UsedTireShop
Check a used tire before you buy
A used tire can be a good buy or a worn-out, too-old or wrong-size one, and the sidewall tells you which. These free tools read the markings for you: how old the tire is, how much tread it has left, whether a near size will do, and whether it can carry your vehicle and keep up with it. Each one shows its arithmetic and quotes the rule or the tire maker's guidance behind it.
Seven checks, in the order you make them at the shop
- 01
How old is this tire?
Tire date code decoder
Type the DOT code from the sidewall: the week it was made, its age today, and what Michelin and Bridgestone say about tires that age.
- 02
How much tread is left?
Tread depth chart and converter
Convert a gauge reading between 32nds and millimeters, see the published limits, and how much of a new tire’s usable tread remains.
- 03
Will a near size do?
Tire size calculator and comparison
Diameter, sidewall and revolutions per mile; compare two sizes for the speedometer change and the 3 percent guideline.
- 04
Can it carry my vehicle?
Tire load index chart and axle check
Read the load index, see the load in pounds and kilograms, and check the tires on an axle (two, or four on dual wheels) against the axle rating on your door label.
- 05
Is its speed rating high enough?
Tire speed rating chart and check
What each speed symbol means in mph and km/h, including ZR, (W) and (Y), whether a used tire’s rating meets your vehicle’s, and which tire sets the top speed.
- 06
What is 33x12.50R17 in metric?
Tire size converter: inch and metric
Turn an inch (flotation) truck size into the nearest metric sizes on the same rim, or a metric size into inches.
- 07
Is it worth the price?
Used tire checklist and value calculator
The checks to make at the shop, each tied to its rule, and the price per 32nd of usable tread against a new tire.
Used tire shops we've verified
23 shops have a page: each shop's own website says it sells used tires, shows the shop's street address and gives at least two more facts we could quote, such as hours, prices or services. Every line is quoted with the page and the day we read it. This first edition covers the areas around 12 cities.
Arizona
- Wheel Master, Phoenix
California
- Don Lupe Tires, Hawaiian Gardens
- Tijuana Tire Center, Los Angeles
- Noho Tires & Wheels, North Hollywood
- Salinas Tires, Whittier
Colorado
- The Used Tire Store, Aurora
- Cervantes Wheel & Tires, Denver
- Go Green Tires, Denver
- King’s Custom Tires, Denver
- Palma's Wheels & Tires, Denver
Florida
- Pien Danh Tire, Tampa
Georgia
- Brown's Discount Tires, Chamblee
- Good Discount Tires, Decatur
Illinois
- Chava's Tire Shop, Chicago
New Jersey
- Bill's Tire Sales, Blackwood
- Royalty Tire, Moorestown-Lenola
Pennsylvania
- Norristown Tire Center, Norristown
- A+A Tires Services, Philadelphia
Texas
- 24 Hour Tire, Houston
- 24 Hour Tire Connection, Houston
- Power Tires & Wheels, Houston
- J & M Truck Tire Shop, San Antonio
- Tire Plug SATX, San Antonio
The near-me finder also lists 117 more shops whose business name says used tires or whose website gives too little to quote, sorted by distance in your browser. How shops are checked: editorial policy.
Questions
What should I check on a used tire?
Five things you can read or measure at the shop: the date code (how old it is), the tread depth, the size, the load index and the speed rating, each against what your vehicle needs. Then look the tire over for damage and repairs. The tools above take one check each, and the used tire checklist ties every check to the rule behind it.
Where do the numbers on the tool pages come from?
Every rule, limit and chart value is quoted from its source, with a link and the day we read it: the federal rules for the date code, tire markings, load limits and truck tread depths, one state law, and the tire makers’ own pages for load index and speed charts and age guidance. Everything else is arithmetic, shown on the page.
Are the tools free, and is what I type sent anywhere?
They are free and run in your browser; nothing you type is sent to us. They explain markings and published rules and do the arithmetic; they do not replace a hands-on inspection by a tire professional.
How do you verify a used tire shop?
A shop gets a page only when its own website says it sells used tires, shows the shop’s street address, and gives at least two more facts we can quote, such as hours, prices, services or brands. We quote those lines word for word with the page and the day we read them. Tire chains, franchise networks and mobile-only services do not get a page.