car tires

[Rusty Shackleford]

For those with more car knowledge than me...

I drove over a razor blade and popped the back right tire of my rear-wheel drive car. I had the back two tires replaced, because all four were borderline on needing it even before the razor-blade.

I'm planning on selling the car this coming spring or summer. Do I really need to replace the front tires, or does it not matter, likely?

 

[sportschick]

If you live where it gets cold enough for snow or ice, you definitely need new tires. If you live where it rains a lot, ditto.

It's not worth a blown tire at 75 mph on the Interstate or a really nasty accident in bad weather to save a couple hundred bucks on tires.

 

[Norman Stansfield]

If you're gonna sell it, just get some OK new tires -- low-price range -- to replace the crappy front ones you have now.

That way you'll make it through the winter OK, but won't be wasting excess cash on a car you won't have in another year.

 

[CradleRobber]

If they were all low on tread, and you got two new ones, you really need new ones on the front, too. If the wear wasn't vastly different, you could even replace only one at a time. But to have one or two with way more tread than the other two is not a good idea.

Just be glad you don't have to buy low-profile tires. Those damn things have cost me more time and money to have fixed, replaced, rotated, etc.

 

[I'll never tell]

if they are in bad shape (to the point it might worry you) wheel into one of those places that sells used tires. There's one about 10 miles from my house that has a contract with all the car lots in town. If a person wants only Goodyear tires on their new car, the dealership takes the old tires and sells them to this guy.
He has all ranges from almost new to 10K miles on them to I need a damn tire, but I can't buy a good one until payday.

 

[User 1019]

What he said.

 

[qtlaw]

Get the two matching tires. If your car is worth a moderate sum, you will recoup the money because it will show what kind of owner you are. Someone sees two mickey mouse tires on the front and two good ones on the back, they are going to think that you do not take very good care of your car. Now, if its a beater, worth less than say $5k, then just get two okay tires (say with more than 20,000 miles left on the tread.) At a minimum get something because you are going to blow a tire going 55.

 

[Sxysprtswrtr]

If they were all low on tread, and you got two new ones, you really need new ones on the front, too. If the wear wasn't vastly different, you could even replace only one at a time. But to have one or two with way more tread than the other two is not a good idea.

That's what I was gonna say -- if two tires have way more tread than the other two, the good ones will wear down quicker and then you'll be stuck buying 4 new tires.

Just last week, I had to get a balance on my front tires and replace my rear tires -- all at a cool cost of $224. UGH!

 

[OTD]

You should probably get the two new tires, as you're not selling the car for 6 months at least.
The other thing to think of is that most people automatically put new tires on the back, old ones on the front. Already, you're doing all your steering with the bad tires and if you've got front wheel drive, you're pulling the car with them too. I try to rotate the tires so the better ones are on the front.

 

[JR]

Wal-Mart has good prices on tires...if that's something you think you might be interested in.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

Get two new tires to complement the two you already have. No requirements that they be racing specials (i.e., sticky to the road and expensive) but not getting them is much worse.

- If the old tires are that bad, they're a hazard to you and loved ones in the vehicle
- They won't help the wear of the tires you just purchased

If you can get a good deal on recaps not completely shot to hell, congratulations. But trying to skimp altogether for tires could prove dangerous. Also, if you plan to sell this vehicle on your own, a buyer with a functioning brain cell will point out this dilemma.