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As with anything else in your model, the tires are only going to last so long before they need to be replaced. Wear and tear is a natural part of car ownership as you drive throughout the Worcester, Auburn, or Shrewsbury, MA, areas, for many years. So, how can you tell if your tires are beginning to wear? The place to start is with the tread. You can check the tread and see how much life is left. How do you check tire tread? Below, our Harr Toyota team dives into that exact question!
Many modern tire makers have made it easier than ever to check their tire tread by using a little tread indicator inside the tread grooves. Basically, this indicator is a little notch which can be seen in the tread of the tire. It’s lower than the surface of the tire, nestled into the groove of the tread, but it’s also higher than the deepest part of the groove. It’s sort of an in-between notch. Why does this notch exist? Well, it gives you an idea of when your tires are worn to the point of needing replacement. So, if you find the notch in the tread and see it’s still lower than the surface of the tire, you still have wear left on your tire. However, if the notch is even with the tread of the tire, you’ve exhausted all usable grip and should be getting the tires replaced.
If you can’t find the notch, you can also go about determining tire tread life by doing the classic quarter test. Basically, you flip a quarter upside down, stick it into the groove of the tread, and see how much of Washington’s forehead is visible. If much of his forehead is covered up, you have tread—and subsequently, grip—left to go. However, if you do this and you can see his entire forehead, it means the tread has mostly worn away and a replacement is required.
If you don’t feel comfortable using either of the two previous methods to determine the tread wear of your tires, you can always just book a visit online to our nearby service shop. Tire tread is one of the basic components of a general inspection. If the tread is beginning to wear down, a visit to the shop will catch that. Then, you can simply have us install a new set of tires that match the needs of your model and your daily driving habits.
If you use the quarter test or the tread indicator to determine the wear of your tires and you find you need a new set, you can book a visit to our Harr Toyota Service Shop. We’ll be happy to set you up with a new set of tires and send you back around the Worcester, Auburn, or Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, streets!
