Buying used Rims/Tires

[Mega]

My wife needs winter tires for her car. Do you have any advice on how to buy used rims / tires? (For a 2012 Volkwagen Jetta/Golf Sportwagen)

I have never bought tires / rims on my own before. What are fitments?

Thank you.

[Flynlow]

Craigslist, or kijiji in Canada.  Look someone selling a stock/OEM set of wheels off a similar model/year Volkswagen.  Price should be $100-300 for a clean set of used OEM wheels.

The big parameters to check are bolt pattern (the number and spacing of the lugnuts), offset (how deep the wheel's mounting face sits relative to the inner/outer edge of the weel), and hub size (for the axle nut and centering the wheel).  Google can provide you these if you search 2012 Jetta bolt patten and offset, here's an example:

http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/results.jsp?autoMake=Volkswagen&autoModel=Jetta+TDI&autoYear=2012&autoModClar=

I would guess any late model VW with a 5x112mm bolt pattern would work. 

[Mega]

Any tips on checking tires?

[kdms]

Personally, I'd hesitate to buy used tires (not the rims, just the tires) because you just never know how they've been treated, and visual inspection isn't always going to be an accurate gauge of the true condition of the tire.  Kind of like buying a used mattress.  Who's to say the seller didn't leave them on the car until the middle of June (or later) and ran the tread down because of the heat of the pavement on the 403?  For safety reasons, I'd (just me personally, again) shop around for a new set.  But you could probably find the rims second hand cheap.

Doesn't exactly answer your question, though.  Try googling the penny test - it'll give you some guidelines on how to check for tire tread depth using a common penny, to cover one aspect of tire condition.

[prodarwin]

There are 4 things to look for when buying used tires:

-They hold air.  This is the hardest to check, because a slow leak may take a long time to show.  Its a gamble, but I have bought tons of used tires and never had one leak.
-They have tread.  Measure it with a depth guage, pair of calipers, a penny, whatever.  Piece of cake.
-They aren't too old.  The date of manufacture is molded into the tire.  Piece of cake.
-No obvious gouges in the sidewalls.  Just look them over.

Sure, you may get a bad one once in a while, but its so uncommon, and used tires are SO much cheaper than new ones, its worth a shot.  If you get them from a used-tire shop, they will usually have a guarantee against a slipped belt, leak, excessive runout, etc.

[sleepyguy]

Ah a fellow Canadian user.  Canadians I tell you now get super ripped on Auto stuff.  That said I got winters for both our Subbies last year.  Best bet is get the Steel Rims from Costco, then purchase the tires when on sale, heck might be worth it to order from US.  Then get them outfitted at a tire shop.  That's what we did and probably got it for 50% what a multiple shops were quoting us.

Also with you so close to the US border, might think of getting it done in Buffalo.  Order from Tirerack and get the tires ship to their authorized installers, then you go pick them up at a specified date.  I haven't done that but I heard it's quite easy.

My wife needs winter tires for her car. Do you have any advice on how to buy used rims / tires? (For a 2012 Volkwagen Jetta/Golf Sportwagen)

I have never bought tires / rims on my own before. What are fitments?

Thank you.

[Flynlow]

Any tips on checking tires?

Some good advice has already been posted on tires (particularly prodarwin's).  My only recommendation is don't skimp on tread depth if you go with used tires.  The depth of the tread (and the tread's pattern) are some of the most important factors in ensuring the tire can maintain traction and shed rain/snow in adverse conditions.