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When To Replace Tires

October 12, 2010 by admin 7 Comments

The condition of the tires on your car greatly affects your safety while driving.  Here are some tips to help you determine when to replace your tires.

  1. Look at the tread pattern. Most tires are manufactured with “tread wear indicator bars” built right into the tire itself.  They usually look like small bridges in between the tread.  When these indicator bars become flush with the tire’s tread that is a sign it’s time to replace the tires.       When To Replace Tires
  2. Check the tread depth. The “penny test” has been a popular method for a while, this is how it works.  Take a penny and place it upside down with the picture of the head facing you in the center of the thickest part of the tire tread.
  • If you can see the very top of the head, or the copper above it, replace the tires as soon as possible.
  • If the hair on the top of the head is somewhat visible, this mean you should begin looking for replacement tires.
  • If you can’t see the hair on the top of the head, then this means your tires don’t need to be replaced yet.

This is a simple method that works well if you are driving mainly on dry roads.  If you drive on wet, slushy and snow-covered road you should maintain a deeper tread depth on your  tires and replace them at the second bullet above.  You need enough tread depth (4/32″) to allow the water or slush to escape through the tire’s grooves.  If the water can’t escape fast enough your car’s tires will hydroplane or float on top of the water causing a loss of control and possibly an accident.  Test all of your tires at the same time and once you’ve decided when to replace the tires make sure they are all replaced at the same time.  Mismatched tires won’t give you the adequate safety or performance levels that a matched pair of tires will.  If you see wires on your tread or notice wear on the sidewalls of the tire, don’t waste time with a penny, replace the tires!  If any of this checklist gives you a headache just thinking about it.  Have your auto repair shop do the work for you, that’s their job!

Filed Under: Tips & Tricks, Tires Tagged With: Tire Maintenance

Comments

  1. Nathan Johnson says

    May 13, 2016 at 7:47 am

    My wife and I recently bought a car that we are really happy with. Thanks for explaining how to tell when it is time to replace the tires on your car. I like the penny test that you talked about here; that will give me a better idea of how good my current tires are. Thanks for the info!

  2. Lillian Schaeffer says

    August 1, 2016 at 7:44 am

    This is some great information, and I appreciate your point that tread wear indicator bars are built into the tire itself. I just bought my first car, and I want to make sure it stays in good condition for as long as possible. I’ll definitely regularly check my tires to see if the indicator bars are flush with the tread so I know when to replace them. Thanks for the great post!

  3. Marcus Coons says

    July 20, 2017 at 2:54 pm

    Thank you so much for taking the time to explain how the penny test works when caring for your tires. I can see that taking the time to understand how to know when you need to replace your tires can help you save a ton of money by avoiding accidents. Personally, I would want to make sure I choose the right tires for the type of driving I will be doing and make sure I have a professional help me provide the rotation and maintenance my vehicle needs to run smoothly.

  4. Max Jones says

    August 8, 2017 at 7:39 am

    My wife and I have been thinking about replacing the tires on her car, and I think that knowing how to check when we need new ones would be useful information. I’m glad that you talked about the penny test for tires, and how you can check the tread depth by looking for the hair on the head of the penny. I’m going to have to check out some local tire stores after we do the penny test and start shopping for some new ones, even though I hope we don’t absolutely need them yet! Thank you!

  5. Kenton young says

    November 1, 2017 at 3:05 am

    Thank you for providing some of well researched and useful articles in your website regarding the maintenance of car. I have always faced problem to know, when my car tires needed replacement. Due to less tread depth, tires produces less friction, which makes it difficult to control my car on slippery surfaces. Due to such problem, i had faced an accident recently. So, i don’t want to face such situation again. Now by using above tips I can find out the replacement time of tires. Thanks again for sharing such a useful post with us.

  6. Diana scott says

    April 10, 2018 at 6:03 am

    In order to replace the tire, we have to evaluate it’s condition. If the tire is in good condition with proper tread depth, then it doesn’t have to be replaced. However, if the tire has low tread depth than average, then it should be replaced with suitable substitutes. Tire needs maintenance at a regular interval like other components of the vehicle in order to run for a considerable longer periods. We could ensure uniform wearing of the tire by rotating the vehicle at a regular interval. Apart from this, tire pressure should be measured on a daily basis and should be properly inflated. Properly inflated tire has positive effects on the fuel economy of the vehicle as well as has comparatively longer lifespan.

  7. Robin parsons says

    July 12, 2018 at 5:12 am

    Tread depth of the tires helps to generate better traction on the road surface. Properly inflated tires with better tread depth could produce better traction on the road surface and could run smoothly. However, driving a vehicle with damaged tire could be very dangerous. So, regular inspection of tread depth and pressure is really necessary to evaluate the condition of the tire. Tires with lesser tread depth should be replaced by experienced automotive technicians to ensure smoother driving experience.

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