How to Read a Tire Tread Gauge
Keeping tires on your vehicle with the proper tire tread depth ensures you do not encounter dangerous situations due to lost traction or blown tires. Checking the tread depth on your tires with a tire tread gauge keeps you informed on the condition of your tires. A tire depth gauge uses a blunt tipped pin to determine the difference in depth between the top and bottom of the tread remaining on the tire.
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Instructions
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Push the internal cylinder of a tire gauge into the exterior tube.
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Set the pin -- located on the bottom of the tire depth gauge -- in a recessed area of the tread located near the front of the tire. Pull the gauge from the tire. Read the number closest to the top of the exterior tube. Note the dimension and push the internal cylinder down to rest the gauge.
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Take additional tread measurements in a center tread recess and a recess near the inside of the tire. Write each measurement in a notepad.
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Move 12 to 24 inches down the tire. Take three more measurements across the tire. Repeat the process of moving and re-measuring until you have gone around the whole tire.
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Add all the dimensions written in the notepad. Divide the total by the number of measurements to determine an average tread depth.
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Tips & Warnings
Check your local laws to determine the minimal tread depth allowed on your vehicle tires.
Secure the vehicle to keep it from rolling while you are measuring the tread.
References
- Photo Credit Hal Bergman/Photodisc/Getty Images
