Most motorists are well aware that during prolonged use of the car, tires wear out and it is time to replace them. But not everyone knows that when purchasing new tires, you may encounter the fact that they will also undergo accelerated wear. What are the reasons for this? How to avoid accelerated wear and what to look for when buying a new pair of shoes for a car?
Checking new tires in the store
Careless sellers strive to earn more, so many take "expired" products or store them without following the manufacturer's recommendations. By applying simple but effective tips, you can avoid serious problems associated with defects or accelerated wear new rubber. Among the most practical tips are the following:
Why new tires are different
Although the above tips and recommendations do not contain any complex or specific requirements, many drivers still neglect them. The result is the purchase of low-quality tires, which can not only fail soon, but become a huge danger for the driver himself, his passengers and other participants. traffic.
Conclusion: Following the advice of those who understand high-quality and durable rubber, you can buy it for a long time and avoid buying defective ones. Although it is worth mentioning that there is no absolute panacea for defective rubber, most problems can be identified during operation.
Video - buying new tires
Selection of new summer tires
Selection of new winter tires
Buying new tires - what to look for was last modified: August 28th, 2019 by abc-tyre
Today, a car is no longer considered a luxury or a banal means of transportation. Rather, it is a faithful friend and assistant, the reliability and safety of which in the end largely depend on the effectiveness of the service.
One of the most important points in car maintenance, as well as ensuring your own safety and comfort on the road, it is the purchase of a set of tires for the season.
A car does not require such investments so often, however, a good kit that can last for several years is not the cheapest pleasure. The choice of tires must be approached with the utmost care, knowing how to check the quality of tires for a car in order to minimize the risk that a new set will be needed soon, as well as the risk of an accident with tragic consequences and high material damage.
Conscientious tire sellers who are confident in the originality and high quality of the products they offer, as a rule, can conduct an exhaustive, honest professional consultation and help you correctly choose the option that is optimal in terms of the ratio of such characteristics and indicators:
- according to the season, road and weather conditions, driving style;
- based specifications vehicle, requirements and recommendations of the automaker;
- in terms of price and quality ratio.
The main points of choosing tires
There are many nuances. Taking into account the fact that the wheel driven into rotation is a fulcrum, the area of contact of the car with the road, and also provides movement, it is not worth saving on tires, because reliable grip without excessive friction directly affects the car's handling, as well as fuel consumption and wear rates of various machine systems.
In an effort to choose and buy quality tires car should be preferred famous brands whether new tires or used ones. In the first case, the seller must provide a certificate confirming the high quality of the goods. In the second, there are more difficulties, however, the problem is solvable.
New tires
When purchasing a new set of summer or winter tires, it is necessary to compare whether the number on the tire matches the number indicated in the certificate for these tires. The seller is obliged to provide the document at the first request of the buyer.
Assessment of the compliance of the quality of new rubber with the declared value begins with a visual inspection of the tires. The hallmarks of a good product are:
- uniformity of rubber color, both outside and inside;
- the presence of colored marks - as a rule, these are colored stripes with which the manufacturer marks the tires different types, batches, and also when balancing marks the lighter side (so the yellow stripe is closer to the side where the spool will be located);
- on the sidewall of each tire, the manufacturer applies codes and designations, among them “E” or “DOT”, which means that the rubber meets European or American quality standards; next to this marking is the certificate number;
- neither on the tread nor on the sidewalls of the tire should there be cracks, swellings, bumps;
- tires must be "fresh", that is, made not so long ago, in view of the fact that rubber is subject to aging and gradual loss of properties during long-term storage; in other words, you should not buy new tires that have been in stock for a couple of years - their resource is already shorter, and instead of 4-5 years of operation, you can get only a couple of years, while endangering yourself, passengers and other road users;
- the presence of all marks on the side surface of the tires, including sizes, seasonality, speed index, etc.;
- if the tire is American-made, then the red mark on the side surface means defective, green - quality compliance, but for European tires it is the other way around - expiration is marked in red, defective in green.
Another important indicator of the quality of purchased tires, which can be assessed with the start of operation of tires, is the stability of tire pressure. Decreasing pressure may indicate poor adhesion between rubber and tread steel. In fact, the protector is stratified. This can happen as a result of long-term storage of new rubber in unsuitable conditions.
Particularly at risk car tires boo.
