\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Is It OK To Rotate Tires Every 10,000 Miles? Safe to say, Shawn has slain a few tires in his days. D. to balance out the tires, to place tires in different positions for even wear. For example, if your tire has 2415, it was made on the 24th week of 2015. If your tires require double the amount of space, you have a much higher risk of hitting them. Hold it in the same way so that Washingtons face is facing you and hes upside-down. The Penny Test. C. to place tires in different positions for even wear This can help a mechanic determine the location of a problem. Its always better to replace your tires sooner rather than later. Made with in Silicon Valley. i read the twisted series by ana huang & tell you if you should too!! Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Virtually all new tires have tread bars that sit in between the tread. Every time you prepare to get behind the wheel, you should perform a quick safety check on your vehicle, including an inspection of your tires. 2023 Learn about our payment options and choose the one thats right for you. "My son's car had flat. If minor cracking is present on only a few tread sections, you can safely operate your vehicle but should keep an eye on the cracking. But as you can see in the video, even 2/32 of an inch of tire tread isnt a great idea. This is roughly, When the penny is right-side up, Lincolns eyes are roughly, For the quarter test, so long as the rubber meets George Washingtons forehead, youre good. How to Check Tire Tread (With Video) | Family Handyman A few different styles of tire pressure gauges include a stick gauge, a dial gauge, and a digital gauge. All trademarks property of their respective owners. Each time you check another portion of the tire, rotate the coin so that Abraham Lincolns hair is always pointing towards the center of the rim. For uniformity reasons, its best to replace all of your tires at the same time if you can. Check three or more spots around the tire with a penny to make sure the tread is wearing evenly. Get discounts on oil changes and other popular auto services. Research source, Tip: If you arent sure how old your tires are but they were made after 2000, look for a string of embossed letters and numbers printed directly on the tire. Howard specializes in full-service auto repair and tire replacement and care for domestic/imported vehicles and large trucks. Visual inspections should include looking across the entire width of the tire tread and around as much of the tire as possible. But one thing that no car owner should be without is the ability to check a tire tread. ", "Great summary, technical info and pictures help, too.". This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. An ex-salesman of industrial equipment, Shawn used to drive nearly 60K miles a year just commuting to clients. To conduct the penny test, just follow these steps: Because more tire repair shops and experts tend to err on the side of caution, they often recommend a tread depth of no less than 4/32 of an inch. You may repeat the test a few times to get an average height thats more accurate. B. tires stop the car (5,000 km) or once it reaches 4/32 inches deep. New tires come with tread depths of about 10/32 of an inch, you need to understand what 50 percent means. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends checking your vehicles tires at least once a month. Inspecting your tires only takes a few minutes and changeCheck multiple grooves in your tires with a few spare coins to see if they have enough tread. C. found on the sidewall of a tire This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Visually check for anything that looks like it doesnt belong. Push the gauge. X For a few dollars, a dial tread depth gauge is a handy tool, very accurate, and extremely easy to read and use. ", "The instructions were clear. This can lead to dangerous driving conditions that can cause concerns when turning and cornering, potentially putting your safety at risk. Then push down the foot of the gauge until it firmly rests on two elevated ribs of the tread on either side of the groove. * How often should you check the tire pressure of all your tires? All you need to do is insert the pin (middle part of the gauge) into the tread. Step 2: Check the sidewall for cuts or protruding objects. A. the lug nuts on the tires need to be tightened By using our site, you agree to our. Checking tire tread measurements doesnt absolutely require placing something in the tread groove to check tire tread depth. Rapporto PMI Centro-Nord 2016. You may find fine cracks or wide cracks. Do I Have To Get New Tires With New Rims? Once your treads wear this much, you should replace your tires as soon as possible. If Lincoln's head fits between the tread patterns, that means you still have more than 1/16 of an inch of the tire tread remaining. Tire buying, simplified. This is especially true if you habitually drive in wet, slushy, or muddy conditions. In CA, quotes for all products must be obtained through a local independent agent. Step 2: Use the penny to check tread depth around the tire. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. 2022Recurrent Ventures. Proper tread allows your vehicle to gain traction and wick water away the tires. Here is how you can measure your tires tread. Place the tire tread depth gauge on top of a groove of the tire. In reality, theres nothing stopping you from changing your tires with 5/32 left of tire tread. The penny test is an accurate way to measure whether tire tread depth surpasses or falls short of 2/32nds of an inch, since 2/32nds of an inch is the universally standard distance between the top of Lincolns head and the edge of the coin (see above for an explanation of how to do the test). D. check tire pressure before going on long trips, * Drivers should not rely on gas station tire gauges because gas station gauges are All Rights Reserved. The Jeep Oil Change Indicator lets you know when and what service your car needs. If you can see the top of his head, then its time for new tires. Last Updated: October 7, 2021 Checking your tire treads or at least getting a rough estimate of tread depth only requires you to dig through the change in your pockets. This means stopping power drops off exponentially below 4/32nds of an inch, which is why many advocate for replacing tires before they reach the legal limit set by most states. According to some experts, the penny test doesnt leave a deep enough tread to provide adequate traction in wet or snowy weather. You can save yourself the embarrassment of calling a tow truck, or maybe even prevent an accident. When should you use your low beam headlights At all times 23. If youre in need of a new set, buy your new tires online today. You can also use the tire tread wear indicator as another method for how to check your tire tread. While youre checking your tire tread, its a good idea to do an inspection of the tire by rubbing your hand across it and feeling for defects or issues. First, grab a penny and insert it into your tire's tread groove with Lincoln's head upside down and facing you. Monitor the tread using the penny test to make sure your tread doesn't get dangerously low. When you drive down the street, this creates friction which slowly causes your tires to disintegrate. For example, if you fill your tires with 2.0 bar at 25 in summer, the air pressure decreases to 1.7 - 1.8 bar at -5 during winter. 0.4 L Determine the number of significant figures in each measurement.