Believe it or not, a penny and a quarter can add up to big savings for your tires and your safety. It is simple to use the coins to check your tire tread – a piece of basic tire care that often gets overlooked.
Why You Want to Care About Tire Tread
You are riding on the safety of your tires. According to Consumer Reports, tires actually loses a crucial amount of grip on the roadway when the tread is at the midway point. More than half of the vehicles on the road have tread that is worn down to the halfway mark. At least 10% are driving with one tire completely bald.
Though you can’t do anything about the other cars except drive defensively around them, you can monitor the condition of your own tires. Do it yourself or have a professional perform the inspection as part of your scheduled car maintenance.
Whatever type of vehicle you drive, whether it’s a SMART car or a Dodge Ram 1500, you need the same amount of tread. The measurements are based on industry and legal standards. A tire is officially bald when the grooves, one or all, are 2/32” deep. Compare that to new tires, which have a tread that is 10/32” deep.
But studies show that it is much safer to start shopping for new tires when the tread reaches 4/32”. Even at that point, tests showed that traction in snow, rain and other dangerous driving conditions was significantly reduced. And that’s even with half of your tread left, which shows why checking it regularly is so important!
Here are two quick ways to do it, using the change in your pocket:
Use a Penny
A single penny can tell you if your tires are bald. The process involves putting the penny into the tread channel, with Lincoln’s head positioned down into the tire. If you can see the top of his head once it is firmly in the groove, you have a bald tire. This tells you that your tire is illegal as well as unsafe to drive on. It would flunk a vehicle safety inspection. So if safety doesn’t worry you, the law should.
Use a Quarter
A quarter will tell you if you have a marginally safer amount of tread left. Put the quarter in the tread channel, this time with the head of Washington facing into the tire. If you see the top of Washington’s head, your tires are at the 4/32” mark. A careful driver will immediately start looking at tire sales ads.
Inspect the Rest of Your Tire
At the same time you check the tread, take a look at the entire tire for signs of wear and damage. For example, how the tread shows wear can tell you if you are putting the wrong amount of air in your tires.
If both of the edges of your tire are showing wear, you may be underinflating them. If the wear shows in the center tread, it might be due to over-inflation. In both cases, let the specifications in your driver’s manual guide you as to how much air to use.
The treads can also tell you if your alignment is correct. If you notice wear on one side, it’s time to have the wheels re-aligned. If the tread is worn in an uneven fashion and has a mix of bald spots, cups or scallops, then you need to get the wheels both balanced and aligned. If the bald spots are spaced oddly, then you need to either get the tires balanced or have the shocks repaired or replaced.
Don’t take chances with the only thing keeping you on the road. A few minutes checking your tire tread and overall condition can save you money and your life.
