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With my expedition approaching 200k miles, it needs tires.. but I can see this SUV lasting or being in my possession longer than 20k.
Looking at getting used tires. I will be living in FL, so I am not worried about snow. However, I really need to understand more about used tires. What should I look for to prevent a possible issue?
I see many used lots of 2 tires on Craigslist. If I mix/match 2 brands of the same tread, am I still asking for trouble?
People have different brands of tire on the front axle than the rear axle all the time. They used to say to not mix radials with non-radials, but non-radials are nearly impossible to find nowadays.
As for used tires, will they be that much cheaper than cheap new tires once they're mounted and balanced? I looked up prices once and didn't see much of a difference. If you're getting used, look at the sidewalls for dry rot, discoloration, and small cracks.
I would personally just go with the absolute cheapest set of tires you can find new. When buying new tires there can be a lot of concerns.
- Check the date stamp on the tire. If you look at the sidewall you will see a number beginning with the letters "DOT". One of these numbers will be four digits longer than the other, that is the date stamp. It is in a week/year format. So, 0705 = 7th week of 2005; 5107 = 51st week of 2007, etc. If the tire is more than 5 years old, it should be avoided.
- Check for any repairs to the tire such as plugs and patches. It is preferable to buy tires that aren't mounted on rims for this purpose.
- Check the sidewall for excessive discoloration, dry rot and cracks.
- Check the tread depth. Ideally you would want 4 tires that all had the same tread depth, if that's not possible, you need to make sure that the tires on each axle are of equal tread depth.
Running mismatched brands/models front to back isn't an issue as long as you won't be driving in 4WD for any period of time. Again, make sure you match brand/model/depth on each axle to avoid issues.
Again, though, I would personally just buy the cheapest new tires you could find since you are also looking to get 20k miles or so out of them.
I'm not sure if your truck is on 15s or 16s. If it's on 15s new tires will be almost downright cheap and used tires won't be worth a look. 16s (my Chevy half ton has these) do cost more.
A quick search on tire rack and you will find tires in that size starting as low as $100 a piece with most "regular" tires like a Yokohama Geolander for around $115. Heck, for $125 a pop you can pick up the General Grabber HTS, which is one of the top rated light truck/SUV tires out there.
Given, $50 a pop is still cheaper, but you are now talking about $200 plus mount and balance, which will run you around $20 a tire, so $280 for good used installed versus $480 for new installed. It's still a $200 difference, but IMO well worth $200 for good tires for a vehicle you are driving for another 20k miles.
What's the bolt pattern on your rims? I ask because folks commonly upgrade their stock set, so factory tires/rims can be had for less than even what used tires go for.
If you have to go used, inspect the tires THOROUGHLY for patches/plugs/etc. It's OK if there's one or two on the tread - it's not if there are more than that, if it's near the edges, or any on the sidewall.
If there's any serious wear on the sidewall from running up or along curbs, reject it.
Tread depth ... don't think that having 6/32" means it's at 50% of the original 12/32". You can't use the last 2/32", so you really only have 4/32" to use.
Date of manufacturer ... check them as previously noted.
Factor in mounting/balancing costs too. It can be anywhere from $10 to $40 each tire, depending on where you go.
A quick search on tire rack and you will find tires in that size starting as low as $100 a piece with most "regular" tires like a Yokohama Geolander for around $115. Heck, for $125 a pop you can pick up the General Grabber HTS, which is one of the top rated light truck/SUV tires out there.
Given, $50 a pop is still cheaper, but you are now talking about $200 plus mount and balance, which will run you around $20 a tire, so $280 for good used installed versus $480 for new installed. It's still a $200 difference, but IMO well worth $200 for good tires for a vehicle you are driving for another 20k miles.
Actually it is a 70R, which makes a difference?
I have found them for low $ 100's plus shipping. Local tire place will mount and balance for $ 15/tire
A surprising number of people buy new vehicles and immediately upgrade their tires, so tire shops often have complete sets of brand new tires just taken off new cars. Phone around to everybody in your yellow pages and see if you can find a set. If a dealer sells you used tires, they will include mounting and balancing in the quoted price.
Actually it is a 70R, which makes a difference?
I have found them for low $ 100's plus shipping. Local tire place will mount and balance for $ 15/tire
The "R" doesn't make a difference, it just mean that you have a radial constucted tire, which is the normal kind.
265/70R17
The first number (265) is the width of the tread. The second number (70) is the aspect ratio of the tire, or sidewall height from bead to tread, in this case it is 70% of 265. The higher this number, the bigger the sidewall and vice versa. The "R" refers to the tire being of radial constuction. The final number (17) is the size of the rim in inches.
The last piece that you may need to know is the letter code that preceeds those numbers. It is usually a "P" or "LT". "P" is the most common one and refers to passenger car tires. "LT" refers to light truck tires. This really only has to do with constuction method and weight rating. Virtually all SUV's, pickups, etc. are manufactured with "P" tires. "LT"'s are more expensive and many places try to upsell them to SUV and truck owners, but you don't need them.
When it comes to buying tires, look on TireRack.com. Many times you can buy the tires online and pick them up at a local installer as part of a package and the cost is usually less than if you just went to the installer yourself.
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