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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 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 how do you make sure that what you're getting in a tire is really a great bargain - as far as its overall condition and how it might affect your safety, and that of your car, is concerned? Well, keep reading to find out.

To begin with, it's important that your cars tires be the same size. Concerning the rear ones - as long as the used 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.

If you have to inspect a tire yourself, you're going to need to know what to look for as far as the tread that's left on it. Before you purchase it, look for clues, such as missing rubber from the belts, and rubber with many numerous cracks. You also don't want to see any steel showing through the rubber. These are all signs of a worn out tire that doesn't belong on your car. In addition, you want to stay clear of any tire that has been patched or shows sidewall damage.

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.

If you are a woman, and don't have much experience in anything automotive, it might be wise to take your spouse, or a male friend along with you, when you go to check out tires. The Mom and Pop used tires shops should have staff on site that are knowledgeable in the tires they stock, and can answer questions about what will work best for your car.

However, this is not the case at those "pick and pull" places you visit. There, you are on your own as far as any service goes. YOU locate the wheels you want, YOU pull them from the junked car, YOU haul them up to the checkout counter to pay for them - and YOU take them home, and install them on your car. So, as you can see, if you don't know what you're doing, you could be headed for disaster.