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Keep The Rubber On The Road With Quality Used Tires From B&M Auto Sales & Parts

Used tires WaukeshaWaukesha Auto Salvage Specialists On Used Tires

You might think driving around on worn out tires is nobody's business but your own. Well, besides being incredibly unsafe to yourself and everyone else on the road, you might be surprised to learn it's actually against the law.

We don't know the statistics on how many Wisconsin drivers get tickets for worn out tires, but we're pretty sure the highway patrol isn't going to let you off with a lecture on the dangers of driving around on baldies. As with most states, Wisconsin considers tires to be worn out when they’ve worn to the point of having only 2/32” of an inch of tread remaining. Here's the relevant part of our statute:

(2)  Every tire shall have at least 2/32 inch tread depth in every major tire groove measured at 2 points no less than 15 inches apart.

But let's get real here: 2/32" is just the legal minimum. If you’re driving on wet, snowy or ice-covered roads with just 2/32” of tread, you're just asking for trouble. The tire will have little, if any, resistance to hydroplaning and virtually no traction in snow.

Used tires for sale WaukeshaIf you’re at all concerned about hydroplaning on wet highways, 4/32” is about as low as you want your treads getting. Anything less and the tread isn’t deep enough to channel water out through the grooves in the tire fast enough. Your tires end up floating on top of the water (hydroplaning). This is usually a precursor to spinning wildly out of control on the highway.

Unless you’re planning to migrate south for the winter, odds are good you’ll be slogging through plenty of freezing rain and snow around Milwaukee. For adequate traction, you need enough tread to “bite” into that sloshy glop--at least 5/32”. Some manufacturers of snow tires even consider 6/32” the limit and have wear bars in the tread pattern to let you know when the tires have reached that point.

How Do You Know If You Need To Replace Your Tires?

If you don’t have a tire tread depth tool, you can easily check your tread depth using just a penny and a quarter. Here’s how:

Milwaukee Used Tires Hold a penny, Lincoln’s head facing down, in a tread groove. If Lincoln’s head is covered by tread, you have more than 2/32” of an inch of tread remaining. If Lincoln’s head is just touching the top of your tread, or the tread is below his head, you need to replace your tires.

Another coin often used to check tread depth is the quarter. Holding it so Washington’s head faces down into the tread: if you see part of his head covered, you have more than 4/32” of tread left. There are many who consider the quarter measurement more relevant than the penny measurement since 2/32” of tread is essentially unsafe in emergency stopping situations and in snow or rain.

Whether you’re using a penny or a quarter, it’s important to test tread depth in different parts of the tire: on both inner and outer grooves and in spots that are at least 15 inches apart (moving around the diameter of the tire). Realized you're under the minimum or just need a second opinion? Give us a call and we'll help you sort it out!

Excellent Used Tires in Waukesha

Hear From Our Customers

“Outstanding customer service, quick shipping, and very reasonable prices. They did an outstanding job of packing up my parts, keeping all bolts packaged together, and wrapping everything well enough to ensure a damage free arrival. I can't recommend B&M enough!” 

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“From my experience, I would give this place 6 stars, not 5! The sales rockstar whose name rhymes with mine had a quote and eta in under 3 minutes. Pick up and payment went smoothly. I would recommend this place for getting the parts you need!”

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What to Look Out For in a Used Tire

  • Tread depth: Bring along a tire tread depth gauge and check the depth on the middle of the tire and the outside edges. Take measurements at several points around the circumference of the tires. Steer clear of any used tires with a tread depth of 2/32” or less anywhere on the tread. (New tires have a tread depth of 10/32" to 12/32", so if you find used tires with this tread depth it's a major score.)
  • Damage and Defects: Look and feel for any signs of tears or damage on the inside and outside of the tire. A flashlight will help you spot any tire plugs on the inside of the tire, but you’ll be able to feel dimples or small impressions where patches or plugs have been used to repair a puncture. You’ll also want to inspect the bead of the tire for any signs of breakage or damage.
  • Dry Rot: As tires age, they often develop small cracks in the rubber on the sidewall. This is dry rot. If you see cracking, the tire is too old to be trusted on the road.

Milwaukee Drivers Save On Quality Used Tires From B&M Auto Sales & Parts

If your tires aren’t passing the penny test, check with B&M Auto Sales & Parts. We have many sets of low mileage tires in a wide range of sizes. Besides the dozens of tires we have in stock on a regular basis, we can find just about anything you may need and get it for you quickly.

Before we offer any tire for sale, we give it a thorough inspection to make sure it’s road-worthy. Like all the recycled auto parts we sell, we back our tires with a 90-day warranty, a 15-day return policy and a 30-day exchange policy. If there’s a problem after you get them mounted up, we’ll make it right. Sure, you might save a few bucks buying a set of tires from some guy on Craigslist, but if there’s a problem you’re completely out of luck.

You can try an online search for used tires using our parts locator tool, but for the most up-to-date results, it’s best to just tell us what you need and let us track it down for you. With our access to the ADP Hollander Interchange computer network, we’re linked to over 2,300 other auto recyclers all across the country—and chances are good we can find anything you might need.

Contact our Waukesha recycled auto parts yard for assistance locating the tires you need.

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