Used Tires

[GMTruckGuy74]

How does one buy "used tires"? The crappy Hankooks on my '07 AURA XE are pretty much done - the lease isn't up until November and there's no way I'm going to spend my money (not that I have much left to spend) on a new set of tires for a car I won't be owning for much longer. If money was plentiful, my plan was to take my wife's G6 17k milesHankook tires (same as on the AURA) and put them on the AURA, and then get her a nice set of the Goodyear Assurance TripleTred tires - but that would run me around $600!! So that plan is out and now I want to get a decent set of used tires that will be 'good enough' to return the lease in 3 months. Do I just call local tire places, tell them I want 4 used tires, and tell them the size I need? Is this the best 'cheap' way to go?

[GMTruckGuy74]

Oh, and it doesn't help that my right rear tire has a nice-size screw in it - so it would need to get plugged soon before the tire starts loosing air.

[BigPontiac]

Look for a set of take-offs or used set from a wrecked car on ebay.

[balthazar]

x2 on the tire store... tho it might be tougher to get a set of 4 (I've only ever bought singles).

A buddy works for STS - he often has sets of 4, but he tends to procure performance & trucks tires over 'normal' car tires.

[trinacriabob]

I was thinking about the SAME question, but someone asked it.

I am going to Costco tonight to rotate the tires on the '92 (260K). If they continue wearing at their slow rate, they might get me up to 285K or 290K. I'm NOT going to do the Costco $350 to push it to my intended 300K milestone.

I'll start with tire stores, but I've rarely seen a matching set of 4 there.

[trinacriabob]

If worse comes to worse, putting one set of tires on the front and one set on the rear won't hurt anything.

Definitely. I see. They would be on the same "axle."

[daves87rs]

Give the Hans to the Aura from the 6.....

And put some Cooper CS4s on the G6.

Problem solved.

Edited August 22, 2009 by daves87rs

[SAmadei]

Oh, and it doesn't help that my right rear tire has a nice-size screw in it - so it would need to get plugged soon before the tire starts loosing air.

If the head isn't worn out, back it out, dip the threads in roofing tar or rubbery caulk and put it back in... it'll outlast the tire. Nails are leaky problems... the screw threads tend to hold themselves in place.

Go to your local junkyard... they'll have a set of used tires... or eBay/Craigs List. Keep in mind that used tires aren't the bargain they once were... especially if they need to be mounted or balanced... I payed $50 for a pair of nearly new Goodyears... but since they where going on my small trailer, I mounted them myself.

[fightingbee]

Give the Hans to the Aura from the 6.....

And put some Cooper CS4s on the G6.

Problem solved.

Good Idea if you can swing it right now. The Hans like to cause vibration problems.

The Firestone FR710s that replaced the Hans as OE for '09 might also be worth pricing out.

[daves87rs]

Good Idea if you can swing it right now. The Hans like to cause vibration problems.

The Firestone FR710s that replaced the Hans as OE for '09 might also be worth pricing out.

Not a bad choice either....

[occupant]

I couldn't tell you how to do it in New Jersey. You guys don't even get to pump your own gas. And JUG HANDLES. oh my GAWD...

Anyway, what I do is head to the worst part of town, where the pimps and the pushers control each corner, and I roll into the 24-hour tire repair shop and walk out back to the racks and racks of (probably stolen) tires. I pick out what I need (at the time, when I went through many tires, it was Goodyear Eagle RS-A's in 225/60/16 for a '98 Crown Vic taxi I loved to melt the right rear of), they put it on, and for $20-$30 per shoe, I'm off and running.

Then again, you're in a nice car, so my advice might not apply to your situation. Or stolen New Jersey tires might be resold in Connecticut so you might not have a good enough selection.

[GMTruckGuy74]

Alright, so here I am, approximately 28 days away from my SmartLease expiring. I have done nothing with the tires on the AURA, but I'm at a point now that I have to do something. Here are my options:

1. But the car a new set of tires.

2. Find a set of used tires.

3. Buy the wife's G6 a set of new tires and have her Hankooks put on my AURA.

Considering those options, #1 is out because I'm not spending the money for tires I won't be using much longer. Option #2 has been unproductive, as the tire places I've called don't have my size or can't give me two matching tires. So that leaves option #3, even though it is expensive right now, looks like the way I might be going here. Now to decide what brand of tires the wife's G6 will get.

