How To Know When You Need New Tires & Does A Penny Really Work To Measure Your Tire Tread Depth?, by Stan Cravens on YouTube. 4 min 45 s.
- Video length
- 4 min 45 s
- Time to do it
- 10 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Park on level ground away from traffic. Switch off the engine and set the parking brake before you walk around the car.
Find the wear bars in the main grooves. These are raised strips across the groove. If the tread is level with them, the tire is at 2/32 inch and legally bald.
Push the gauge probe into a main groove until the flange sits flat on the tread. Read the depth on the scale and repeat in three spots.
For the penny test, insert the penny head first and upside down into a main groove. If you can see all of Lincoln's head, the tread is 2/32 inch or less.
Check the inner edge, center and outer edge of each tire. A low reading on one edge can point to an alignment or pressure problem.
Compare your readings with 2/32 inch. At or below that mark, replace the tire. If it is close, plan replacement before wet weather.
Write down the readings and the date so you can spot wear over time. Recheck monthly and before long trips.
If one tire is much lower than the others, have a shop check alignment and suspension before you buy a full set.
Tips and common mistakes
The penny test only checks the 2/32 inch limit, not how much tread is left above it.
A tread depth gauge gives a number in 32nds of an inch, so it is better for tracking wear.
Measure several places around each tire because tires rarely wear evenly.
If you often drive in wet conditions, plan replacement before the tread reaches the legal limit.
Questions
Does the penny trick really work?
It works as a rough check for the 2/32 inch legal limit. A tread depth gauge gives a more exact reading and is better for tracking wear.
What does 2/32 inch mean?
At or below 2/32 inch, the tire is legally bald and should be replaced. It is not safe for normal wet driving.
Where are the wear bars?
Look in the main grooves around the tire. They are raised bars that run across the groove. When the tread is level with them, the tire is worn out.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
