Over-inflating a tire will accelerate wear along a central ring around the tire, and under-inflated tires will tend to wear our more quickly along the edges. Run your tires at the proper pressure.While tire tread will inevitably wear down over time, there are several measures you can take to slow this process and keep the tread deep and effective: How to best maintain tires to optimize tread depth This means stopping power drops off exponentially below 4/32nds of an inch, which is why many advocate for replacing tires before they reach the legal limit set by most states. A tire with a tread depth of 4/32nds of an inch will generally stop half again as fast as a new tire. However, in many cases a tire with a tread depth of 2/32nds of an inch will take nearly twice as long to stop on a wet roadway as a new tire with full tread depth. Exact differences in stopping distance will vary based on a range of factors (type of tire, type of vehicle, road conditions, etc.). Tread depth and stopping distance have an inverse relationship: the shallower the tread, the longer it will take for a vehicle to stop. The relationship between tire tread and stopping distance states and the depth at which tires urgently need to be replaced. 2/32nds of an inch: the shallowest tread depth legally permitted in U.S.4/32nds of an inch: the tread depth that most tire professionals consider the threshold for replacing tires, since traction and stopping power are substantially reduced below this depth.6/32nds of an inch: the lowest tread depth still considered “good” by most tire experts.10/32nds of an inch: the most common tread depth of a new tire. Tread depth by the numbersĪ few key numbers to keep in mind when checking tread depth are: In snowy conditions, adequate tread depth is even more important. This is especially true if you habitually drive in wet, slushy, or muddy conditions. Studies also show that traction and stopping power drop significantly from a tire with 4/32nds of an inch of tread to one with 2/32nds of an inch, and most experts agree that it is best to begin looking to replace tires when they fall below the larger of the two depths. One of the main functions of the grooves in tires is to push water or slush out from under it, or to bite into snow-packed roads, and shallow grooves do not do this job nearly as well as deeper ones. However, the actual amount of tread needed to safely drive and stop a vehicle in different conditions may exceed this technical minimum. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards require all tires to be manufactured with a visual indicator allowing drivers to know when the tread has worn down to 2/32nds of an inch or less. specifying minimum legal tread depth, most state laws require a tire to have at a tread depth of at least 2/32nds of an inch. While there is no national law in the U.S. Note the depth and repeat the process at various points on the tire, taking the smallest reading as the definitive one. This shaft usually displays the measurements in both 32nds of an inch and millimeters. The shaft with the measurement markings will slide upward as you push the “foot” down and show you the depth of the tread. Then push down the “foot” of the gauge until it firmly rests on two elevated ribs of the tread on either side of the groove. To use the gauge, fully extend the rod and insert it into one of the grooves. The graduated probe has a thin, retractable rod, a perpendicular “foot,” and a cylinder with measurements marked on it. The most common model of this tool is a graduated probe, which you can find at auto parts stores. Another way to check your tread depth is to use a tire tread depth gauge.
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