Used tires
Today, due to certain circumstances and reasons, it often becomes necessary to purchase used tires. Such tires are cheaper than new ones, but the feasibility of such savings must be assessed. Knowing how to check the quality of tires for a car, you can minimize the risk of wasting money and putting yourself, cars and passengers in danger.
Used tires today are offered both from hands (that is, without a certificate confirming the fact that the tire has been tested and fit for use), and by specialized stores that supply used tires from Europe, Asia, the USA after the rubber has been checked by official car services (in this case, used tires may have a certificate and guarantees of reliability).
The first thing to look for when buying used tires is tread wear. Of course, there will be no more colored stripes and marks on the tire. However, the tread should be worn slightly and evenly across the entire width.
Careful visual and tactile inspection of the outside and inside of the tires will help to identify the presence of tears and punctures, which sellers often mask with tire repair and the use of special rubber polish. In principle, the repair of a small puncture in the tread area is acceptable, and subsequently does not affect operational characteristics tires. However, you should not buy tires with repaired defects on the sidewalls, but, nevertheless, give preference to used tires that have not been previously restored.
When purchasing used tires, you should understand that their service life is significantly shortened - at least for a couple of years. It is advisable to know the age of used rubber offered for sale, as well as inquire about storage conditions. There is a high risk of buying tires with dry exfoliating rubber. At best, the tire will crack and tear, at worst, it can lead to loss of control over the car on the road and a serious accident.
However, among the used goods you can find high-quality tires for the car. The purchase of such tires may be preferable when an urgent replacement of 1-2 tires was required due to damage or a spare tire if a complete set is not required.
Tires are one of the most subject to wear and tear on a car. Tires keep the car in contact with the road surface. Long service life and performance of direct functions and becomes the cause of their wear. The safety of driving on the roads depends on the performance of tires, and for this reason it is necessary to carefully monitor their condition.
What are the dangers of driving on worn out tires?
The condition of car tires affects primarily the suspension. In fact, the nature of tire wear is an indicator of the condition of the machine as a whole. Uneven and increased tread wear are the consequences of various malfunctions that need to be eliminated.
Car tires with even half-worn tread can become very dangerous companions while driving at high speeds. The grip of the car with the roadway in rainy and snowy weather deteriorates several times, which can cause traffic accidents.
Tests carried out using worn tires showed that the quality and reliability of their adhesion to the coating is two times worse compared to new tires.
The sipes on winter tires help the car “bite” into the snow, providing excellent grip even on icy roads. In the case of a worn tread, small inclined sipes do not cope with their duties: the quality of grip deteriorates, as does the traction of the car as a whole.
When driving on wet roads, the risk of hydroplaning increases: the faster the car moves, the higher the likelihood of this, since the water does not have time to completely drain through the tread grooves. A practically worn out tread worsens the situation significantly, since a large amount of water remains under the tire. A high risk of hydroplaning can lead to sad consequences up to an accident.
In rainy weather, braking distances increase, which can be much more dangerous than hydroplaning. When compared with new tires, worn tires require up to 2 meters or more to come to a complete stop at low speeds - about 64 km / h - taking into account the use of anti-lock brake system.
Worn tires perform best on completely dry tracks: almost completely worn out grooves and sipes are in better contact with the road surface.
Despite the last advantage of worn tires, driving them is extremely dangerous and undesirable: an increase in stopping distance, increased risk of aquaplaning and reduced grip on the road can cause accidents.
Reasons for tire wear
There are several factors that have a negative impact on the condition of the protectors:
- Poor track quality. You will have to come to terms with this factor and try to develop a suitable driving style in order to minimize the destructive impact;
- driving style. It affects not only tire wear, but also the technical condition of the car;
- Untimely maintenance of the car;
- Incorrect air pressure in tires;
- Wheel imbalance;
- Failure to comply with speed limits. On each tire there are corresponding indices that must be taken into account when choosing a new rubber;
- Incorrectly selected seasonal tires. Winter tires they are more soft than summer tires, which is why it quickly wears out on the track surface and loses spikes. Summer tires are hard, at low temperatures they become even harder. As a result, they can be severely damaged and unable to provide required level adhesion to the road surface;
- Incorrect wheel alignment
- Malfunctions of a steering and a running gear of the car;
- Dragging or dragging;
- Tire structure;
- drifts.
