How to Check for Tread Wear on a Tire in a Dodge Caravan

Your Dodge Caravan is great for when you need to get the whole family around town. Don't overlook easy vehicle maintenance, like checking tread wear on your Caravan tires. Here is how to check your Dodge Caravan tire tread quickly and easily so you and the family can get where you're going safely.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tread wear gauge

1. Determine on one of the tires if you have tread wear indicators by looking at the sidewall for the initials "TWI" and an arrow pointing at the tread wear indicator running the width of the tire. This is a spot on the tire that will be smooth if the tread depth is too shallow. This is barely visible beneath the tread.

2. Find the legal amount of tread required by your state's department of transportation, which is usually a 1/16 of an inch. However, 3/32 of an inch is usually recommended for your safety.

3. Buy a tread wear gauge from your local automotive store. This should be located in the tools next to the tire pressure gauges or possibly next to the valve stems.

4. Stoop down and insert the tread wear tool into the crease of the tread. Start at one edge of the tire and take five or six measurements across the width of the tire tread. Note the lowest measurement as this indicates the least amount of tread.

5. Compare these measurements for all four tires. Note any uneven wear or common tread wear between multiple tires. This may indicate alignment problems or tire balance problems.

6. Take your Dodge Caravan into the tire shop and have sets of tires replaced that show too much wear. The standard size on the Caravan is either 215/65-15 or 215/65-16, depending on the size wheel for your model.