Best source for single cheap tire

dogememe

dogememe

Joined
Apr 15, 2017
Messages
4,517
Location
Napa, CA.
I need a single tire for my Volt, I bought a fifth wheel and need something to put on it!

This will be used as a spare. Most of the time it will be kept in my garage but if I go on a road trip and have space for it I’ll take it with me.

I see used tires for about $50 on eBay with free shipping. Or a plethora of generic weird name China tires are available for about $100. Basically I’m trying to decide if I should get a used quality name brand tire or a new generic tire? Or any alternate suggestions?

I don’t want to spend for a new name brand tire. After all, this tire might never get used at all.
 
Tire rack has a Vredestein Winter tire on clearance? Would that be fine? Even in warm CA weather?
 
dishdude said:
For a spare I'd do that, easier than chasing down a used tire.
Click to expand...
Yeah I’m leaning towards it. Just hard to pass up a used tire for half the price. I’ve had great luck with used ones in the past. But I like Vredestein they’re great. Just never tried winter tires before.
 
dogememe said:
Yeah I’m leaning towards it. Just hard to pass up a used tire for half the price. I’ve had great luck with used ones in the past. But I like Vredestein they’re great. Just never tried winter tires before.
Click to expand...

Nothing wrong with used tires, just a little more effort to find one in good condition in the right size. The rubber on winter tires is softer so it'll wear faster in the summer months, but for a temporary use spare on a sedan it'll be just fine.
 
heck if it was me, I'd check local tire shops for good a used tire to use as a spare or even local auto wrecker. I've seen some like new tires come out the auto wrecker yards.
 
I would just go to my regular shop and ask them if they've got a user tire. As others have mentioned earlier, those shops usually have used tires that have some life left in them sitting around. I'm sure they sell one cheap.
 
Time is the enemy with a spare tire. Starting out with a used tire will usually mean that the tire already has some age on it... and that's only going to get worse.

Right now, I have two Douglas (made by Goodyear) tires that were on clearance at Wal-Mart on the way to me, and WM shipped them for free. Seems that they currently have tires on clearance.
 
dadto2 said:
I would just go to my regular shop and ask them if they've got a user tire. As others have mentioned earlier, those shops usually have used tires that have some life left in them sitting around. I'm sure they sell one cheap.
Click to expand...
The last time I tried to buy a couple of used tires for my utility trailer the local tire shop I use said they no longer sold used tires because of liability reasons. I had bought used tires from them in the past. Their insurance company probably told them to stop.
 
No used tire stores in your area? $30-$40 with free mounting. Wait...............didn't that come with a compact spare? That's like $10-$20 at the junkyard including the wheel and ready to use.
 
OP said he bought a fifth wheel.
Does this fifth wheel match the other four?
If so, buy a tire which matches your in service quartet.
This way you'll have your spare and you can do 5 tire rotations (if you care to).
But also, you'll have a matched wheel ready to go if you or a loved one destroys a wheel.
A tad unlikely. but something nice to have.
It'd be ironic to trash a wheel and have some old, crispy piece of junk tire and still have to replace the destroyed tire with good.

Spend a few more bucks.

The few times I've had a matching 5th wheel to include with a car sale possibly buttered the deal.
 
atikovi said:
No used tire stores in your area? $30-$40 with free mounting. Wait...............didn't that come with a compact spare? That's like $10-$20 at the junkyard including the wheel and ready to use.
Click to expand...
Those aren’t California prices. And it’s not a horribly common size.
 
Looks like 215/55r17 is the size. Walmart has a Nexen N'Priz all season for $62. Next step up would be $82 for a Kenda tire. As far as tire names I've heard of before.
 
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