An important factor, which is also desirable to take into account, is the banal aging of the wheels. Over time, you will have to change tires anyway: the maximum service life is 10 years. Even if the car has not been used and has been stored in a garage for several years, it is necessary to change the tires. The reason for the decrease in strength and the appearance of cracks in tires can be not only the infrequent use of the car, but also the impact of the environment - a high level of humidity and temperature.
Structural changes in rubber caused by a long service life lead to the accumulation of moisture, which can cause deformation of the metal cord.
The destruction of the cord will cause the tire to burst. Such a breakdown is most dangerous at high speeds: as a result, the car completely loses control, which can lead to an accident.
Types of rubber wear
The specific type of wear is determined using various indicators, individual for each brand of tire.
Normal wear
This view is typical for the standard operation of the machine. It mostly depends on where the wheel is. It is normal for this type of tires to wear unevenly on both pairs of tires.
It is advisable to periodically change the rear and front wheels in places to ensure uniform wear.
The steered wheels have an increased load. The side surfaces are the most worn part of the tires. For a pair of wheels placed on the drive axle, the wear of the middle part is several times stronger compared to the driven pair. This is explained by the fact that the middle of the tire is in greater interaction with the asphalt.
In rear-wheel drive cars, the front wheels wear out mainly on the sides, while the rear wheels wear out in the middle.
The amount of traction force on the driving wheels of a motor vehicle is limited by the adhesion of tires to the road surface.
Left front wheels with normal wear, right rear
Central and bilateral
The cause of both types of tread wear is increased or decreased tire pressure. Central wear is fixed at excessively high pressure, when only the middle of the wheel is in contact with the road surface.
Bilateral wear, on the contrary, is typical for low pressure: tires are in contact with the surface of the track with a larger area, which leads to abrasion of the sides of the rubber.
Spot and circumferential wear
Wheel imbalance is often the cause of abnormal tire wear. Most often fixed on the wheels of the front axle. You can eliminate the defect by ordinary balancing, while it is carried out until the tire completely loses its shape.
If the balancing has been carried out, but the tires are still wearing out, then the problem lies in the suspension. To eliminate it, it is enough to diagnose and repair shock absorbers or levers.
A single wear spot occurs in cases of sudden emergency braking.
Spots can be chaotic and small over the entire surface, and there may be single large signs of braking.
sawtooth
Block wheel treads on the drive axle usually suffer from it. Its cause is the deformation of the wheel, which manifests itself in the case of dragging blocks along the asphalt. In such situation protective covering rubber is completely worn out.
Scaly
Serrated, or scaly, wear characteristic of wheels trucks mobile, is a consequence of congestion. If it is, it is advisable to check inside tires for cracks. It is highly likely that this type of wear is the result of wrong selection tires at maximum load. It is advisable to install tires on trucks with a 10%–15% margin for this indicator. The service life of tires with an underestimated indicator is reduced several times.
Sharp edges on one side of the front wheel
Sharp edges may form on one side of the front wheels. The reason for this is a sloppy driving style and poor pavement. On gravel tracks, rubber quickly deteriorates due to high abrasive wear and the appearance of cracks, scratches and tears. An increase in tire temperature during fast driving can cause delamination of its component parts.
Drawing
One of the types of tire wear found on trucks. It is fixed with a difference in outer diameters, pressure or tread depth of a pair of wheels on the same axle. This can cause the smaller tire to drag behind the larger one, overshoot and brake constantly.
The edge of the tire is erased due to dragging
Dragging is also typical for one tire with too high or low pressure and the wrong disc. At normal tire pressure, the contact patch with the track evenly distributes the load. With a deviation up or down from the allowable norm, the size of the spot changes, and the load is redistributed unevenly. Local wear can cause wheel imbalance.
Longitudinal comb
Typical for wheels mounted on the drive axle with a block tread type. It is distinguished by a large wear of the running, rather than the running, edge of the rubber. You can get rid of it by changing the direction of rotation of the wheel.
Sharp braking and acceleration, sharp turns do not have the most favorable effect on the rubber of the car. Such driving leads to longitudinal ridge wear, accompanied by tire rupture and the appearance of cracks in the tread grooves, which is especially characteristic of low-profile rubber. Emergency braking or malfunctions of the brake system can cause the appearance of so-called "sliders".
