12 Tips for Buying Cheap Tires

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August 28th, 2009 | cashrunner | Posted in Frugality

Replacing tires can be expensive. Be sure to read these tips in order to get the best deal.

1. Determine the right size. Check your auto manual to find the recommended size for your vehicle. Unless you have changed wheels, that’s the number you should go by. You can also check your current tires. The tire size (e.g. P225/50R16) is written on the sidewall of the tire. Depending on the type of car you drive, it will optionally begin with P (for passenger car), LT (for light truck), T (for temporary spare) or T (for special trailer). The three-digit number after the letter indicates the section width of the tire in millimeters. The number after the slash is the sidewall aspect ratio. If it is missing, it is assumed to be 82. If it is larger than 200, then it refers to the diameter of the tire. The letter after that refers to the internal construction type of the tire and can be either R (for radial tires) , D (for diagonal or bias-ply tires), or B (for belted tires). Most tires today are radial tires. The last number is the diameter of the wheel that the tire is designed to fit.

2. Don’t buy old tires. Be sure to check the manufacturing date. Some retailers sell tires that were manufactured ten years ago but still claim they’re new just because they’re not used. You can check the manufacturing date yourself. The sidewall of every tire lists not only the tire size and proper inflation but also the code that tells you the year the tire was made. The code is found at the end of the line starting with DOT and is four digits long. The first two digits tell you the week of the year and the last two digits the year itself. For example, the code 4608 indicates the tire was manufactured in the 46^th week of 2008.

3. Don’t buy used tires. You can’t really be sure about the condition of the tires. It’s not worth risking your safety just to save a few bucks. And if the tires are worn unevenly, you are ultimately going to spend more on gas. Sooner than later, you’ll have to buy new tires again.

4. Buy a good brand. You want a quality tire and a brand name gives you at least some assurance of quality. This is not just a safety issue. You want your tires to last as long as possible. Every new tire comes advertised with its estimated mileage. With a brand name, you know there’s a company standing behind that promise and that company won’t be gone anytime soon.

5. Don’t make too much of warranties. It’s important to realize that tire warranties are limited warranties and warranty claims rarely succeed. The warranty is void if the damage to your tire resulted from “road hazard”, which can mean a lot of things. Normal wear and tear is not covered either. Even if you have good cause, filing a claim can be quite a hassle. In order to submit a claim, you will have to provide proof of purchase and the original mileage and also show that you maintained the tires properly. Proper tire maintenance includes inflating, rotating, and aligning the tires properly and replacing worn suspension components. Don’t choose one tire over another just because it has a slightly longer warranty.

6. Match the tires to your climate. Do you need summer tires, winter tires, or all-season tires? If you live in a rainy region, make sure you buy a tire with a high traction grade. Tire traction is rated AA, A, B, or C with AA being at the top of the scale. If you live in a warm region, you should take heat resistance into consideration as well. The temperature grades, from highest to lowest, are A, B, and C.

7. Match the tires to your mileage. The number of miles you put on the car is important because your new tires should last at least a couple of years. You don’t want to be buying new tires all the time. If you only drive as little as 8,000 miles a year, then a tire that will last 24,000 miles may be fine but if you drive more than 12,000 miles a year, then the tires will wear out in a couple of years, maybe even earlier than that depending on how you drive and how you maintain your tires. Treadwear grades are another useful indicator, at least within a manufacturer’s own line of tires, as tires with higher treadwear grades are expected to last longer. Unfortunately, manufacturers tend to overstate the expected treadwear of their tires. A Michelin tire with a treadwear grade of 300 may be comparable to a Goodyear tire with a treadwear grade of 340.

8. Match the tires to your load. Is your car often fully loaded or do you usually carry just a passenger or two? Tires can differ in their load carrying capacities. A tire with a higher load index has a higher carrying capacity. The load index of the tire can be found right after the tire size on the sidewall of the tire (e.g. P225/50R16 91) and can range anywhere from 71 to 110 for most passenger cars and light trucks. Here’s a list of different load indexes and their corresponding carrying capacities: 71-761lbs, 72-783lbs, 73-805lbs, 74-827lbs, 75-853lbs, 76-882lbs, 77-908lbs, 78-937lbs, 79-963lbs, 80-992lbs, 81-1019lbs, 82-1047lbs, 83-1074lbs, 84-1102lbs, 85-1135lbs, 86-1168lbs, 87-1201lbs, 88-1235lbs, 89-1279lbs, 90-1323lbs, 91-1356lbs, 92-1389lbs, 93-1433lbs, 94-1477lbs, 95-1521lbs, 96-1565lbs, 97-1609lbs, 98-1653lbs, 99-1709lbs, 100-1764lbs, 101-1819lbs, 102-1874lbs, 103-1929lbs, 104-1984lbs, 105-2039lbs, 106-2094lbs, 107-2149lbs, 108-2205lbs, 109-2271lbs, 110-2337lbs.

9. Match the tires to your speed. Do you drive mostly low speeds around town or high speeds on the freeway? Check the speed rating of the tire. The speed rating is the number that follow the load index on the sidewall of a tire (e.g. P225/50R16 91S). The speed rating indicates the maximum speed the tire can sustain for ten minutes straight without risk of damage. Don’t pay extra for tires with high speed ratings. Realistically, you’re never going to drive over 100mph, so there’s no need to pay more to get a tire with such a speed rating. Here’s a list of the most common speed ratings along with their corresponding maximum speeds: M-81mph, N-87mph, O-93mph, P-99mph, Q-106mph, R-112mph, S-118mph, T-mph, U-124mph, H-130mph, and V-149mph.

10. Comparison shop. Stores like PepBoys, Discount Tires, and Costco are always a good bet. Use cost per mile to compare prices. Divide the price of the tire by its expected mileage. For example, a $100 tire that lasts 45,000 miles will have a cost per mile of around 0.2 cents. A $60 tire that lasts 20,000 miles will cost 0.3 cents per mile. Do the math. The $100 tire is a better value. Everything else the same, you will want the tire with the lower cost per mile.

11. Factor in the cost of labor. You may be surprised how much the installation cost of tires can vary. Some stores will put on your new tires for free while others may charge you as much as $30. Realize that some stores such as Sears may have low tire prices too but charge more for labor.

12. Get a price match. Most retailers will match tire prices, but you will need to present a quote from their competitor. Be sure to take into account the cost of installation, which is not part of the price match. Even if one store charges less for its tires, you may find getting the tires from a competitor may still be cheaper.

Photo Credit: modenadude

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