In the US the accepted measurement for tire tread levels are in 32nds of an inch. Most states and tire manufacturers consider tires to be bald when one or more of their grooves are worn down to 232.
If this is the case your tires need to be replaced.
How to tell tire tread. The ideal tread for most tires is around 10 32 inch 079 cm which is roughly the distance from the top edge of a penny to Abraham Lincolns eyes when hes right-side up. Basically take care of your tires and theyll take care of you. Even without those bars you can tell whether the tread has worn down a lot simply by inspecting the tire.
How to check your tire tread depth. Why is it important to know if tires are directional. One easy way is the penny test.
Low tread depth on car tires can be a factor when it comes to hydroplaning so whats a quick way to check your tread. Heres how it works. If you can see the top of Washingtons hair you have 432 of an inch of.
How to measure your tire tread depth with a penny Place a penny between the tread ribs on your tire. Tire tread gauges are used to obtained specific measurements. With this easy test a penny can buy you peace of mind when it comes to your tires and safety.
Tire tread is composed of several ribs. The sidewalls of the tires should look clean and shouldnt have noticeable grooves cuts or tracks. Check the tread depth.
Your tires need to be replaced if the head is visible. Monitor the tread using the penny test to make sure your tread doesnt get dangerously low. If the top of George Washingtons head.
See if the top of his head disappears between the ribs. The tire wear bars run laterally left to right across the tread grooves on your tires. Tires with uniformly shaped tread blocks the segments of the tire between the grooves can produce a whining sound known as harmonic noise.
States that have vehicle safety inspections may require tires to have certain tread depths to pass. New tire tread depth is the measurement typically published by tire manufacturers but its not the same as usable tire tread depth. A rib refers to the raised portion of tread that spans the circumference of your tire.
Scientifically speaking vaccine. Simply insert a penny into your tires tread groove with Lincolns head upside down and facing you. So if you start with a new tire tread depth of 1032 the actual usable tread depth is 832.
Place a penny head first into several tread grooves across the tire. To monitor your tires tread depth buy a tire tread depth gauge from an auto parts store or simply use a quarter to judge whether the tires need replacing. You can check the depth of tire tread with a tread depth gauge.
Place a penny between the tread ribs on your tire. If you can see all of Lincolns head your tread depth is less than 232 inch and its time to replace your tires. Tread depth gauges are available at auto parts stores and online.
Most tires start with upwards of 1032 of tread depth with some off-road tires topping 1532 depth. The penny test is an easy and accurate way to measure tire tread depth. Updated February 1 2021 931 PM.
If you always see the top of Lincolns head your treads are shallow and worn. Its time to examine the sides of your tires. As you rack up the miles the soft rubber compound the very thing that gives you traction wears away.
Differently shaped tread blocks create noise at different pitches that tend to cancel each other out making it less noticeable to the human ear. If you feel any shaking or pulling while driving or you can actually see wear cracks pits or even chords get to a shop immediately for a change. When the tread bars are even with the surrounding tread then its time to replace tires.
Stick a quarter into the tire grooves at several spots with George Washingtons head upside down. All directional tires will have the rotation direction indicated on the outside tire sidewall. If Lincolns head is buried your tires still have more than 232 of tread.
Most passenger tires start out with a tread level of 1032. Tire tread depth refers to the grooves between the main blocks on the contact surface of a tire. How to Tell if You Need New Tires.
Turn the penny so that Lincolns head points down into the tread. The New York Times however explains that reports on vaccine efficacy often dont tell the whole story. Tires sometimes have issues that dont have to do with the tread.
Take a penny and place it between the tire tread blocks with Lincolns head upside down and facing you. You also can measure the tread depth by sticking an upside-down penny into a tread groove. By holding Abraham Lincolns portrait towards the hubcap and checking how high the rubber reaches on the coin you can tell if your tires need to be replaced.
There are several popular ways to check your tire tread depth. Along with the initial penny test described above the wear bars are an indication of 232 tread remaining ie. A rib refers to the raised portion of tread that spans the circumference of your tire.
Check your tires tread using a gauge to ensure they still have an appropriate amount of tread to keep you safe. The easiest and most certain way to tell if a tire is directional is to examine the sidewall and see if there is a ROTATION indication as pictured here.
To perform the quarter test take a quarter and place it into your tread groove with George Washingtons head facing downward. The Penny Tire Test There are several popular ways to check your tire tread depth.