To avoid sharp turns in practice, it is almost unrealistic: they are fraught with “breaking” of rubber. However, most often the cause of this type of wear is the driver himself and his driving style.
When to change worn tires: norms and calculation
"Bald" tires do not perform their functions and can cause increased braking distances, hydroplaning and skidding, which, in turn, can provoke a traffic accident.
There are many ways to measure wear, but digital gauges are always as accurate as possible.
Regular visual inspection of the wheels of the car will help determine the timing of rubber replacement. It is advisable to change tires in the following cases:
- The maximum wear limit has been reached at which the tread height is less than 1.6 mm (see below for details). Tire sipes and treads usually have wear indicators. Wheels are replaced every 40-50 thousand kilometers. The service life of the wheels may vary depending on the manufacturer, rubber composition, driving style, road;
- Abnormal tire wear. There are several types: wear of the side or central part, working edges or asymmetrical. It can be eliminated only by getting rid of the mechanical malfunction that caused it;
- The groove depth of tires mounted on the same axle varies by more than 5 mm. Affects the handling of the car;
- Tire damage. Any violation of the integrity of the tire can cause it to break at high speed;
- The wheels do not comply with the manufacturer's recommendations: the sizes are incorrectly selected, the speed and load are not observed.
- for passenger cars- 1.6 mm;
- for motorcycles - 0.8 mm;
- for trucks - 1 mm;
- for buses - 2 mm.
For Russia and European countries, uniform tire wear standards apply. For winter tires, they are 4–6 mm, for summer tires - 1.6 mm. Such data is limiting. Summer tires can be safely operated with a tread height of at least two to three millimeters.
How to determine tire mileage
wear indicator
It is a small column of rubber 1.6 mm high placed in the grooves of the tread. Actually, the tire needs to be replaced after the tread height is equal to this block.
You can determine exactly where the wear indicator is located by looking for one of the marks on the side:
- triangle;
- TWI sign;
- trademark logo.
Many manufacturers produce tires with intermediate indicators. Their abrasion indicates that the tires are no longer able to provide any proper traction on wet pavement.
Digital indexes on treads
In the sipes and rubber treads, digital indicators are squeezed out, each of which differs in depth. The largest figure (standardly this is an eight) is squeezed out to a shallow depth, the smallest (for summer tires deuce, for winter studded or Velcro - four) to the maximum. As the tires wear out, the numbers are erased and disappear. The remaining tread level is determined by the highest of the remaining digits. Critical wheel wear is fixed after erasing the last indicator.
Manufacturers apply three main types of digital indicators to protectors:
- A number of numbers from "2" to "4", indicators are marked in millimeters;
- A series of numbers, indicators are marked in percentage from the height of the tread;
- An indicator that has one segmented digit, made in such a way that each of its segments is extruded to a different depth. As the tire wears, different numbers appear. Such indicators are marked in millimeters.
Tire color change
More recently, wheels have appeared on sale that change color as they wear. When the rubber is abraded, the tread is painted in a bright shade, which makes it possible to find out when the rubber needs to be changed.
Profile Depth Measurement
Indicators allow you to quickly determine the level of wear, but do not give accurate results. To obtain accurate readings, a profile depth gauge is used - a small device that measures the depth of the tread grooves in several places. If the results obtained are less than those specified by law, the rubber should no longer be used.
Manual ways: coin, ruler, caliper
Perhaps the simplest and easiest way to measure tread groove depth is with a ruler or caliper. To do this, the caliper probe is lowered to the bottom of the groove and the value obtained is recorded. Similarly, rubber wear is measured using a ruler - it is inserted into the tread and its depth is checked.
You can determine the level of tire wear with any metal coin - a dollar, euro or ruble. For example, the dollar falls with the president's head into the tread groove. It's time to change the tire if Washington's hair is visible from a perpendicular line of sight. In a similar way, tire wear can be determined with a one-cent coin - only in this case the top of Lincoln should be visible.
Russian coins with a double-headed eagle are also suitable for this method. Two rubles are placed in the groove with the eagle's head down. If the rubber is in good condition and does not require replacement, then the bird's head should not be visible, but tires should be changed if the entire eagle is in sight.
You can find out the condition of the rubber with a coin of one euro. If the gold rim disappears into the tread groove, then there is no need to change the rubber, but if most of it is visible, then you will have to buy a replacement.
