Part 4: Tyres
To most people a tyre is a tyre. To others, tyres offer a glimpse into the past owners’ degree of care or lack thereof, whichever the case may be. Tires come in all shapes and sizes, and more importantly, makes. A good-quality tire is a great indicator of the fussiness of the last owner. It’s another tick for or against the car you are looking at. It’s a guide which you can quietly use to your advantage either to corroborate or quash other tales coming from the seller. Take a note of the following (non-exhaustive) quality brand name tires: Bridgestone, Michelin, Firestone, Dunlop, Goodyear, Pirelli, Vredstien.
The owner who will scrimp and save a few dollars on poor-quality tyres is likely to scrimp and save on other maintenance too.
Checking the Tires
Turn the steering wheel full lock to the left or right. Get down and check the tire all across its width. It should have a constant thread depth along the full width from (1) to (2) in the above picture. Often a worn tire will have lost its tread at the outside or inside (3, arrowed)before anywhere else. This can be due to loose suspension and steering joints, misalignment of the steering, accident damage, or incorrectly inflated tires.
A quick check of the tires should reveal whether they are looking a little low in air. Play in the steering can be checked while driving. It’s a process here of elimination: check tire pressures first, steering/suspension next, and finally consider the possibility of accident damage – a close inspection of the bodywork will confirm this. Other tire faults to watch for include aged tires, which will show fine cracks and bulges due to curbing or driving over some form of road debris. Changing tires like these is the simplest option.
A front tire which is out of balance will make the steering wheel shake from side to side while driving at speed. A damaged rim can also give the same result. If the back wheel is out of balance, then this shaking will be transmitted throughout the car and into the base of the seat with the steering wheel remaining steady. A shaking steering wheel is a really disconcerting feeling while driving, but thankfully it’s a fairly common problem and fixed easily by getting the wheel balanced at a tire shop.
Tires Summary
*Deal Breaker colums A, B & C refer to the following 3 cars: A – 10 Year Old Family Car E.g Toyota Corolla, B – 6 Year Old Mid Size, E.g Audi A6, C – 2 Year Old 4×4, E.g Honda CRV visit here for more details
Part 5 : The Interior
Index
