How to Check Your Tires Tread

Are you ready to take the safety and performance of your vehicle into your own hands? Do you want to know if your local tire shop is right when recommending you new tires? Ensuring that your tires are in top-notch condition is pivotal, not just for your car's efficiency, but more importantly, for your safety on the road. With just a simple tool—a tire tread depth gauge—you can quickly and accurately assess the health of your tires, making informed decisions about when it's time for new tires.

Tire Tread Depth Gauge

Analog: $6.49

Digital : $12.99

Find a flat, even section of tread on your tire. Avoid measuring where there are wear bars (raised sections in the tread grooves indicating it's time to replace the tire).

Remove any debris or stones lodged in the tire's grooves to ensure an accurate reading.

Familiarize yourself with your tread depth gauge. Most gauges have a probe that sticks out from the bottom and a scale that reads in 32nds of an inch or millimeters. Some digital models display the depth on a screen.

Place the base of the gauge flat against the tire tread. Push the probe down into the groove of the tire until the base of the gauge is flush with the tire tread. For manual gauges, ensure the probe is pushed in as far as it can go.

For a manual gauge, read the scale where it meets the slide. This will give you the tire tread depth in 32nds of an inch or millimeters. A digital gauge will display the reading on its screen.

1. 6/32" or More: Your tires are generally considered safe.
2. 4/32" to 5/32": Start considering replacement soon, especially if you drive in wet conditions often.
3. 3/32" or Less: It's time to replace your tires for safety.

Measure the tread depth in three locations across the tire's width: the inner edge, the center, and the outer edge. This helps identify uneven wear, which could indicate alignment or suspension issues.

Repeat the process for all four tires to ensure they are wearing evenly and are safe.