How to prevent car tire wear
To increase the life of rubber and reduce its wear, it is enough to follow a few recommendations:
- improper alignment can cause uneven wear or roll to one side;
- After the repair work or suspension bulkheads without fail, it is necessary to carry out the collapse / convergence;
- It is necessary to constantly monitor the level of pressure in the wheels.
Simple rules will help prevent premature wear of rubber and extend its life.
Car tire wear is an inevitable consequence of operation vehicle. It can be caused by various factors such as technical issues and driving style. Nevertheless, following simple recommendations, regular visual inspection of the wheels and timely Maintenance car will help not only to increase the life of the rubber, but also to prevent the serious consequences of its wear.
Sooner or later, every car owner faces the question of purchasing a new set of tires for his car. However, a new set of tires is not cheap today, and therefore many car owners are trying to find options on how to save money. Someone in a situation where the budget is limited, chooses new, but cheap tires from not very well-known manufacturers, and someone decides to buy used tires.
Buying used tires, of course, promises considerable savings - the price of used tires can be two to three times cheaper than new tires of the same brand. But, unfortunately, when buying used tires it is very easy to get into trouble. What nuances should be taken into account when choosing used tires for a car and how to properly assess their suitability?
Communication with the seller
It is clear that car tires have their own expiration date, after which they can no longer be used normally and will not provide the driver with the necessary level of safety on the road. Rubber and the metal part of the tire structure are constantly exposed to chemicals, experience extreme loads and, accordingly, lose their original properties over time. When buying used car tires, the main question is - do the used tires meet the wear level acceptable to you?
Today on the Internet specialized stores and in the car markets there are enough offers for the sale of used car tires. The best option would be, of course, buying used tires from acquaintances or friends who will not dissemble or hide the history of rubber operation. But even close people often simply cannot correctly assess the condition of the tires they sell.
To start choosing and buying used car tires is to communicate with the seller and clarify a number of details with him. First of all, you need to ask about the age of the tires sold. Usually, if the correct storage conditions are observed, rubber can last for five to six years. Buying older tires is not recommended, even if they look good.
The old tire, due to the loss of its original characteristics, will still become unusable very quickly. In addition, in the case of buying excessively old used tires, no one can give you a guarantee that its power unit will not suddenly collapse while driving. A tire burst at high speed is fraught with great risk. You can check the release date of each tire during a subsequent visual inspection - it is traditionally indicated on the sidewall. If you buy a set of used tires and the dates of tires from the same pair do not match each other, then this indicates that they were used on different axles or on different cars. In this case, it would be wiser to refuse the purchase, because such a pair is unlikely to serve you for a long time.
The seller, of course, should be asked about the reasons for selling tires. It may happen that the real reason for the sale of tires are hidden defects, the presence of which the seller knows, but deliberately keeps silent. Be sure to ask him about whether the tires were repaired, whether there were punctures. Used tires that had a side cut are not the best option for future use.
A very important characteristic is the wear of the tire tread. It indicates the condition of the tire as a whole. It is clear that it makes little sense to buy even very cheap tires, but which already have more than 50% wear. On the contrary, other things being equal, it is better to choose used tires, which may cost more than other options, but have a large tread residue.
Tire inspection and testing
When buying used tires, you simply cannot do without professional diagnostics in a tire shop. You should not rely only on the words of the seller and a cursory examination of tires, because you should always remember that tires are one of the main guarantees of a stable and safe behavior of a car on the road. Checking used tires should begin with a visual inspection to determine the degree and nature of tread wear, as well as to assess the general condition of the rubber.
You need to carefully inspect the tire inside and out, removing it from the rim. During such an inspection, pay attention to microcracks, deep cuts, various swellings, bumps, as well as the presence of foreign objects in the rubber. Ideally, the rubber should be all monolithic and smooth. To detect microcracks on the rubber surface, which look like subtle cobwebs, it is recommended to take a small stationery magnifier with you. The presence of such microcracks indicates a violation of the storage conditions of the tires or that they were actually produced a very long time ago. Tires with microcracks on the inside or outside of the sidewalls are very likely to break when driving at high speeds. Accordingly, it is not recommended to purchase such used tires.
