Tyre's, what is acceptable?

[Bonefishblues]

Originally Posted by HDAV

While many sellers claim they are from the continent etc where they change them at 5mm etc not necessarily the case many are removed from crashed vehicles are stored outside subject to UV degradation can have unseen damage and issues do you inspect the tyres prior to fitting?

But a brand new budget vs a part worn premium tyre is a tricky one. If it passes an mot it must fine right 🤷*♂️

I inspect, yes, but I'm more interested in the service history, bodywork etc when I buy a second hand car

A little mischievous, but you see my point, (and I have bought part-worn tyres in the past and would do so again)

[Bashy]

I have not bought a brand new tyre since about 1995 when i had no choice due to snow and being stuck in Driffield on my way to Scarborough. All my tyres prior and since have been part worn. To me, as long as the tyre is legal, i am happy.

[eternal optimist]

Originally Posted by Bashy

I have not bought a brand new tyre since about 1995 when i had no choice due to snow and being stuck in Driffield on my way to Scarborough. All my tyres prior and since have been part worn. To me, as long as the tyre is legal, i am happy.

I think new tyres is a small price to pay in those circumstances.

[Zebster]

Early this year I suffered an unrepairable puncture on the rear. Rather than buy an odd new tyre I thought I'd have a look on eBay for a matching part-worn Continental Premium Contact 6 and found one with 6mm of tread for £40; coincidentally the photographs showed the date stamp to be identical, which I thought was a bonus. However when it turned up I also discovered that it had the same batch number!

In principle I'd happily buy part-worn tyres, however a lot on eBay are very old and should be avoided.

[Tannaton]

I wouldn’t fit part worn tyres following a couple of bad experiences I’ve had. In principle I have no objection to it and if the industry was compliant they should be quite safe but the majority of the outlets in the uk operate illegally and no-one seems to hold them to account.

They are required to perform stringent checks on the tyres and then permanently mark the sidewall as “part worn”, that rarely happens.

https://www.partworn-tyres.co.uk/?qards_page=the-law

I also think many part worn tyres sold are not good value, if you calculate the cost per usable mm of tread life you are getting, they often work out more expensive than new ones.

[Mick787]

Some interesting thoughts on the subject. Thankfully my Volvo doesn't have staggered tyres. These days, so many cars are fitted with them, making the job of keeping a car on the road more difficult and costly when a single tyre fails and is not repairable. I carry a space saver to be able to keep going under restricted conditions, the wife's last car didn't even have that option (an i3 rex). Manufacturers and designers seem to be building into models so many things which result in their vehicles being unusable and reliant upon items which are harder to obtain. Gone are the days of being able to pick up a suitable tyre without having to wait a couple of days or more. I know and accept that tyre retailers cant be expected to hold stock of every tyre, but the range in types and sizes is phenomenal compared to say, 20 years ago. Is it really necessary? I think the choice is about looks rather than functionality.

I saw the listing on the 'net and thought it may be a good investment to hold a full sized spare. But would one tyre/wheel combination as a spare be a good idea? Directional/winter/summer/all season. It's a minefield! After asking the question about tyre age, the listing ended. Then it was re listed with no additional information about tyre age, I put a 'watch' on it, and then it ended again. I'm not sure about the credibility of the seller, but for me, to re list an item and not mention about the age of the tyre after being reminded about such a thing says a lot. By all means offer it for sale, but be honest. IF this was a person involved in a main dealership, then it is worrying. Those tyre/wheel display stands they have in car show rooms can be subject to sunlight and for 6 years, that was a concern to me. Someone may be in urgent need of a tyre and unknowingly buy something which could cost them dearly if it failed.

A lot of structural defects on tyres are not always visible and as such, that is why I am always very cautious having seen the results of numerous failures and the subsequent reports on the cause of them failing.

[Bashy]

Originally Posted by eternal optimist

I think new tyres is a small price to pay in those circumstances.

yeah but, by the time they were fitted, it had stopped and all melted on the road lol, but they did come in handy on the way home, tis always bad when it snows over the Wolds...

[john.wigley]

Originally Posted by Bonefishblues

Why are part worn tyres a particular issue?

All of our cars were fitted with part worns.

Maybe because one does not know their history, 'BFB'?

We have never bought a part worn tyre per se, yet we always buy part worns.

How so? Because we always buy used cars (Alright, I did buy a new Mini once, but that was back in 1978). Of all those who do similarly, how many immediately replace a full set of tyres, I wonder? There must be literally millions of part worns in use on the roads of Britain today.

Regards, John.

[S60RDesign]

It seems most 'normal' drivers (people that don't like driving but do it to get from A to B) don't care about tyres, they usually buy the cheapest and often replace one corner at a time just to pass an MOT. They don't care if they're mismatched and a lot of dealers don't either. For me the tyres have to all match and be a well respected make, they usually need replacing within 18 months to 2 years so don't need to worry about age. I'm running Michelin Cross Climate + on the S60 and Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric on the Mini Cooper S Coupe (which was really bought for summer fun), nit cheap but I buy the best I can afford

[Bonefishblues]

Originally Posted by john.wigley

Maybe because one does not know their history, 'BFB'?

We have never bought a part worn tyre per se, yet we always buy part worns.

How so? Because we always buy used cars (Alright, I did buy a new Mini once, but that was back in 1978). Of all those who do similarly, how many immediately replace a full set of tyres, I wonder? There must be literally millions of part worns in use on the roads of Britain today.

Regards, John.

Exactly my point - and when the come already fitted one has no chance (unlike buying part-worns separately) to examine the integrity of the carcass of the tyre from the inside.