My '05 Ram 1500 needs tires. I don’t drive off-road, but I like the aggressive look of the all-terrain tires. I’m not talking about the super-aggressive mud tires, but just something that doesn’t look like it belongs on a minivan.
Would it be possible to find a set of used tires like that? It seems like in the whole country, there must be somebody who has a set. But I don’t know how to search for that specifically. It seems like with used tires they just grab the first thing that is the right size.
Probably. But you’re going to have to call around or look on like craigslist from your area. Personally, I wouldn’t trust used tires even on a vehicle I don’t drive regularly. With that said BFG All-Terrains are a good bet, I’ve also had good luck with Bridgestone A/T Revos in the past.
I just bought AT tires for my truck at Wal Mart a month or two ago. Goodyear Wrangler ATS, $110 each before mounting and balancing. I had that done at a tire shop. Not super aggressive, but a step above the minivan look and not a lot of road noise. So far I’m happy with them. Falken Wildpeak AT’s get good reviews and aren’t super pricey.
It’s hard to find used AT tires that aren’t worn out unless you get lucky and find someone who upgraded to larger tires or different wheels. There’s a place not far from me that sells new pull off tires and wheel sets. They’re pretty pricey though if you want something aggressive.
I have the Goodyear Wranglers ATs on my truck that came with it I liked the way it handled with out of a lot of road noise when it became time to replace them I went with the same thing from the Goodyear dealer that was cheaper than Wally world in my town.
Every used car I ever bought came with used tires. I don’t know why people are so suspicious of them. Tires are pretty indestructible these days. A lot of cars don’t even come with spares anymore! But to each his own, I guess.
Keep an eye peeled for take-offs on Facebook, eBay, and Craigslist if you are looking for the OE size. These come up on FB sales pages fairly frequently in my area.
Most of the time, people replace tires that are worn out or worn unevenly or completely jacked up. They would not be viable on the used market. I could spot those a mile away. If it has a small hole and that was patched, that doesn’t bother me any more than if my own tire got a small hole and a patch.
I can’t really imagine a scenario where the owner would be aware of a serious problem with a tire to the point of replacing it, but it would be invisible. Maybe some freaky manufacturing defect that makes it vibrate? I dunno. I guess it could happen with one tire - definitely not a whole set.
Just make sure they are not too old. 4 or 5 years max. Look to the date codes on the sidewalls. Tires age, lose traction (especially in rain) because they get harder and get dry rot cracks that can cause explosive failures.
These 4 rubber donuts are the only thing between you and death so consider that when you are looking for used tires.
I don’t have a problem with used tires myself but they should be closely inspected for any sign of dry rot and as Mustangman mentions; old tires can lose traction due to the hardening of the rubber.
Check out your local Facebook Market Place, I frequently see newer truck tires for sale as the owners changed to a nicer looking tire, more aggressive etc. The prices generally reflect the condition of the tires.
