Part worn tyres
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What are part worn tyres?
When it comes to tyres, we know everything there is to know; like how crucial they are to your driving safety.
Also called used or second-hand, part-worn tyres come from a variety of sources. Some are shipped in from countries that have a higher legal tread depth than the UK. Others come from scrapped vehicles, or even cars that have been in an accident. The problem is it’s impossible to be fully aware of a part-worn tyres history, and therefore know if there’s more wrong with them than simply being ‘worn’.
Here at HiQ we put safety first. If there was even a small chance a tyre might not perform as it should, we could never recommend or sell it to you, no matter how cheap it was. Second hand savings simply aren’t worth the cost of these hidden hazards.
“I wouldn’t fit tyres I wouldn’t fit to my own car” watch this video to find out why HiQ does not fit part-worn tyres.
The real cost of part worn tyres
Part-worn tyres may seem like a cheap solution, but in the long term they may prove to cost you more – and not just in terms of money. Many motorists are opting to choose second hand/part-worn tyres as a cheap alternative; however this may be a false economy.
Tyre A: Mid range tyre £56.96 fitted.
A tyre with 6.4mm of useable tread. That's 8mm (new tyre tread) minus the legal tread limit of 1.6mm
Tyre B: Second hand/part-worn tyre £15 fitted.
A tyre with 1.4mm of useable tread. That's 3mm (average part-worn tread) minus the legal tread limit of 1.6mm
The diagram demonstrates that 'Tyre A' has far more useable tread. To get the equivalent from a part-worn you'd need almost 5 tyres to get the same tread as a new one, costing an additional £71 per tyre. As you can see, it makes sense to fit new tyres straight away.
At 50mph in wet conditions worn tyres add two car lengths to your stopping distance*
Chart source: ROSPA (the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents)
As tyre tread wears down, the braking distance increases over time.
Optimum grip is achieved with full tread from a brand new tyre. With
part-worn tyres, they're often fitted with 3mm depth therefore stopping
distances are increased and your overall safety could be put a risk.
Must-read-reasons to make you reconsider part-worns
- Potential damage you can’t see:
There could be damage you can't see by eye. Tyres damaged by impact can have unstable stress points leading to blowouts(1). - More trips to fit more tyres:
Worn tyres don't last as long. So in the long run they could turn out more expensive. - Insurance Validation:
If there's anything wrong with your tyres which leads to an accident, this can invalidate your insurance(2). - Bumps that lead to blowouts:
Bumps can appear inside or outside after an impact on a tyre. If these go unnoticed they can cause a potentially dangerous blowout. - A Murkey past:
You won't always know its history. Was it from an accident? A family car? A cast-off from another country? Is it worth it?