Used winter tires and rims - make sure they are worth buying

A set of new 16-inch wheels (tires and rims) currently costs around PLN 3000. Used, in good condition, you can buy for about 1000 PLN. But is it worth it?

The cheapest branded tires in the popular size 205/55 R16 cost over PLN 300. For half that price, you can buy "tinctures", i.e. tires with re-tread. Due to the low price, more and more drivers choose them, but opinions about its properties are divided. According to experienced vulcanizer Andrzej Wilczynski, retreaded tires are enough for city driving. – Winter tread with rich lamellas removes snow well. I have clients who have been buying these tires for years. They are half the price of new ones,” he argues.

But there are opponents of such tires. – Winter protector is missing. The rubber compound in retreaded tires contains less silicone and less silicon. Therefore, in cold weather, such a tire becomes stiff, it is characterized by worse grip. The car is less stable and rides worse. Also often there are problems with wheel balancing, says Arkadiusz Yazva, owner of a tire curing plant in Rzeszow. When buying retreaded tires, you need to choose those for which their seller gives a guarantee.

Used tires yes, but not too old

According to experts, it is best to buy new tires that are suitable for a particular season. Used tires are also an interesting alternative. But under several conditions. First, tires - winter or summer - should not be too old. – Ideally, they should not be more than 3-4 years old. The tread height, which guarantees decent behavior of the car, is at least 5 mm. If it is less, the tire will not cope with digging snow. The age of the tire, in turn, affects the hardness of the rubber. Old tires, unfortunately, have poorer traction, says Wilczynski.

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On auction portals and auto exchanges, branded winter tires 3-4 years old in size 16″ can be purchased for about PLN 400-500 per set. You should check them carefully before buying. First of all, in terms of tread wear, which should be uniform across the entire width of the tire. From the inside, it is worth checking if the tire has been patched. Any loss of rubber, cracks or bulges will disqualify the tire.

Second set of disks

For their own convenience, more and more drivers are investing in a second set of discs. Due to this, after the season, the spacer is limited only to balancing, which can be done in advance. Later, instead of standing in line at the vulcanizing plant, you can change the wheels yourself, even in the parking lot next to the block. New steel wheels are a big expense. – A 13-inch kit, for example, for Fiat Seicento, costs about PLN 450. 14-inch wheels for Honda Civic cost PLN 220 apiece. 15-inch for Volkswagen Golf IV about PLN 240 each, 16-inch for Passat - PLN 1100 per set - lists Bohdan Koshela from the SZiK store in Rzeszow.

Alloy wheels (popular alloy wheels) cost about PLN 400 per piece in the case of 15-inch wheels and PLN 500 per piece. in the case of "sixteenth notes". Of course, we are talking about light alloy with a simple pattern, for example, five-spoke. Used wheels are half the price. However, for the purchase to be profitable, they must be simple. This is especially important in the case of steel rims, which are very difficult to repair. – Repair of such a rim usually costs 30-50 zł, but this is not always possible. Especially when we are dealing with any lateral curvature. Other damage and bends, such as at the edges, can be straightened out. But because of the hardness of the steel, this is not easy,” says Tomasz Jasinski from the KTJ plant in Rzeszow.

In the case of aluminum rims, cracks are disqualifying damage, especially in the area of ​​​​the shoulders and the center hole. – You do not need to be afraid of the curvature of such a rim. Aluminum is soft and straightens easily,” adds Jasinski. Repair of an alloy wheel usually costs PLN 50-150. In case of serious damage, the costs can reach PLN 300. Therefore, when buying used discs, be sure to carefully inspect them. The condition is best checked with a vulcanizer, on a balancer. When buying wheels on an exchange, where this is not possible, it is worth taking a check, which, in case of problems, will allow you to return the defective product to the seller.

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Tips can be sandblasted.

While alloy wheels are more repairable, restoring them to their original appearance is more difficult. Sandblasting leaves deep pits on them, which are visible even after careful varnishing. - That is why, instead of sand, they sometimes use nutshells, which are softer. Many customers forego sandblasting altogether and entrust the repair to a painter who restores the surface in the same way as in the case of the body, says Tomasz Jasinski.

There is no such problem with steel wheels. They are much harder, so they can be sandblasted without problems. – After sandblasting, we protect the steel with an anti-corrosion coating. We apply the varnish by powder, electrostatic method. Then the whole thing is fired in the oven at 180 degrees. As a result, the coating is highly durable,” explains Krzysztof Szymanski from a retro renovation company in Rzeszów. A comprehensive repair of a set of steel rims costs between PLN 220 and PLN 260. Powder coating is much more resistant to mechanical damage and more resistant to corrosion.