How To Tell If Your Tires Are Worn

Close up of tire tread

The condition of your tires can impact both the quality of your ride and your overall safety on the road, so it’s important to make sure they’re always in good shape. While wear is a natural part of driving, there comes a point when old tires are no longer safe to drive on, and when that happens, they’ll need to be replaced. If you’ve been driving with the same old tires for a few years now, take a close look at them with these easy tire tread inspection methods.

The Penny Test

If you’ve been driving for a while, it wouldn’t be surprising if you’ve already heard of the penny test. To see how worn your tire tread is, you’ll need to insert a penny Lincoln’s-head-first into the deepest part of your tire’s grooves. Next, take a look at the profile of Abe Lincoln. If you can still see the top of Lincoln’s head, the tread is too shallow, below 2/23 of an inch. That’s a sign that the tire is spent.

Get into the Grooves

Even if you don’t have any change handy, your tires have a built-in way to measure tread depth. Within the grooves of your tread, wear bars are low, raised portions of rubber that run across the width of the tire. They’re raised to 2/23 of an inch, so you shouldn’t be able to see them every easily if your tread is still adequate. However, if the tread has worn down to be level with the wear bars, that means it’s time to replace that tire.

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Wichita Falls Ford

Whenever your vehicle is due for tire replacement service or any other auto maintenance, schedule your service with Wichita Falls Ford. From professional inspections to tire rotations, balancing, wheel alignments, and more, we can handle all your maintenance needs at our service center. You’ll find us conveniently located at 5401 Kell Boulevard. West, Wichita Falls, Texas 76310.

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