Check your tread. The treads of the tire are the little valleys molded into the tire at its creation. These are made to direct moisture away from the flat areas of the tire to maintain traction in poor conditions.
These treads shrink as rubber wears off your tire, and when these deep valleys start to seem shallow, that’s when you know it’s time to replace the tires. Most mechanics recommend 1/16th of an inch as the depth required for treads; however, we recommend that at 1/8th of an inch depth you should be looking for a new tire.
Measure the depth of your tire tread easily by placing a ruler in your deepest tread.
Tire wear tricks. Is checking the threads consistently too much of a hassle? Many newer tires have a built-in feature that you can keep your eyes open for. These new tires have a solid strip of rubber buried deep in the tread. This strip runs perpendicular to the tread, and is usually only 1/16th of an inch tall. When this line starts becoming more pronounced, then you know that you need to change your tires.
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When you drive, you are bound to feel some vibration from the road. Not every road is perfectly flat or paved impeccably, so feeling a bit of the ride is inevitable. However, take notice when you start to feel those vibrations more and more.
More vibration means that there is far less tire between you and the road than you are used to. Once you start feeling these forces, it’s time to see your mechanic to talk about replacing your worn tires.
If you think you may need to change your tires, come into one of our AAMCO locations and get an opinion from our Colorado auto repair experts. Our tire technicians can get you back on the road in no time. Those who know, go to AAMCO! Don’t hesitate, schedule an appointment today!
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