How to Check Tire Tread Depth

The tread on your car's tires is very important. Tread helps your tires adhere to the road, especially during rain or snow. After a while on the road, that tread can be worn away, meaning it's time to invest in a new set of tires. To determine whether you'll need new tires, you'll need to check the depth of your tires' tread.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tire tread depth gauge
• Penny

Use a Depth Gauge to Check Tire Tread Depth

1. Get a tire tread depth gauge. Talk to the mechanic at your local garage or visit an automotive specialty shop. These gauges are inexpensive and fairly self-explanatory.

2. Insert the gauge into several different portions of your tread. Measure the outer and inner portions of your tire to ensure that the wear is even.

3. Read the gauge to determine how deep your tire tread is. Ideally, the tread should be 1/16-inch deep, though a little extra tread never hurt anyone.

Test Tire Tread Depth With a Coin

4. Raid your change jar for a penny.

5. Place the penny within the tire's grooves and channels. Insert the penny so that Abraham Lincoln's head faces downward.

6. Check to see whether you can still see Honest Abe's face. If the tire tread obscures his face, then your tires probably don't need to be replaced. However, if the tires grooves are shallow enough that all of Lincoln's face can still be seen, it may be time for new tires.

Tips & Warnings

• To preserve the life of your tires' tread, make sure that they're properly inflated at all times. Over or under-inflated tires can put unnecessary wear on the rubber, decreasing your vehicle's fuel efficiency and even making it much more hazardous to drive during bad weather. Consult your car's instruction manual for advice on the right air-pressure levels for your tires.
• After checking your tread depth, you may need to replace one of your tires. Even if your other tires have an acceptable tread depth, it's considered a good idea to replace all your tires at once. Discuss the uneven tread-wear with your mechanic to see whether it is the result of a more substantial problem.
• The ideal amount of tread depth can depend on the road conditions in your community. If you live in an especially snowy location, you may need more than 1/16-inch of tread at all times. Deep treads will help your tires to compress and displace snow as you drive.
• If you notice accelerated loss of tread around the tire's outside edges, this may be a sign of dangerous under-inflation. If your tires show a rapid loss of tread near the center, this can be a sign that you've over-inflated them.
• Uneven tread loss can occur when tires aren't properly balanced. While you should replace your worn tires, you should also talk to a mechanic about having your alignment and suspension systems checked.