How to Check for Tread Wear on a Tire on a Jeep Grand Cherokee

A Jeep Grand Cherokee is the quintessential luxury sport utility vehicle. This SUV from Jeep comes in four-wheel-drive, so you need to keep excellent tread on all four tires. Here's how to keep your Jeep Grand Cherokee tires running their best by checking for proper tread depth.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tread wear gauge

1. Look carefully at the sidewalls of the tires and find the tread wear indication. This may be a symbol with an arrow, or the words spelled out.

2. Check the tread at the location that the tread wear indicator points. It is a shallower portion of tread that wears thinner than the rest of the tire. When the tread wear indicator wears completely through, it is time to replace the tires.

3. Buy a tread wear gauge if your tire does not have a tread wear indication. Insert this tool into the grove of the tire to check the tread wear at least four times across the width of the tire. Be sure you fully actuate the tread wear gauge. Compare the smallest reading with the minimum required tread depth.

4. Repeat this process on all four tires, and take note of any uneven wear as this may indicate tire alignment problems.

5. Replace any tires that have less than 1/16 of an inch of tread left on them. For the Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo use size 245/65-17 tires; the Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited uses 245/65-17 tires, the Overland uses 245/60-18 tires and the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 uses 255/45-20 on the front and 285/40-20 on the rear.

Tips & Warnings

• A less scientific way to measure tire tread depth is to place a penny, Lincoln's head first, into the grove of your tire. If Lincoln's head isn't covered, neither are you. Replace that tire immediately.