Any concerns with used wheels and tires?

[keith2k455]

Hey guys, I found some used factory take offs from a 2012 Sierra that I want to buy for my 2003 Escalade. I plan to buy new rims and tires at the end of this year anyway because these 13 yo rims are just getting pretty worn and my tired are getting a little beat up from a retaining wall I had to drive over for 18 months before my driveway was expanded..

The wheels off the Sierra were only run for the first year before the guy found some 20" takeoffs (these are 18" vs/ my current 17") When the wheels were taken off, they were stored standing upright in his garage against a wall.

My main question, is would you have any concerns with these tires? At first, I thought no, but then I started to think and worry about blow outs. Then I think about my current tires, which are probably a year older than these tires are and my truck is parked outside for the last year as opposed to sitting with no weight on them against a wall in a garage. Current tires are Goodyear Wrangler ST and these are Firestone Destination LE, both of which I've had good luck with in the past.

What are your guys thoughts? I am definitely getting a rim upgrade. Am I getting a tire that is going to get me through at least to spring of 2017? Would you be more concerned with my current tires or these new (used) tires? I only put about 5500 miles on the truck a year, so I won't wear them out, more worried about rubber breakdown.

 

[Scott Danforth]

check the tire date, other than that, I would run them.

 

[Blind Date]

My '04 GMC was almost 5 years old before it was time to replace the original tires due to wear. I wouldn't worry about age one bit as long as they were stored inside away from sunlight. If they were left outside with the sun beating down on them everyday then that's a different story.

 

[keith2k455]

Thanks guys. This seems to be the popular opinion and was my first thought. Another point helping with "buy them" is that factory rims are also usually higher quality than cheap aftermarket rims, so I'm told.

 

[bruceb58]

As long as he hasn't hit the side of the curb with them....that's the problem...you don't know. After I bought my Lexus, I hit the curb with the right front. It blew out within 500 miles.

I will not buy used tires.

 

[keith2k455]

The good news is, where I am at there are not many curbs. Not really small town and not big city living, most curbs are even the rounded type.

On another note, the tires I'm currently running have an '07 date code on them...they're ready to go as it sits. These being from '12 will do me good. Regardless of how they last, I'll have better rims that would need replaced anyway.

 

[bruceb58]

Mine wasn't actually a curb but I clipped one of the concrete parking stops in a parking lot.

 

[keith2k455]

Gotcha on the curb thing. I ended up buying them, but the tires were more worn than he indicated, so I won't be running those tires unless I have to for a short while as new ones are on order.

 

[WIMUSKY]

If you are currently running 17s and you're putting on 18s, don't forget your speedo will be off..... Providing your new tire circumference is larger. May be the same if the 18s are lower profile. Run both sizes thru a tire calculator and see where you're at.... If needed, your speedo an be re-calculated.....

 

[MTboatguy]

Check the date and the sidewall, any signs of checking, then the price goes way down, but if they look good have been stored inside and still have good tread, then I don't see a reason not to pick them up, around my area, driving on gravel roads every single day, we buy singles and used all of the time, we know even with new tires things will go wrong, so letting someone else take the chance works out good for us, two weeks ago, I bought a complete new set of tires and had a right front blow out on me and it only had 20 miles on it, so it can happen to any tire.

 

[rbh]

Yup, check the tread area and side walls for divets, usually an area where the tread or side wall was damaged and de-laminating itself or broken steel cords