I like the reviews and ratings on the Goodyear Assurance TripleTred tires, though they're a bit pricey at $170/tire (tirerack.com). daves87rs recommended the Cooper CS4s, though I haven't been able to find a price per tire online the repair shop next to my development is an authorized Cooper dealer. And fightingbee recommended for the AURA, but I'm sure they'll work on the G6 too, the Firestone FR710s (I know nothing of this tire nor its price). Any other brand of tires I should be considering? Remember, this is for the wife's car that sees approximately 60 miles per day of daily driving. I want it to be a reasonably-priced tire yet offer safety and dependability.

As always, your thoughts/advice/opinions/comments are appreciated.

[Z-06]

Go to Discount Tires and see what they have to offer. I have had 4 sets from them so far for all of my vehicles. They have given me a great service. I think for your XE the standards are 225-R-17.

[Drew Dowdell]

Be careful with the tires. Check your lease. I believe all 4 tires have to match... you can't go buy a set of just two.

PepBoys frequently has very cheap deals on tires.

But I think your best route is to switch off the hanooks from the G6 and buy something nice for that car.

[SAmadei]

Goodyear has had some tire sales, which help the TripleTred price.

I actually happen to have my receipt sitting on my desk from my last set... $128 each. Of course, these are 225/60-R16 97H, not sure your size. Hmm, almost 40K on them already.

Edit: Wow, that 17 tire is expensive... my size is $118 now on Tirerack...

Edited October 21, 2009 by SAmadei

[Justin Bimmer]

Costco may have tires for you under 100 a tire with 60,000 - 80,000 mile warranties. they sell BFGs and Michilin there.

[fightingbee]

Tread Depot - CS4 TOURING V-RATED

Never ordered tires from there, but they do quote Cooper prices online.

There is apparently a $50 Mfr. Rebate thru October as well, look like that applies even if you were to buy some from the local shop.

$50 off four (4) CS4 Touring tires

Firestone FR710

Those come up as $132.99/ea. @ a Firestone shop, putting in my FL ZIP code.

I think the Coopers are looking pretty good, especally if you can get a decent price locally.

Edited October 21, 2009 by fightingbee

[daves87rs]

Be careful with the tires. Check your lease. I believe all 4 tires have to match... you can't go buy a set of just two.

PepBoys frequently has very cheap deals on tires.

But I think your best route is to switch off the hanooks from the G6 and buy something nice for that car.

Stay AWAY from Pep Boys.....run, not walk from one...

Way too many issues with that place......

[daves87rs]

Sam's club is another idea if you need a good set a tires cheaper.

What kind of ride are you looking for, GMTG74?

DT is a pretty good place too....they can match online prices....including Tirerack and such.

[GMTruckGuy74]

daves87rs, you've piqued my interest in the Cooper CS4 tires for the wife's Pontiac G6. So I searched google for reviews and this one by far seems the best (I did read the Motor Trend review that this review refences):

A Review of the Cooper CS4 Touring Tire

December 29, 2008 by The Wizard of Westland (link)

Last summer I replaced the original tires on my 2004 Saturn Vue. I was not terribly happy with the Bridgestone Dueler H/T tires that it came with, so I began looking into the other tires available. I read on Motor Trend's web site that the Cooper CS4 had been tested for over ten thousand hours in the lab and five million miles on the road. They also reported that Cooper had spent $200 million developing the rubber used in the CS4. Based on Motor Trend's review and the information I gleaned from Cooper Tire's web site, I decided that I would give the CS4 a try. Having driven them now for six months in all sorts of conditions, here is my opinion of the tires. I will use a 0 to 10 rating system, with 10 being the best.

Quietness: 10. My cat makes more noise pawing across the carpet than these tires. Whisper-quiet, they almost make you feel like you're driving on air.

Dry Weather Traction: 10. The silica thread compound used in this tire gives it incredible handling on dry roads. I stop faster when braking, hold tighter when turning, and never experience any loss of grip.

Wet Weather Traction: 10. These things are absolutely amazing. With my old Bridgestones, the traction control light would sometimes come on during driving in heavy rain. That never happens with the CS4s. I can actually hear the huge amounts of water these things pump out when driving in the rain. That never happened with the Bridgestones.