If the tire had punctures, you need to pay close attention to the patches on the back of the tread. In principle, punctures in the tread area are not any critical damage, because just such small patches successfully get rid of them. However, if the patch on the tire is very large or there are more than two such patches on one tire, then you should refuse to buy rubber. Under no circumstances should tires be purchased with traces of puncture repair or "treatment" on their side surface. A tire with damage to the side surface is no longer able to ensure the safety of the car on the road.
So, after a visual inspection of a used tire, if everything is fine, you must definitely check it in a tire shop. There, the tire should be assembled back onto the disc, pumped up to a slightly higher pressure than required by the instructions, and checked for balancing machine. During rotation of the tire, no runout should be observed.
Any unevenness in the tire, apparently caused by internal cord damage, creates a static imbalance in the wheel. This is the so-called "hernia", which appears as a result of a serious impact of the wheel on some hard bump on the road. It is almost never possible to detect it during a visual inspection of the rubber removed from the disk, which is why a subsequent check of tires in a tire shop is so necessary. Herniated tires are subject to a very high risk of sudden failure and are therefore completely unsuitable for use.
The experts at the tire shop will help balance used tires and check them for static imbalance. If, after such a comprehensive check, the tires showed their best side (the absence of microcracks, deep cuts, beats and "hernias, good condition the outer surface of the rubber), then they should be taken.
Buying used tires is always a risk. Even if you follow all of the above tips, there is no guarantee that the used tires you buy will be successful for a long time. Therefore, before buying used tires, you should once again weigh the pros and cons. It is possible that the best option nevertheless, there will be a purchase of a new set of tires, because tires are the most important element of traffic safety. But if you're on a budget or just made a firm decision to save money, then be very careful about the process of selecting and checking used tires.
Before deciding to purchase used tires, you need to carefully weigh the "pros" and "cons" of their use. In addition, it would not be superfluous to look at the current offers on the car market, because buying new tires for the same money budget segment may be a better option. Having decided on the purchase of used tires, you should learn a few basic nuances that will help you competently approach the selection of a high-quality set of tires, thus avoiding future problems and wasting money, time and nerves. Next, we will talk about the main selection criteria that will ensure long-term and trouble-free operation of used tires.
Where to buy tires
Buying used tires is not difficult these days. In addition to car markets and auto disassembly, this product is offered on various Internet portals, auto forums and in newspaper ads. In addition, tires can be bought "on hand" from colleagues, acquaintances or friends.
In the latter case, it is much easier to find out the true reason for the sale and the history of the operation of car tires. However, it should still be understood that not all drivers are experts in this matter, and sellers will obviously not be spreading about the obvious shortcomings of the product, which can significantly reduce its cost.
For this reason, no matter where you buy used tires, it is advisable to have a professional tire diagnostic done by a reputable tire shop before making a deal. This procedure should be carried out carefully and with high-quality lighting (preferably during daylight hours). Before you "hit hands" and become the full owner of used tires, be sure to check with the distributor the following points: 
- Reason for sale. This aspect is very important because the seller may be trying to get rid of tires that have a suitable appearance but have hidden flaws. For this reason, the question of what prompted the car owner to sell tires is quite appropriate and natural. Of course, this does not apply to entrepreneurs whose business involves the massive buying and selling of used tires.
- Product age. On each tire, the manufacturer indicates the date of its release, but if these values \u200b\u200bare not the same in the set of tires, then it is likely that the rubber was installed on different vehicles or on different axles of the same car. Consequently, these tires have varying degrees of rubber wear, indicating that this set will not last long.
- History of repairs. This question is no less important than the previous ones. If the tire was not previously damaged or had punctures in the tread, then it can be safely sent for diagnostics. But in the case after a side cut, further talk about the deal does not make sense, since such rubber is most likely unsuitable for use.
- wear and cost. One of the strong recommendations of experts says that the purchase of used tires worn out by more than 50 percent is absolutely irrational. If wear is less than half of the rubber resource, then the price requested by the seller should be compared with offers for new models of the budget segment that exist in the car market. Based on these figures, you should decide whether to conclude a deal or not.
market supply
Probably every buyer of used rubber has thought about where the dealers get this product from. The main sources of such tires are:
- Autodismantling (foreign and domestic).
- Automotive markets where tires are bought from citizens.
