![]() ![]() If you hold a penny so that Abraham Lincoln’s head is facing down and insert it into a groove, the top of Lincoln’s head is about 2/32 of an inch from the coin’s edge. ![]() ![]() The penny (or similar quarter) test is also commonly used to help judge tread depth. If the tread feels to be about twice the height of the wear bar, you’ve got roughly 4/32 tread remaining. Any amount of tread standing above that can be used to estimate its depth. If you find it, any tread that stands equal to the height of the wear bar means the tread depth is down to 2/32 - or possibly below (since both could already be worn down) - and the tire should be replaced. If you run your finger along any of the longitudinal tire grooves, you’ll likely feel the wear bar as a little hump. These wear bars are 2/32 of an inch tall and typically are in a straight line across the tread, but sometimes they are just a little offset from one another. Nearly all tires have built-in wear bars across the tread at four equally spaced places around the circumference of the tire. New tires typically start with a tread depth of 10/32 to 11/32 of an inch, and they’re generally considered legally “worn out” when the tread is down to 2/32, though some consider 4/32 as a safer minimum. Related: How Do I Find the Correct Tire Pressure for My Car? Let Your Fingers Do the Checking Although the ideal way to check tread wear is with a tread-depth gauge, you can get by with what’s known as the “penny test” or just using your fingers. You also have less traction in the snow, and the tire is more susceptible to a blowout. When the road is wet, low tread depth can cause the tire to hydroplane, or skim across the surface of the water, which can make you lose control. Low tire tread depth can be a safety issue. ![]()
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