When to retire your tire

[Bruce Nunnally]

Autonet TV has an interesting video & article on tires available [here]

New tires generally have 10/32 of an inch of tread depth. The legal limit is 2/32 in some states, 1/32 in some states, and no limits given in some states. If the raised bar on the tire is even with the tread remaining, there is 2/32 of an inch of tread left.

You can use a penny to determine if the tread depth is down to 2/32"; You can use a quarter to determine if the tread depth is down to 4/32".

Consumer Reports testing shows that as soon as at 4/32 of wear tires take twice as long to stop in the wet.

So, how do you know when your tires are at 4/32”? Well, it’s pretty easy. Just insert a quarter into the tread. Put it in upside down. If the tread doesn’t cover George Washington’s hairline, it’s time to replace your tires. With a Canadian quarter, the tread should cover the numbers in the year stamp.

Now you may remember doing that with pennies. But a penny gives you 2/32” of an inch to Abraham Lincoln’s head. The quarter is the new standard – 4/32”.