# Why "kick the tires" of a car you are buying? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 5, 2000, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-kick-the-tires-of-a-car-you-are-buying/24675 "2000-07-05T21:48:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JFMichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/aeb1de/32.png) [@JFMichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JFMichael)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2000, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-kick-the-tires-of-a-car-you-are-buying/24675/1 "2000-07-05T21:48:27Z")
What are you testing when you kick the tires of a car that you are buying? I can’t see how this would put stress on the car, thereby making it fall apart and you not buying it. Thank you for your response. Even if this is a metaphor for looking over a prospective car, why? Thank you again. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2000, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-kick-the-tires-of-a-car-you-are-buying/24675/2 "2000-07-05T23:26:12Z")
In the business world a tire kicker is a party who wants to come look at your deal to learn what might be learned, but has no serious intention of taking part. My impression with regard to the use as a description of a potential automobile purchaser is that it describes someone who has no idea what to look for wanting to appear as though they are inspecting the merchandise. You can actually detect looseness (worn tie rod ends or some such) in the front end with a push on the wheels, probably better done by grabbing the tire with your hands and wiggling it. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2000, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-kick-the-tires-of-a-car-you-are-buying/24675/3 "2000-07-05T23:39:42Z")
A guy kicking tires probably wants to appear as knowing something about cars but since he doesn’t know what to look for just kicks the tires which tells the salesman that this is a sucker ready to be taken for a ride. ---
**Author:** ![Myself](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@Myself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myself)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2000, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-kick-the-tires-of-a-car-you-are-buying/24675/4 "2000-07-06T00:24:08Z")
Betcha the practice started back when they first introduced tube tires. They were solid prior to that weren’t they? Kickin’ 'em would confirm they were softer than solid and therefore would give a more comfortable ride. Today however, you would be better off kicking the salesman. …hate those guys. Myself ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2000, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-kick-the-tires-of-a-car-you-are-buying/24675/5 "2000-07-06T02:05:18Z")
Dear JFMichael: More info about this can be found when it was last covered somewhat, back in April. See the link below. [Previous Tire-Kickin’ Question](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=14854) PS: I think my reasons in the previous thread were correct, but there were a few others that were good. Sincerely, Anthracite ---
**Author:** ![JFMichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/aeb1de/32.png) [@JFMichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JFMichael)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2000, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-kick-the-tires-of-a-car-you-are-buying/24675/6 "2000-07-06T02:20:16Z")
Thanks for helping me, and sorry I didn’t search first. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2000, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-kick-the-tires-of-a-car-you-are-buying/24675/7 "2000-07-06T02:45:33Z")
One reason that I was told, not sure I believe it, but its at least plausible, is that the true scum of the used car world would paint whitewalls on a tire, making the tire look more expensive than it really was. Since it wasn’t really a whitewall it would smudge, and if the guy was lying about the tires it was a good indication that he was lying about a lot else. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2000, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-kick-the-tires-of-a-car-you-are-buying/24675/8 "2000-07-06T05:40:32Z")
One thing I’ve been told which might have a grain of truth is giving the top of the tire a good sideways shove, not a kick, can sometimes reveal loose suspension components or bad wheel bearings. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2000, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-kick-the-tires-of-a-car-you-are-buying/24675/9 "2000-07-07T00:25:22Z")
According to my dear old dad, who used to work in a garage, and who is still pretty handy with a wrench, tire-kicking was the time-honored way to check out the condition of a car’s suspension, specifically the king pins and king pin bushings. In the good ol’ days, king pin bushings would wear at a fairly reliable and predictable rate. Eventually, the king pins would rattle around in the bushings, indicating that the car had a significant number of miles on it, and that it was time to have the front suspension redone. In order to have a kick reveal the rattle, though, the front end has to be jacked up. A good kick will tell you, roughly, if the miles on the odometer are reasonably representative of the miles indicated by the king pin bushing wear. You can get the same idea by grabbing the top of the tire and giving it a good shake, but then you get your hands dirty.