Checking the wear and tear of car tires is one of the most important measures in car care. Timely inspection of the condition of tires will help to avoid accidents on the road, unnecessary expenses, and even save your life and the lives of your passengers. A reasonable solution is to periodically seek professional advice, however, you can learn how to determine the degree of wear yourself. There are several reliable ways to do this.
Instructions
Step 1
Leading tire manufacturers usually indicate the mileage of each of the models. These are different values, and they are very relative. Much depends on the quality of the starting material, the condition of the road surface, the characteristics of the driving style, etc. This method for determining the degree of rubber wear is quite common, but it is not the best due to the uncertainty of the final results.
Step 2
Pay attention to the indicators of wear - TWI (Tread Wear Indicator). They are installed by manufacturers of many brands of tires. Usually, the indicators are a narrow strip between the tread blocks. To find it, you should carefully inspect the sidewall. Try to see either the manufacturer's brand name, arrow, or lettering. If the indicator comes in contact with the road (this is immediately visible), replace the tire.
Step 3
Explore the depth of the profile. Experienced drivers determine this indicator by eye, others - using a ruler. The critical tread depth is 1.6 mm for summer tires and 4 mm for winter tires. It is better not to bring the condition of the tires to these minimum marks, because they already practically do not provide adhesion to the road surface. You will act wisely, change the tires a little earlier.
Step 4
Stock up on foreign and domestic coins. Cheerful and resourceful car enthusiasts use the American 1-dollar coin, which depicts George Washington, to determine tire wear. Follow their example: insert a coin into the groove of the protector so that the crown of the president's head is pointing down. If the tips of Washington's hair are visible, it's time to change the rubber, if not, the tires will still serve you.
If you only have one penny with a picture of Lincoln at hand, be content with it. If the top of Lincoln is visible on the coin inserted into the groove of the tread, then, most likely, it's time to change the rubber to a new one.
Is only domestic trifle ringing in your pocket? No problem. Take a 2-ruble coin and follow the procedure described above with it. The eagle's head should be at the bottom. If the crown of the proud bird is visible above the tread, then the tire will serve you as well. But if it is even partially sunk into the groove, your tires must be replaced.
Despite the seeming frivolity of this method, it accurately enough shows the degree of tire wear. This method is used by many motorists.
