble zeros. Easy as pie, and I don't have to go
nowhere to get it done!
 

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