\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. Depending on how much you drive, you likely only need to check tire tread once or twice a month. Take a penny and place it in multiple grooves around your tires. 800-667-8138 Hours: This means that youll have 8/32 or 9/32 of an inch of wear before the tread becomes shallow enough for you to lose significant grip. If you place a penny in your tires tread groove with Lincolns face down and can see all of his face its time for new tires. Do I Need An Alignment After Replacing Tires? Most drivers ignore their tires until its too late. Every tire must have treads, which help in gripping and traction. Ideally, you should perform a visual tire safety check every time you drive your vehicle. vehicle, write down the following highlighted numbers located on 1)partly engage the clutch before you take your right foot off the brake. lake country school district; It also channels water out from under your tires to keep you from hydroplaning in rainy conditions. ", "The instructions were clear. Goodyear.com. Items puncturing the tire may actually leak very slowly because the puncture is plugged with the object, though it still needs to be replaced very soon. Just let us know how we can help you. Wear bars are small raised bumps located at several points around the circumference of your tires in the main tread grooves. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). If you can see all of Lincolns head, it is time to replace your tires.6. If you can see all of Washingtons head, contact a local store. This is how thick your tread is in this area. However, tire experts recommend you replace your tires is when the tread is worn down to between 4/32 and 3/32. It grips the road surface so your car can move forward and stay on the road in slippery conditions. The Chrysler Oil Change Indicator lets you know when and what service your car needs. If the tread is even and smooth with the tread bar, then your tread is worn, and you need to replace your tires. If youre using a quarter, do the same thing with George Washingtons face. The penny test (shown below) is the easy way to check a tire tread's depth when you don't have a depth gauge. Here are some more helpful articles. Learn how to measure your car's tire tread depth with the tire tread penny test. When the tread wears down to become even with this level, the tire should be replaced. Organizing your tools and gear so everything is easily reachable will save precious minutes waiting for your handy-dandy child or four-legged helper to bring you the sandpaper or blowtorch. Select the correct metric notation. Tread depth will tell you whether or not you need to replace your tires to avoid dangerous loss of traction. When it comes to tire safety, we prefer to stick to the side of caution, so we use the quarter test. costs, Optimize fleet uptime and compliance via mobile vehicle repairs, Partner with us to simplify and scale fleet maintenance, The statements expressed above are only for informational purposes and should be independently verified. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=2ba02a33-c319-4410-bba7-f8321a13bed3&cid=877050e7-52c9-4c33-a20b-d8301a08f96d'; cnxps.cmd.push(function () { cnxps({ playerId: "2ba02a33-c319-4410-bba7-f8321a13bed3" }).render("00499ba9282e4d1b985fa8af14d29c2b"); }); You can pick up a tire tread depth gauge at any auto parts store. Do You Need To Rotate Tires Every 5000 Miles? You can do the same test with a quarter to measure tire tread. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Car symbols, or dashboard lights, are a car service reminder. It only takes a few minutes, and some spare change. Send us a note: guidesandgear@thedrive.com. 3 Essential Things to Know About Your Cars Rims, How to Know if You Need a Wheel Alignment, Understanding Jeep Oil Change Indicator Lights, Understanding the Chrysler Oil Change Indicator and Service Indicator Lights, Understanding Land Rover Service Indicator Lights, I have gotten my ball joints replaced and a new spindle and my wheel still keep coming off the ball joint keep coming apart. The old standard for checking tire tread used a penny. D. tires steer the car, * Which tire condition is one of the main causes of using excess fuel? Always replace your tires at the same time. Tire failure can result from operating on such a tire. And you really went out of your way with full details. Please dont have your kid hand you a blowtorchEd.). Tire buying, simplified. Looks like you previously searched for tires for a: Would you like to see tires for this VEHICLE or start a new search? Would you like to see tires for this SIZE or start a new search? The most common model of this tool is a graduated probe, which you can find at auto parts stores. Tires that are under-inflated or over-inflated can feel loose when steering and will have an increased stopping distance in panic braking situations. 800-667-8138 Hours: Enjoy! The experts at CR show you how to check your tires so you'll know exactly when to replace them. All trademarks property of their respective owners. Experts agree that this constitutes a once-a-month check of the treads, although, with brand new tires, you can probably get away with bi-monthly inspections. your sidewall in the order shown below. Youll also need a flat workspace, such as a garage floor, driveway, or street parking thats also well-ventilated. The best practice is to check the tread depth every 3,000 miles or once it reaches 4/32 of an inch deep. Let air out of the tire by pressing on the valve stem needle if the pressure is too high. 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. Pay your bill, manage your tire financing and review your account. You can use the last four digits of the Tire Identification Number (TIN) on the wall of your tire to help determine the age of your tire (e.g., 2613 means the tire was manufactured in the 26th week of 2013).3, But age is not the only factor. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If the bears paws touch the top of the tread, youve got a brand new tire essentially. Carbon dioxide gas enters a pipe at 3 MPa and 500 K at a rate of 2 kg/s. If you find that the tread reaches 4/32 of an inch deep, it should be monitored more closely as replacement tires may be necessary as your tires tread is wearing down. While the penny test will let you know if your tread is dangerously low, you may be better off doing this test with a quarter if you want to be more proactive about replacing your tiresespecially if you live in an area that gets a lot of rain. As you can see, there are a few different methods and tools you can use to check tire tread depth. However, if youve had your rear tires replaced or you had a single tire replaced after a blowout, the tread may be different. This issue is most commonly caused by the driveline shaft's slip-yoke and splines. Step 2: Check the sidewall for cracking. The difference in wet weather performance between 4/32 and 2/32 is drastic. What is the actual dimension for the tread? With a test this easy, theres no excuse for not checking your treads at least once a month. The lower part of the ball joint is inserted into the control arm (retained by a circular clip) and the upper part is inserted into the Get a fair & transparent quote instantly before booking. Learn about our payment options and choose the one thats right for you. But the additional 2/32 of wear doubles that performance loss for a very small amount of additional mileage. How Fast Will Tires Wear With Bad Alignment? A. eyeball the tire and see whether it's properly inflated B. look for the PSI number on the sidewall of a tire C. refer to sticker on the driver's side door jam D. use the number on your tire gauge refer to sticker on the driver's side door jam * When should you inflate a tire? Legally, the minimum tread depth is going to vary from state to state: When your treads get down to 2/32, your stopping distance increases by 100% when panic braking on wet roads. The correct version/option information is important for accurate results. In this case, 100% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. To check your tread, there are four quick and easy methods. This will "zero" the tool and get the pin out of the way. Its common to see fine cracks forming either between the tread blocks or on the sidewalls, but it should never expose the cords or leak air. 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. Because of the role that tire treads play in traction and safety, theyre an integral part of the safety of your vehicle. With this gauge, youre simply seeing how far the measurement pin was pushed down. Holding the penny this way, insert the penny so that Lincolns head goes into the groove of your tire. If you can see the top of Lincoln's head, the tires are completely worn out and need to be replaced stat. Four-tenths of a liter Step 2: Check the tire pressure at each wheel with a tire pressure gauge. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Perform the penny test by placing a penny into the tread groove with President Lincoln's head upside down. Pay attention to how your brakes sound and feel. If the top of Lincolns head is exposed, you need to have your tires replaced. A. tires elevate the car If the tread touches Washington's head, you have at least 4/32 of an inch of tread remaining. * How can you find out the proper PSI number for the vehicle? Hey, were cautious, but not that cautious. Finding your tire size is simple. A visual inspection should be adequate with more thorough inspections performed every six months. Enter the second number on your tire's sidewall as highlighted below. X This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. You should have your brakes checked whenever you rotate your tires (usually about every 6,000 miles), but check your owner's manual to see what the manufacturer recommends. B. tires stop the car Here is how you can measure your tires tread. Most experts and mechanics agree that 2/32 of an inch is the shallowest a tread can be while still maintaining reasonably safe traction. C. the tires need to be balanced You are leaving the Goodyear.com Website and you are being directed to a website run by Citigroup, which issues the Goodyear Credit Card. * When using the "penny test" to check your tread depth, which of the following indicates when the tires are too worn? For that, you'll need protection.. * How often should your tires be rotated? Directional tires may not have deep grooves that run around the entire circumference of the tire tread, but they will still have deep grooves as well as some smaller grooves to help improve grip. Remove the valve stem cap from the valve stem by turning it counterclockwise. For that, youll need protection. Thats twice the distance it takes brand-new tires to come to a complete stop, given the same starting conditions. *Quotes may not be available in all states or for all products. How you handle a tire blowout can make a difference in preventing an accident. This wear can be gauged by measuring tread depth, which is the vertical distance between the highest point on the treads pattern to the lowest point in the patterns grooves. The Jeep Oil Change Indicator lets you know when and what service your car needs. If youre an aggressive driver, this can cause your treads to wear down even faster. Learn the signs on when your tires should be replaced from the professionals at Goodyear. Thankfully, a U.S. quarter has a distance of roughly 4/32 of an inch from the edge to the top of Washingtons head. Both of these coins provide a semi-accurate tire tread thats second only to a professional tire shop. While you're checking your tire tread, it's a good idea to do an inspection of the tire by rubbing your hand across it and feeling for defects or issues. For an added measure of safety, consider replacing your tires at 4/32. Saturday: 9:00 am 6:00 pm EST (Post Purchase Support Only). If Honest Abe's head is covered, then your tires still have more than 2/32nds of tread. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. When you check the tread depth of the tire, where should you insert the penny on the tire? D. when the car is parked, If a driver needs to adjust the PSI in a tire, which is an action that should NEVER be done? Youve probably heard the phrase tire treads a million times before, and you might have a firm or slight grasp of what they actually do. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.
\n<\/p>

\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/7\/7b\/Check-Tire-Tread-with-a-Penny-Step-3-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Check-Tire-Tread-with-a-Penny-Step-3-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/7b\/Check-Tire-Tread-with-a-Penny-Step-3-Version-2.jpg\/aid2425723-v4-728px-Check-Tire-Tread-with-a-Penny-Step-3-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"