In both cases, the quality of the tires is not perfect, but acceptable. Much depends on the seller himself and his decency, so the first thing to look at is the marking and release date. These designations will allow you to determine whether rubber belongs to one set, its model, degree of wear and age. It is not recommended to buy products for which the seller is not willing to provide even a minimum guarantee.
Preview
It should be understood that in modern tire fitting professionals are able to restore any tires, regardless of the damage. But not all refurbished tires, even after a very high-quality repair, are suitable for subsequent use. Therefore, before buying, you should evaluate the nature and degree of wear of the tread blocks, as well as their general condition, checking for repaired damage, as well as specifying the method and quality of the repair itself.
The inspection procedure takes place in two stages. The surface of the tire, previously removed from the disk, is carefully checked from the outside and from the inside, after which the tire is put on the disk and inflated so that the pressure exceeds that recommended by the manufacturer for the operation of the vehicle. Next, I balance the wheel and check for static imbalance, the presence of hernias and runout (radial and transverse). If the inspection did not reveal any flaws, there are no hernias and runouts, and the total number of compensating weights is within the acceptable norms, then rubber can be bought - the risk of purchasing an unsuitable product becomes minimal even if you have received incomplete information about the product.
The nuances that you should pay special attention to during the inspection are given below.
- Patches on the tread (with reverse side). Tire punctures in the tread area are not very serious damage. They are effectively repaired by means of special patches of a small area. Therefore, if there are no more than two of them per wheel, then the rubber is quite suitable for further use. At the same time, you should be prepared for more weights that will be needed for proper balancing. In the case when the patch occupies more than a third of the width of the tire (it can hide a serious defect, and not just a puncture), the purchase should be abandoned.
- Traces of welding on the side outer surface or patches on it from the inside. All kinds of damage to the tire carcass (side surface) of the radial type are unacceptable for further use of tires. And no matter how sellers or tire fitters convince otherwise, side cuts are often unrepairable. Therefore, it is not recommended to buy radial tires repaired in the area of the side surfaces for reasons of your own safety.
- Beating or hernia. When checking the tire on a balancing machine, there should be no runout. Otherwise, it is necessary to refrain from buying, because a similar effect causes a static imbalance of an automobile wheel, which cannot be removed at a tire fitting. It is unreasonably dangerous to use such rubber, not to mention the fact that in the event of a wheel failure or suspension failure, this will result in significant financial costs. Whatever the "masters" say, it is impossible to restore the original characteristics of a tire with a hernia or a runout.
- Traces of sealant on the inner surface. Vulcanizing pastes used in tire repair are very often ineffective. In addition, they spoil the rubber itself, creating an imbalance due to uneven application. This defect is not always possible to remove by compensation with weights. At the same time, it is almost impossible to wash this sealant. If you do not pay attention to the presence of such a drawback, then in the future there will definitely be problems with balancing and tire fitting, for which you will also have to pay.
- Micro cracks on sidewalls. The appearance of this defect on the outer or inner side surface of the tire indicates improper storage tires or its old release date. Obviously, the resource of such a tire can be either a year or two or three days. And to be sure that the tire does not burst at speed at the most inopportune moment, it is better to consider other proposals.
Tire age
Due to constant contact with an aggressive environment, any tire has its own expiration date. The carcass materials and the rubber compound oxidize over time, interact with reagents, dry out, losing their original properties and characteristics. For this reason, in order to correctly assess the condition of the product, it is necessary to take into account its age, storage quality and operating conditions. These parameters are extremely important even in the case of acceptable tread depth and wear.
First of all, the factory marking with the specified one is checked. Satisfactory is an age not exceeding five years, subject to all storage rules. Usually, rubber lasts longer, but in this case, guarantee the reliability of the power frame in extreme situation not even the manufacturer can. And it is not difficult to guess the consequences of tire destruction at high speed.
If all the tires in the purchased kit have different production dates, then this indicates that it was assembled from a “reserve”, or the rubber was purchased during operation. Such tires should be treated with special care and double checked.
If the dates on all the wheels of the set match and their age is less than five years, it is necessary to carefully examine the inner and outer surfaces of each tire. Rubber should not have any “webs” of microcracks, but be smooth and solid.
In conclusion, I would like to note that tires that have been stored incorrectly are often treated with a chemical color reducer that hides minor flaws and defects. In order to avoid these tricks, take a stationery magnifier with you, which will allow you to choose decent shoes for your iron horse's disks.