There are several ways to check this. Tires have what are known as “wear bars” placed in the grooves of the tire treads. (There are several of these in each groove) If you were to place a finger in the tire groove and slide it along the groove, you will eventually feel a rubber “bump”. This bump is a wear indicator. If the top of the wear indicator is even with the tire rubber outside of the grove, it is time to replace the tires. Tread depth gauges are inexpensive and another way to determine tread depth. You simply place the gauge over the tread, press down on the scale from the top until it bottoms out in the groove, then remove the gauge and read the tread depth (measured in 32nds). In many states, 2/32 of tread depth or less is legally worn and the tire needs to be replaced.
Tread depths and rain: Tread depths over 2/32 may also need replacement. For example; in many cases, a tire with 3/32 of tread left won’t properly disperse rain water at highway speeds, and could lead to a hydroplaning conditions, which is essentially a loss of steering control because the tires are no longer in full contact with the road. If you are not sure if your tires can safely handle rain conditions, have your tires inspected by a qualified Cappellino Chevrolet technician.
Tread depths and snow: Similar to rain, cars driven in snowy conditions need even more tread depth to help maintain traction when driving in snow. For example: a tire with only 5/32 of tread may not adequately compress and disperse of snow from the grooves, leading to a loss of traction. Before the common use of “all-season tires”, people would put “snow tires” on their cars in the winter. These tires had very deep groove patterns for optimal snow dispersal. If you are not sure if your tires can safely handle snowy conditions, have your tires inspected by a qualified Cappellino Chevrolet technician.
Tire Repair: While tires that have worn poorly due to alignment problems will need to be replaced, tires that have a puncture in the tread area might not need replacement. Often a tire with a puncture (small hole) in the tread area can be patched from the inside, and continue its normal service life while a sidewall puncture cannot be repaired. To find out if your tire can be repaired, make a service appointment at Cappellino Chevrolet service in Boston, NY.