Snowy Weather Traction: 8. The CS4 is an all-season tire, so it is not going to outperform a traditional snow tire in the snow, but it is definitely better than any all-season tire I have ever used.

Icy Weather Traction: 6.5. If there is a weak point to the CS4, it is icy weather traction. While again better than any other all-season tire I have ever used, it can't compete with tires designed specifically for snow and ice.

Ride: 10. The first time I drove my mom in the Vue since I had replaced the tires, she commented on how smooth the ride was. These tires made the normally average-riding Vue into what felt like a luxury car

Overall: 9.3. I absolutely love these tires. I couldn't believe how nice it feels to drive my Vue with them. They come with a 60,000 mile tread wear warranty and were priced only a couple of dollars more per tire than the Bridgestone Duelers. I would highly recommend these tires for anybody looking for a top quality, luxury, all-season tire. Drive safely!

You asked me what I was looking for in a tire and the above review hits on all of my expectations.

So I will contact the local Cooper Tire dealer/installer and see what kind of deal he can work out for me. I'll put the wife's 20+k mileage Hankooks on my car and if the price is right, put the Cooper CS4's on the G6 (I am still interested in the Goodyear Assurance TripleTred tires, but tirerack.com is listing my size at $170/tire ).

Should I consider the Firestone FR170 tire also, or is the Cooper going to satisfy my requirements?

[daves87rs]

daves87rs, you've piqued my interest in the Cooper CS4 tires for the wife's Pontiac G6. So I searched google for reviews and this one by far seems the best (I did read the Motor Trend review that this review refences):

You asked me what I was looking for in a tire and the above review hits on all of my expectations.

So I will contact the local Cooper Tire dealer/installer and see what kind of deal he can work out for me. I'll put the wife's 20+k mileage Hankooks on my car and if the price is right, put the Cooper CS4's on the G6 (I am still interested in the Goodyear Assurance TripleTred tires, but tirerack.com is listing my size at $170/tire ).

Should I consider the Firestone FR170 tire also, or is the Cooper going to satisfy my requirements?

Cool! Nah, the Firestones are okay, just nothing exciting, that's all.

I'm a pretty big supporter of Cooper's tires, as pretty much anyone I know who has them loves them. They have improved huge in quality in the last five years. And the nice part is that they are usually below the the big guys. Best part: Most all of Cooper's tires are made here in the USA.

A few low end tires, and a few of their Dean/Starfire branded tires are made other places.

A few examples:

My buddy's beater 03 Cav has CS4s on it now (14s). It darn near handles like a sport car. Makes his cav very tossable. He saids he lost 1 MPG with the new tire (harder compound), but the drive makes up for it. Who cares about MPGs if you're getting over 30mpgs anyways.......

My other buddy got Cooper Responses (sears tire) on his 02 SL1. The handling in much better, and has real good rain traction (he found out today). Not to shabby for a 60 bucks a tire. I have a feeling he is a Cooper guy now....

Co worker has Mastercraft Syngergys(sp?) on her Fusion. She has had Contis, and Goodyears on the Fuse, and says after nearly 10k, the best tire she has owned. (Mastercraft is a Cooper brand)

I'm having a tough time deciding between the CS4s or the BFG Traction T/As for my Cav.

The TT are good tires too (they wear like iron), but they are very pricey.

What size are the G6's tires?

Keep in mind their is also a 70 dollar mail in rebate on the CS4s......

[GMTruckGuy74]

The 2008 Pontiac G6 V6 Sedan has P225/50/R17's on it now (Hankook Optimo H725A )

A tire website I looked at tonight had the Cooper CS4's listed at $128/tire, and yes there is the rebate that's available on them (the CS4's are only available with the $50 Visa rebate card). Not bad and with the recommendation you gave plus what the review said, I think I could be happy with htese tires (God's sake, they have Hankooks on them now!).

I sent an e-mail to the repair facility near my house; he's listed as being an authorized Cooper tire dealer/imstaller. Seeing as how I want him to do some work ont eh Cadillac, including tires for that if he can get them for me, hopefully he'll give me some good pricing now so I become a repeat customer :AH-HA_wink:

[daves87rs]

Cheapest CS4s I can find (so far) are at treadepot.com, at 110 bucks a tire.

Price match FTW!