How to Gauge when you need new Tires
Keeping your car tires in good shape is something that could save you from having to undertake much worse repairs in your car than replacing the tires or even something that could safeguard you from experiencing a catastrophic injury or a fatal accident. Many vehicle users do not pay much attention to the state of their vehicles tires until the tire surface starts to show its wire meshes. If this happens, it means that your tire has passed its due date for replacement by a considerable amount of time. Thus, rather than allowing such wearing to take place, you should take measures to check your tires and replace the same at the appropriate time. This article hopes to provide you with the necessaryinstructions to gauge when your vehicle tires need replacementwithout having to make a visit to your auto mechanic.
The 'penny' test
One of the simplest ways to do this is to make use of a penny. When you turn the penny upside down and insert it into one or two places in your tire threads, if you can still see the Lincoln’s head clearly, it means that the tire threads have worn off considerably and that it needs replacement. If you want to measure the thickness of your tire threads more accurately, you can make use of a tire gauge meter, which is available in most auto-shops, and are used by most auto-mechanics. In general, the threads in your tires should not fall below 1/16th of an inch as it can be rather dangerous to drive with such tires and therefore in certain instances, it has been deemed illegal as well.
Indicator bars
Some of the modern tires also have indicator bars located at a depth in some of the grooves, which can be used to detect wearing out tires. In a new tire, these bars are hardly visible although as the tire wear off, the indicator bars begin to appear. When such bars can be seen in several places and across several grooves, it is a strong indicator to replace your tires.
Sidewall checks
In addition to looking at the surface of the tire, it is also important to look at the sidewalls both from within and from the outside. Prominent cracks and cuts on the sidewall could indicate trouble and should be inspected carefully by your auto-mechanic before deciding on replacing the tires. In addition, bulges appearing on the sidewalls are also indicative of danger as in most instances; such bulges represent weak areas on the sidewall that can give-in at some point leading to a tire blowout.
Vibration alert
Lastly, if you feel excessive vibrations when driving your vehicle, it may be due to damaged or worn-out tires. However, many other causes can also lead to vehicle vibrations and it is a good idea in such instances to seek the help of your mechanic to differentiate between the vibrations caused by the tires and due to any other defects such as suspension problems, tire misalignment or due to tire imbalance.
By going through this routine at regular intervals, it is possible for you to avoid most of the tire related problems that you may have to experience as a result of worn-out or damaged tires.
