How Do I Check Tire Tread Wear?

At-home maintenance doesn’t have to be difficult. If you’re wondering, “how do I check tire tread wear,” our service department can help. Knowing how to check tire tread depth is important to ensure tire health, so you know when it’s time to get your tires replaced. Contact us if you have further questions about maintaining your vehicle at home or scheduling service in our maintenance department. Checking tire tread wear is simple and easy to perform from the comfort of your garage. See below for our guide to checking tire tread wear. 

What is the Recommended Tire Tread Depth? 

New tires have a tread depth of about 10/32 or 11/32 of an inch (about a third of an inch). Winter tires and tires designed for off-roading, as well as some truck and SUV tires, may have even deeper tread grooves.

Once your tires reach 2/32 of an inch, you should contact our parts department to order OEM tires for your vehicle. Our service department will install them for you, and check your vehicle’s overall health while your car is getting serviced so you can make fewer trips to our service department. 

How Do I Check Tire Tread Depth: The Penny Test

Stop asking yourself, “How do I check tire tread wear?” and learn how to check tire tread depth in a few easy steps. To check your tire tread depth, all you need is a ruler or a penny. Although checking your tire tread with a ruler is more accurate, the penny test can help you quickly determine tire tread wear with these simple steps: 

1. Insert a penny with Lincoln’s head face-first into a tire tread groove.
2. Observe if Lincoln’s head is covered and no longer visible between the grooves.
3. If you can see all of Lincoln’s face, that means your tire treads are 2/32 inches deep or less, and it’s time to replace them.
4. Repeat this process on all four tires and in multiple locations on each tire.

Other Tips To Check Tire Tread Depth

There’s more than one way for Sarasota and St. Petersburg drivers to check their tire tread depth. Regularly inspecting your tires can help you determine the health of your tires. Monitoring your driving habits can also help give you an idea of when you should have your tires replaced as rough terrain, and bad weather will wear down your tires faster than in more mild climates and driving on paved roads. Things to inspect to determine tire health include:

• Tire pressure
• Any visible tire damage
• Tire rot or disintegration
• Wheel alignment

Maintain Your Tires at Firkins CDJR In Bradenton 

Now that you know the answer to “How do I check tire tread wear?” ensure that you’re regularly checking your tires for signs of wear using the penny test or a ruler. Maintaining your tires will keep you safe on the streets of Tampa, and Firkins CDJR is here to help! Next time you’re in for an oil change, we can check your tires for you!