The tread on my front passenger side tire is basically non-existant. We got a replacement from the junkyard we just need to switch rims (mine are steel; the replacement is aluminum- I blame my boyfriend for that he wanted to get money back on a different aluminum rim to discount off the one we got but the tread was best and that’s what I was looking for so it works. Anyways, thats not the question. The issue is I need to replace this tire before winter. Since this will involve exchanging rims, I can’t do it myself which really sux b/c I wanted too! Ya, I don’t know how, but I wanted to learn, dammit. Anyways, so I know someone who can have this done BUT how long should I continue driving with the bald tire? I would prefer to get this done ASAP, but my boyfriend said it shouldn’t matter much if I wait until the beginning of September and it even may be of benefit because then when the “new” tire is put on, minimum if any tread will have been lost by the time the snow freezes to ice. What do you think? And, please, I know this might sound confusing but please answer.
A truly bald tire should be taken out of service as soon as possible. It affects wet grip and is more likely to suffer a catastrophic blow out in the summer, too. Costs $7 to $15 for a mount and balance of the used tire. Why not do it now?
I missed the part about “minimum if any tread will have been lost by the time the snow freezes”. That indicates the used tire purchased is in very poor shape, and probably was a waste of money. I agree with Joe Guy that at least two new all season tires, even the cheapest ones, will be better than a used tire that won’t make it three months to winter.
If your parts are coming from a junkyard, then the car isn’t very new. If the car might not outlast the tires, you should get the new tire now. You will get the most use out of it.
A bald tire is an accident waiting to happen. I’m guessing that you’re on a budget that won’t allow you to buy two or four new tires. Which makes me think that you might even have four different brands and treads on this vehicle.
The amount of mileage you drive, the kind of driving you do and the climate where you live is important. If you put a lot of miles on the car and have snow in winter and warm summers, I’d advise that you make a sacrifice to spend some cash and buy at least two new matching tires as soon as possible.
“Healthy” tires are one of the best investments/insurances you will ever make for your vehicle.
Of course, your boyfriend’s “manly-ness” will be challenged if you give him advice that opposes his opinion. So, tell him that if he truly loves you and wants you to be safe, he should buy new tires for the car. Tell him that it’s not about money. Tell him that a new tire or tires are equal to giving you jewelry and a promise of never-ending love and concern for your health and welfare.
Best of luck to you…
What Joe Guy said. This is a disaster waiting to happen. If you are very lucky, all that will happen is a slowly occurring flat tire or a ticket for an unsafe vehicle. If you aren’t lucky…
He wouldn’t. Its my car; my responsibility. I don’t mind, it is my car, I think he is just saying that because he doesn’t want to do it. My friend’s dad offered and I know he knows what he’s doing but the man is in his sixties and I hate bugging him about this stuff. Like, I told him I will do all the labor, all he has to do is show me how to do it but I don’t think he would want me. He’s said he is worried I might get hurt. His daughters my best friend so I can’t be mad at him; its the whole protective dad thing but he may think lowly of my boyfriend if my boyfriend doesn’t come with and give him a hand.
P.S. I don’t wear jewelry, to me it serves no purpose;-)
But my other tire was from the junkyard and its holding up fine. The tread hasn’t worn down at all- and its been over a year, so…I really cannot afford to spend $80 on a brand new tire, at least not until I am healthy enough to start working again.
Okay, now that I know a little bit more about your situation, consider this; let’s work on the jewelry vs tire analogy.
You don’t wear jewelry because it serves no purpose.
Then don’t drive a vehicle in which you “wear” a bald tire that serves no purpose and might even injure or kill you.
If you can’t afford a new tire, you really can’t afford to drive that car.
I’m not passing judgment on you and your situation. I’m only expressing concern and responding to the facts you’ve given us.
Please make new tires and/or replacing the bald tire a priority.
and in the meantime - be extra careful when you drive.
Two things you never skimp on when it comes to cars; 1. Tires, Always buy the best tires you can afford. 2. Brakes. Always keep your braking system in good condition; if a rotor is warped and it’s been on your car for the last 50k miles, don’t have it turned, buy a new one, also get good pads. I’ve been using EBC 's green stuff pads on my Bronco and Red stuff pads on my Mustang with excellent results.
In addition to the others who correctly advised you that your bald tire should be taken out of service NOW, I will answer the other question that I think you were asking.
I believe that you were asking how to demount a tire from one wheel rim, and mount that tire on another wheel rim. The answer is–you can’t unless you own the proper shop equipment. You need to take the tires and rims to a service station that does repair work (not merely one that sells gas) and have this done. You can’t do it yourself, and you need to do this a.s.a.p.
If you have an accident, you will be given a summons for driving with defective equipment (a bald tire) and as a result, you could wind up having the liability for an accident placed on your shoulders. Any way that you look at it, delaying the replacement of that bald tire is very unwise.
how long should I continue driving with the bald tire? I would prefer to get this done ASAP, but my boyfriend said it shouldn’t matter much if I wait until the beginning of September
Does your boyfriend have a large insurance policy on you? Bald tyres are dangerous on snow, ice, wet roads and dry roads. They also tend to fail, usually on a dark and stormy night in the worse part of town.
So, what do I think? I think you should get a new tyre and a new boyfriend.
There are used tire dealers out there that sale any used tires for $20.00 mounted, and balanced. I think thats about the best you could do.
I agree. visit http://www.tirerack.com and get a set of 4 matching tires, or find what you want online and go to a tire shop and buy them there
Thank you to everyone who responded. I took my car over to my friend’s dads who removed the aluminum rim from the junkyard tire, unmounted my nearly bald tire so the junkyard tire is now on the steel rim. He balanced it and put weights where needed. Car runs smoother now than ever. He said from the amount of tread, it was a fairly new tire and had probably been installed not long before whatever went wrong with the car that brought it to its final resting place (junkyard). Wanted to pay him for the labor but since I’m tight on money, I baked him corn muffins which he said I didn’t need to do but I did it anyway.
Good. That means you got a better than average used tire and it should see you through a year or more.
Add muffler to your list. A bad exhaust or silly “repairs” using patches can kill you with CO.