There will probably come a time when your car will need to have the tires replaced - but if you are trying to watch your cash flow, you might want to check out used factory rims, instead of buying new ones. Places like junkyards where you can hunt down, and pull your own car parts - along with your town's smaller used tire centers - often have great bargains on these items.

But in looking for good used wheels, what do you need to know to make sure that you choose the right kind of tire for your vehicle, and confirm that the great price you're getting is really a bargain? Keep reading for further information.

To begin with, it's important that your cars tires be the same size. Concerning the rear ones - as long as the used alloy wheels are the same size and have adequate tread, you should be alright in putting them on your car. But as far as the front tires are concerned, in addition to being the same size as the rest, the tread on both should be as close as possible. Moreover, try to get both in the same brand, if possible.

Before you buy any tire, you will need to inspect it, in order to check out its overall condition. Look for the obvious signs of over wear and tear, such as, numerous cracks in the rubber, or a LACK of rubber around the tire belt. Also, you want to make sure that no part of the steel belt is visible. If you notice any of these things, the tire shouldn't be an option for you. And, if you see a wheel that has multiple patches on it, definitely forget about it - its days are over.

Here is a fun way for a novice to check the tread on a used tire. You do this with an ordinary Lincoln-head penny. Insert the penny into the tread on the tire, with the president's head facing downward. Make sure to do this in different places on the tire. If his face and head are still covered by the tread in all the places you insert it, then the odds are it's OK to put it on your car. But, if you can see the president's face or head at any of the insertion locations, put that tire back, and keep looking.

And, if you're female, and you don't have any experience in automotive repair, then take your dad or spouse along with you when you go tire shopping. At the family run operations, it isn't such a big deal if you're by yourself, as they should have staff there that have a good handle on the tire business, and will be happy to help you find what you need.

However, things change when you go to one of those "pick and pull" places, and you are on your own as far as locating, pulling, hauling, and installing the wheels are concerned. So, by this, it's easy to see that if you don't know what to look for as far as "drivability" in a wheel versus "non-drivability" is concerned, you might just drive yourself into a big mess.