Thoughts on buying used tires?

[V3nom3nom]

Will need to replace my stock scorpion 21”s soon and found some
Michelin Pilot all seasons for about half of retail. $800-900. Here is the kicker, 2 tires are 8/32 and 2 are 9/32 tread depth. Is this ok with the AWD system. I’ve read/heard that replacing all 4 is best.

 

[Rocketw19]

Will need to replace my stock scorpion 21”s soon and found some
Michelin Pilot all seasons for about half of retail. $800-900. Here is the kicker, 2 tires are 8/32 and 2 are 9/32 tread depth. Is this ok with the AWD system. I’ve read/heard that replacing all 4 is best.

Im not sure on the specs but if they are off a certain % it will mess with the AWD system. Id ask the dealer or legit tire shop if these would work before buying. I would "assume" 1/32 wont make a difference but I dont know for a fact.

 

[Toadster]

I'd never cheap out on tires...

 

[F=MA]

My old 22 inch tire treads were 6/32" rear and 8/32" front and this tread difference never caused any issues at all regarding AWD on my 2020 ST with 26,000 miles.

 

[TMac]

If they're not far off it's not going to hurt the AWD system. I don't know what the tolerance is but if it was only 1/16", that would be less than a couple pounds of air difference in the tires.

 

[Rocketw19]

If they're not far off it's not going to hurt the AWD system. I don't know what the tolerance is but if it was only 1/16", that would be less than a couple pounds of air difference in the tires.

Good point never thought of It that way. They prob make a big deal of it so they can sell you 4 new tires when you might only need 1 or 2 lol
but let’s not start on air pressure again lmao

 

[GearHead_1]

...but let’s not start on air pressure again lmao

That's for sure, let's not get into that again. Everyone knows Ford recommends 33 PSI for the Street or Track Pack trims, but if someone wants to run 34, what the heck?

 

[Rocketw19]

That's for sure, let's not get into that again. Everyone knows Ford recommends 33 PSI for the Street or Track Pack trims, but if someone wants to run 34, what the heck?

Stick to reading bed time story’s your better off.

 

[Chamorro85]

Will need to replace my stock scorpion 21”s soon and found some
Michelin Pilot all seasons for about half of retail. $800-900. Here is the kicker, 2 tires are 8/32 and 2 are 9/32 tread depth. Is this ok with the AWD system. I’ve read/heard that replacing all 4 is best.

Take with a grain, I was service manager for years and saw some some crazy stuff. With 4-wheel or AWD it's normally recommended to do all four at once. With proper maintenance (alignment & rotation) they should be wearing evenly through their life.

The way I always put it to customers was thinking about it like shoes. Back, knee or hip issues can be improved so much with good insoles and proper shoes. Would you skimp on the only part of you that touches the ground? Your ST only has 4 relatively small points of contact to the road surface. I'd want the best possible thing (within reason) hitting the ground.

That all being said the idea of used tires is a mixed bag in general. If they have more tread than what you've got now then its an improvement assuming the tires are undamaged and haven't been plugged or patched before. Like everything else used, you could be buying someone else's problem. Make sure you can confirm they're in good shape and tread readings are accurate. The tread variance is minimal (if it's only 1/32). Just do some quick math on what you're paying for vs new set. Are you saving enough to justify the difference in price? Good luck with the purchase.

 

[mcglsr2]

I consider tires a safety item, and thus never recommend buying used tires.

As for treadwear difference, most manuals for AWD cars will state something along the lines of keeping the rolling circumference the same on all 4 tires (which means tire rotation is actually something one should keep up on with an AWD vehicle). However, a good guideline is 2/32's max difference. Any more than that, and I wouldn't run them.

 

[DaveG ST]

I'd never cheap out on tires...

I totally agree with you on this. Well except back in the day when I was in college and funds were lacking. Anyhow, must agree that the OP should only go with new, just not worth the risk.