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Tire Wear
Tire Damage
If your tire is damaged, there's a good chance it can be repaired if the following
criteria apply:
- The puncture is less than 1/4"
- The damage is on the tread section of your tire and not the sidewall
- The tire was not driven on while flat
You should take the damaged tire to an authorized tire store or mechanic. They will
check the tire from the inside. Be sure to ask how the dealer or mechanic intends
to fix your tire. A safely repaired tire will be patched from the inside. Do not
accept a plug repair! Plug repairs are unreliable and can lead to a blowout.
Tire Wear
Tires are an integral part of your overall safety on the road. Worn out tires skid
much more easily on wet roads and reduce handling and stopping power. With that
in mind, it's important to inspect your tires at least once a month for signs of
damage or wear. There are two easy ways to check tire wear:
Wear Bars
Wear bars are narrow bands of rubber which appear in the grooves across the tire
tread. They are built in to every tire and will show up when only 1/16" of
tire tread remains. If you can see the wear bars, you need new tires as soon as
possible.
A Quick Test For Tread Wear
It used to be that honest Abe, or the common penny test were a quick and easy way to check the depth of your tire tread. If you simply placed a penny in a tire’s shallowest tread groove with Lincoln’s head turned down and you could still see Lincoln’s head, you knew you had more than 2/32” of tread depth remaining. A good thing, because that is still above the legal limit.
Although you can still count on honest Abe, it is now recommended you use a quarter to determine how much tread life remains on your tires. If you place a quarter in the same area and you can still see Washington’s head, you have 4/32” remaining. At this depth your tires are proven to be safer in rain. At least 6/32” tread depth is recommended for safer driving in the snow.