What Is The Minimum Safe Tread Depth Adac Experts Answer Tiresvote Com
While most states require tire tread depth to be a minimum of 232 most technicians and responsible people would recommend tire replacement around 432 especially if lots of rain is a possibility in your area.
What is normal tire tread depth. Tire tread depth is a measurement used to determine the normal wear of the vehicles tires. Average new tires used on cars typically start with 1032 to 1132 of original tread depth. Traction and performance in these conditions will be compromised long before the official minimum tread depth of 232 is reached.
832 useable tread depth-432 measured tread depth worn away 432of remaining tread depth 50 of. Insert a penny into the tire. So on a tire that starts with a new 1032 depth and has worn off 4.
If you want to check it yourself heres how to assess your tread depth. Specifically it is a vertical measurement from the top of the tire to the bottom of the tires deepest point. With wintersnow and light truck tires the tread is deeper because this depends on the tires tread type which is either the Highway Rib Highway All-Season Off-Road All-Terrain or Off-Road Maximum Traction.
We highly recommend you check your tire tread depth regularly and depending upon your driving environment s and other variables consider replacing your tires when they reach 432. The typical new tire used on automobiles is measured with 1032 to 1132 of tread depth. To measure the tread of a tire using an available chart follow these steps.
You should monitor your tire tread depth closely once it reaches 432 inch deep. If you can see the top of Washingtons head then your tires have worn below 432nds of an inch. In the United States tire tread is measured in 32-nd of an inch.
Dedicated winter snow tires and light truck tires typically are deeper for light truck tires how much deeper depends on the tires tread type Highway Rib Highway All-Season Off-Road All-Terrain or Off-Road Maximum Traction. The deep tread plus grooves and slits cut into the sides of the tread allow water and snow to escape. New tires have an average tread depth of 8 to 9 millimeters 1032 to 1132 inches.
This guideline is not standardized among all tires and only serves as an estimation. 1032 original tread depth-232 legally worn out tread depth 832 of useable tread depth. Its useable tread depth is calculated by subtracting a worn out tires 232 from the new tires original depth of 1032.
Tires become dangerous when they reach tread depths of 232 of an inch or shallower. Department of Transportation recommends replacing tires when they reach 232 and many states legally require tires to be replaced at this depth. While the majority of the footprint surface is made up of the rubber that grips the road the remainder is the void of the grooves that make up the tread design.
Turn a penny upside down and place it inside the tire tread. Measuring tire tread depth. New tires typically come with 1032 or 1132 tread depths and some truck SUV and winter tires may have deeper tread depths than other models.
As you drive the tread will wear down. It is very normal to see wear on tires especially if they are used regularly. Mark where on the tread meets the penny.
A tire with a tread depth below 16 millimeters 232 inches lacks grip. For example a typical tire that starts with 1032 of original tread depth has only 832 of useable tread depth. This tread depth is usually made to last anywhere from 3 to 5 years depending on how well it is maintained.
New tires typically have from 1032 to 1132 of an inch of tire tread depth when theyre new. A new tire retains a tread depth from 1032 to 1132. To ensure optimum safety and performance tires should be replaced when groove depth remains less than 2mm.
Original tread depth and has worn off 432 down to 632 of remaining tread depth is 50 worn. In most states 232-inch is the minimum tread depth requirement which means by law drivers are required to replace a tire when a tire wears down to that depth. The average tread depth on new tires ranges from 1032 of an inch to 1132 of an inch.
New tires typically start with a tread depth of 1032 to 1232 with some off-road tires topping 1532. The final 232 of a tires tread depth. The tire industry standard for tread depth in the United States is measured in one thirty-second of an inch 132 increments millimeters are used in countries observing metric standards.
Mark the tread depth on the penny. However remember that the useable tread depth is measured by subtracting 232 from the tires new tread depth. A typical passenger car tire has about twenty square inches of total footprint surface and begins with about 13 of tread depth.
You can check for the depth of the groove by using a Tire Tread Depth Gauge or by observing the Tread Wear Indicator on the bottom of grooves the location of which is marked on a shoulder as. If the outer tread grooves are deeper than the center groove this could indicate that your tires are overinflated. The quarter test can show if your tread depth has worn to or below 432nds of an inch.
Most all-season passenger vehicle tires are 932 to 1132- inch. Tread is the rubber on the tire that touches the road.
